Schwalbe Snow Stud, Continental Tube - Woe is Me

I've spent much of the evening searching for a nice wide 29er rim for my own project, and keep coming back to the Salsa Gordo, but at £75-£85 each they might be a bit much for you, and at 35mm it does pretty much limit you to really big tyres.

These WTB rims at £27 and 28mm have a good rep as a mid range option. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=54400 £16 rear hub and http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=48622 £11 front hub and you could have a pair of wheels for under a ton, or a little over if you have to pay somebody else to build them.

The gordos are a bit too wide I think. The WTB rims look good, but are only 21mm (bead seat, rather than overall). I would prefer a couple of mm more, but I will get one in the new year if I can't find anything better. I bought the hubs and they seem ok. The front doesn't spin quite as well as I expected for a sealed bearing unit: it's a bit rough. The rear is great.