I'm pretty hard on everything I own and I'm 255lbs right now, and the Hope/721 combo works just great for me. I've been running primarily 721's for the past 6 years and everytime I go with another rim, it's usually heavier and/or more expensive with no additional life-span. Plus the 721 gives a great tire profile.
I bought mine from CRC, too, and paid very little extra to go with DB spokes (which are more resistant to fatigue failure), and have only had to tune them up a few times this past season.
That said, if you don't normally work on your own bike, it might be worth it for you to pay an extra $100 to get the shop support - not sure about the canadian exchange rate with the UK, but right now you can find shops in the US that'll sell the same combo for only about $100 more.