Track Cycling: Velodrome Racing and Training Area - Inflated 32H Mavic SSC Tubular Rims on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/2-NOS-32H-Mavic-SSC-Tubular-Rims-Grey-THE-BEST-Grey_W0QQitemZ320092852806QQcategoryZ56197QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Why so expensive??? I could have sworn I saw one selling for cheap at a garage sale.

well go and get those in the garage sale hehehe... I think those are super light and thats why are expensive i believe. I dont like light stuff so for me a gp4 is ok for example.

SSC's are the limited production rims that Mavic made for pro teams back in the 70s and 80s. They were generally a lot better than the average rim -- special heat treating, better anodizing, better alloys, etc. The most admired, the SSC Paris Roubaix, tend to go for $220-250 a pair and are amazing rims -- supple, bulletproof, etc. The early Mavic GP4's were very similar for a while. The other SSC's were generally in the same weight range (375-450 grams) and made for European roads, i.e., pretty tough. If you want a really fine tubular rim, better than anything made today, these are it. But not necessarily at $370 a pair.

11.4 has it right. SSCs had the well-deserved reputation as the finest rim to be had in the 70s and 80s. I would guess that there was hardly a cobbled classic won on anything else back in those days, so folks looking for an A+ restoration will go for them. I know I did, and I didn't flinch at the $200 price tag.

$370? Ebay... *shrug*

They came in blue too.

SSC's were very similar looking to GP4's. Heck - if you didn't have the stickers on them you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. GP4's could handle pretty much anything you threw at them (or road over) but the SSC was Mavic's answer to building something more bombproof than solid ganite at about the same weight as a GP4. Even GL330's were darned tough - and I still have a set of GEL280's hanging up in my garage :) Despite the weight those GEL's will take more of a beating than something like an Open4 CD clincher.

I've never seem a "blue" SSC rim.... just the later version - the grey SSC - Paris Roubaix.

Chances are though, if you happen to hit something hard enough to deform an SSC then something else will probably "give" too. LOL

The Mavic Bleu SSC was a special production rim, slightly lighter, with a beautiful cobalt blue anodizing that didn't last five minutes from when you started riding the rim but really looked pretty hanging on the wall. They are among the most expensive rims out there because they only look good when brand new and properly stored (no sidewall dings and the like) and they were popular for important races -- many riders were on them for a couple years at world road championships, for example.

And yes, the older GP4's are almost identical to a Paris Roubaix and certainly ride with the same kind of suppleness. GP4s went through several versions, starting with the red and gold label on a rim with fairly low profile and non-machined sidewalls. Then the label changed to a purple and yellow one and the ferrules switched to stainless, which was actually a plus. As Campy and Shimano pushed up braking power on their brakes by making the brake blocks taller, the blocks tended to overlap the braking surfaces on these rims too much, plus the old extrusion die was aging, so Mavic came out with a rim similar to the Reflex -- flat sidewalls with a somewhat higher profile. These aren't as supple as the prior two versions, but dang they're bulletproof. If you want a stiff wheel, get those. Mavic then switched again to a more recent GP4 decal and slightly different profile with actual machined sidewalls, but that rim isn't as nice as the earlier versions. All the GP4s were nice rims and better than pretty much anything manufactured today.

SSC's were very similar looking to GP4's. Heck - if you didn't have the stickers on them you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. GP4's could handle pretty much anything you threw at them (or road over) but the SSC was Mavic's answer to building something more bombproof than solid ganite at about the same weight as a GP4. Even GL330's were darned tough - and I still have a set of GEL280's hanging up in my garage :) Despite the weight those GEL's will take more of a beating than something like an Open4 CD clincher.

I've never seem a "blue" SSC rim.... just the later version - the grey SSC - Paris Roubaix.

Chances are though, if you happen to hit something hard enough to deform an SSC then something else will probably "give" too. LOL

I've seen a GEL280 rear wheel fold up at high speed. Not a pretty sight.

Best rims ever. I had 28h Paris Roubaix SSCs w/ Corsa CXs on my Merckx.

The rims were so strong, the Wheelsmith spokes were torqueing before it would true when they were being built.

with only 28 spokes, they were awesome crit wheels too.

Best rims ever. I had 28h Paris Roubaix SSCs w/ Corsa CXs on my Merckx.

The rims were so strong, the Wheelsmith spokes were torqueing before it would true when they were being built.

with only 28 spokes, they were awesome crit wheels too.

Laced to Campag Records I hope?

Nah....Dura-Ace. :(

Nah....Dura-Ace. :(

Better wheel dish with DA than Record IMO.

Better wheel dish with DA than Record IMO.

Better wheel dish these days - remember we're probably talking about a 7-speed, screw on hub - all hubs offered pretty good wheel dishing back in those days.

Better wheel dish these days - remember we're probably talking about a 7-speed, screw on hub - all hubs offered pretty good wheel dishing back in those days.

9-speed D-A. About 1997.

I've seen a GEL280 rear wheel fold up at high speed. Not a pretty sight.

It all depends on who builds then. I had two pairs of GEL280s - one on Campag Record hubs 1985 vintage and another on the sealed Mavic hubs 1990... Both were 28 hole and neigh on bombproof and were used and abused on various crits, roadraces and time trials around Northern England for the best part of 5 years or so...

Build it right, relieve the tension and if you'd used some loctite or nail polish on the spoke threads then they'd all be good.... I once rode 10 miles on a flat just to get back to the car and it was arrow straight afterwards.

Paul Hewitt (now in Leyland, UK) = wheel building God.

…as my ol' Granny used to say, "…it's amazing what folk would rather have than money!"

- Wil