Bicycle Mechanics - Rim replacement

I have an older set of Zipp 101 clincher wheels and the rear rim eyelets are cracking so I need to replace the rim. The rims are 24 spoke, 30 mm. Can I replace them with any 30 mm rim? I'm thinking the Kinlin XR-300. I'd like to not replace the spokes if I don't have to. Trying to keep the cost low.

It is one of those things that could/should work, but there is no guarantee--- since the spokes may be seated at different depths within the different rims. You should carefully check the specs first.

you'll need a rim that has the same ERD (effective rim diameter) as your current rims if you want to reuse your current spokes. since you said your wheelset is older you might want to think about replacing the spokes as well as the rim. it's usually not recommended to reuse old spokes.

Deep Vs are 30mm and come in 24 hole. Can't say whether the spokes are an exact fit.

Thanks for the replies. Looking over the cost of the spokes and nipples, it doesn't seem like it'll cost more than about $40 to replace them. That's not as bad as I thought. So, $70 for the rim, $40 for the spokes/nipples and about $70 for the build. $180 for the wheel. Seems like I can get a new wheel for that price. Think it's worth it? The Zipp hub is quite nice, but not sure if it's much nicer than something like a Ultegra hub.

This may be of help - now or in the future:

http://lenni.info/edd/

I have an older set of Zipp 101 clincher wheels and the rear rim eyelets are cracking so I need to replace the rim. The rims are 24 spoke, 30 mm. Can I replace them with any 30 mm rim? I'm thinking the Kinlin XR-300. I'd like to not replace the spokes if I don't have to. Trying to keep the cost low.

If you've ridden enough to start cracking the eyelets, those spokes are done for.

I've found spokes to be good for 100s of kmiles while my rims wear out after only about 50 kmiles due to brake wear (at least the front ones do). But if the OP is paying someone to rebuild the wheel he'll probably have to replace the spokes anyway - most wheelbuilders like to start with new ones since they can't know the history of the old ones. [I would do this too if rebuilding someone else's wheel.]

I'd suggest to the OP that this would be an excellent time to learn wheelbuilding. Get a replacement rim with the same (or within a mm or two) ERD, tape it to the current wheel, and move the spokes over one at a time. Finally do the tensioning and truing - Sheldon Brown's site has some good instructions.

I'd suggest to the OP that this would be an excellent time to learn wheelbuilding. Get a replacement rim with the same (or within a mm or two) ERD, tape it to the current wheel, and move the spokes over one at a time. Finally do the tensioning and truing - Sheldon Brown's site has some good instructions.

I'd love to build my own wheels, but buying the tools and the parts would be more than paying someone to do it and I really doubt I'd use the tools enough to justify the purchase. (truth is I couldn't justify it to the wife.)

I'd love to build my own wheels, but buying the tools and the parts would be more than paying someone to do it and I really doubt I'd use the tools enough to justify the purchase. (truth is I couldn't justify it to the wife.)
The only tool that's really needed is a spoke wrench - should be a couple bucks if you don't already have one. I did eventually spend another $10 for a cheap truing stand, but only after I'd built, or rebuilt quite a few wheels. The stand makes it a bit more convenient and faster, but is certainly not essential.

Do your research here on the web, buy the parts and build it yourself. I'm about to do that myself. I've built one wheel in a class about 30 years ago, and have trued my own wheels. That gives me a tiny bit of experience but not all that much. The one thing to remember is to do everything in increments, and the closer you get, the smaller the increments. My hub and spokes are currently loosely laced to a cracked rim sitting right next to me. I'm going to replace that rim and reuse the spokes, but of course it is special order from Velocity so it is taking time to get here.

All I have is a spoke wrench and a cracked frame that'll serve as a rear truing stand, and the matching fork with the shattered steering tube that'll work for the front. An all carbon truing stand.