RandomTroll

I'm shopping for a new rim (700c, 36-hole, rim brakes, mostly road). I'm considering an Alex Adventurer. I've been using Sun CR18s for the past 10 years or so. I seem to be wearing out the rims from braking (they go after 25-30K miles). I've used flimsy single-wall Alex rims in the past but this is a double-wall and about 22% heavier than the CR18, which I don't mind much. Alexrims - cycling wheels has no information about it; is that because they sell it as an OEM? Or has it aged out? They didn't reply.

well biked

I can tell you it's been the stock rim on the stock Surly Long Haul Trucker for several years, and in that time our shop has sold many of those bikes. They are very good rims for that purpose, not problematic at all in our experience, and we sell LHT's to some very high mileage cyclists.

RandomTroll

Thanks for your reply. Vendors' web sites don't give me information to determine the thickness of the wall. I could get that from Sun's, but not Alex's.

hueyhoolihan

not trying to dissuade you from the alex rim at all, but i'm curious. why not another cr18? unhappy with the mileage?

joeyduck

I started to wear out my LHT Adventurer rim after 10,000 km. There was a significant concave feel to the brake surface.

This being said I would ride all weather (except snow and ice) as a commuter and I would go fast and stop hard. I also carry no less than 200 pounds and normally my commute weight was 275ish. The hard stopping in the wet with all the road grit took its toll and I went for Mavic A719, which I have been using for a few thousand km and seem fine to me.

Dan Burkhart 

I can't say I have had any experience with the Adventurer rim, but many other models of Alex rims I've built with and still use personally have been more than satisfactory.
The DM18 is a suitable replacement for the Sun CR18, not that there is anything wrong with the Sun rims either.
In my opinion and experience, Alex rims are great value.

Wanderer

I've got an Alex Adventurer on the rear of my Crosstrail. 36 holes, double wall, , and it has been bulletproof for the last six years. Kool Stop Salmon help a lot to minimize rim wear.

bikemig 

I spoke with a bike company recently that builds what I suspect is a fairly large number of wheels (universal cycles) and this was one of their top recommendations for a touring rim.

Bill Kapaun

+1
The CR-18 is relatively inexpensive and you can simply swap in the new one, one spoke at a time.
Just tape the new rim to the existing wheel.

fietsbob

+1 with above ..

Whether you have Ridden with as is dirty rims and grit embedded in your old brake pads , and how you use the brakes is Unknown ,

as half the brake friction the rim is a consumable , another brand of aluminum rim [short of one with ceramic sintered braking surfaces,
plasma-blasted onto the brake surfaces] Wont be hugely different.

Wear Happens

Wilfred Laurier

As mentioned above, rim brakes will wear through any rim over time, and 25,000 miles is pretty good life IMO.

However, my experience with Alex rims has been extremely positive, and they will be on top of the short list for the next wheels I build based on my experience and their price.

chriskmurray

I personally would consider that pretty good mileage for brake wear but if you want better I think you should be looking at a rim like the Velocity NoBS. It does not use a machined brake track so you have more material there before it is too thin and fails. It is very very strong and reasonably priced. I have had one on my cargo bike for well over a year, specifically trying to break it to see if it could handle the demands of my touring customers and it has been great.

Here is a review I wrote up a while back if you are interested in it. Nobs short term review - Chris Murray Wheel Works

Jeff Wills

Yep. Here's a CR-18 I had. It lasted a couple years including riding through Portland winters before letting go. Probably 6 or 7,000 miles.

RandomTroll

I'm not complaining: the CR18s have lasted longer than any of the single-wall rims I've used. If I can do significantly better for only a little bit more (about 18%) I'll choose that. The question I want answered is whether the Alex has a thicker rim. Sun posts the specs of its rims on its website; Alex doesn't even mention the Adventurer. The Alex weighs 560g to the CR18's 460: where's that weight? I assume the materials have the same density so there has to be more metal somewhere. If Alex is more concerned about the rim cracking at its eyelets perhaps its on that part, not the flanges.

Not to me. I wipe the rims and brake pads clean every day I ride. I look ahead and try to avoid braking, even when I stop, always.
And I'm no speed demon who needs to brake hard or runs red lights and plays matador with cars.

I don't anticipate finding a rim that will last forever. If I can find one that lasts 40K miles instead of 30K I will save a wheel-building every few years. The Alex is 22% heavier: if some of that extra weight is thicker flanges I can anticipate it will last longer. I hoped someone might know.

Darth_Firebolt

I love them. I've built 4 sets, 2 each of 32 and 36 hole. They're a ridiculously stout rim. Make sure to use double butted spokes and you will have bombproof wheels.

hueyhoolihan

i seriously doubt whether anybody can tell anyone for certain where the extra weight is located in the alex rim WRT the Sun rim. i wouldn't be surprised if even the engineers at the home office would had to look it up.

at jensonusa the alex rim is listed at 30 dollars, the sun cr18 about 25. at those prices 18 percent doesn't add up to much. maybe a couple of lattes. right?

good luck

RunForTheHills

It seems like there would be a lot of factors affecting the rim longevity such as the hardness of the material, thickness, riding conditions, etc. You could always try the Alex rims. If they last longer than the CR18 under your unique riding conditions, then you have a winner. If they don't, just switch back to the CR18 or try a different rim the next time. It's an experiment of one as they say. That being said, I tend to stick with something if it has been working for me. I have used the same make/model of running shoe for the last 15 years and have gone through many pairs of them.

RandomTroll

Niagara Cycle has the specs for the Alex: 17.5 internal, 24.5 external; the Sun CR-18 is 17.5 & 22.5

The engineers at the home office maybe; anyone in the warehouse with a micrometer for sure.

Sun provides the specs for its wheels on its site. I have a cross-section drawing of an Alex DM-18 with these specs; I don't remember where I got it.

ebikestop.com sells the Alex for $25.95, the Sun for $21.95 (Niagara sells the Sun for $17.09 (sale!), the Alex for $25.20); I don't drink lattes.

Verdict: the Alex rim's flange is 1mm thicker, 40%, well worth the higher price and extra weight. I went to a few different vendors before I found these specs for the Alex; Niagara doesn't have them for the Sun. Odd that some vendors have some numbers and not others.

Verdict #2 : asking here was no help.

bikemig 

As to Verdict no. 1, good to know. I'm looking to build up some touring wheels.

As to Verdict no. 2, good job of living up to your screen name,

Bill Kapaun

I for one, will keep that in mind the next time you ask for "help".

RandomTroll

I invite you not to participate in any thread I start. I prefer non-helpers to keep their counsel.

I lived up to my screen name by discovering the thickness of the flanges of Alex Adventurer and Sun CR18 rims: useful information.

fietsbob

Does this look like the Home Shopping Channel ? Not every one buys the same stuff and so will take the time tell you all about it

so you feel safer wandering into the overabundant Market Place of Competing Products

John Nolan 

Is is known that the rims are made of the same alloy? If they differ, knowing the thickness of the wall isn't sufficient to make a judgment.

Might there be other differences in construction that are important? Jeff's photos don't look like simple wear-through. It looks like a failure at the edge.

Jeff Wills

No, the rim broke at the bottom edge of the rim flange, right in the middle of the brake wear track. The divot on the rim was continuous, with no particular groove from embedded debris.

It gave me a little warning- the brake was pulsing when I started out that day. Since I was leading the ride, I didn't use common sense and investigate the problem when I showed up. As it was, I was left sitting in a bagel shop while my wife sped home to fetch the van.

John Nolan 

Sounds scary, Jeff.. Good to know.