eschlwc

hi, folks. i'm looking for two new (or like-new) rims. they should be vintage looking with little graphics that can take a lot of miles around the puget sound area.

given:
- '75 motobecane grand record (58cm)
- 700c x 23 tires (i like 'em narrow.)
- 36h campy hubs
- light touring only on pavement/paved trails
- an off-center rear rim would be a plus
- for a 160 lb, lower middle class hominid

it's been a difficult search so far...
- i've read some not-too-kind things about the velocity aerohead.
- someone recommend the velocity synergy, but it seems too wide.
- the mavic open pro/sport looks cluttered with graphics.
- i was told the narrow v.o. rims are out of stock

many thanks for the input. i'm diggin' all your posts...

repechage

Might look at VeloOrange

gomango

I wouldn't believe everything you read about the Aeroheads.

I use those with great results, and I find them to be durable.

I have a friend that has used these for cyclocross racing the last three seasons.

Zero issues!

KZBrian

Sun M13 has the look you want.

Charles Wahl

V-O and Grand Bois (from CompassCycle.com) rims are probably what you want; Sun may be what you can live with and afford. If you want to spring for the Grand Bois rims (double-eyeletted, as opposed to the other choices), and would like to get the 4-fer discount ($5 per rim), then PM me. I have a pair of Velocity Synergy rims in constant service, and I'm quite happy with them, too -- they're 23 mm wide (as opposed to 19 for vintage narrow-tire rims). I wouldn't hesitate to use them on tires as narrow as 28 mm.

Bianchigirll 

I just put the Sun CR 18s on my Hetchins. they are not exactly vintage looking, they have a little raised area in the middle. however for $25 ea versus $50 ea for some others I am very happy with them

Kommisar89

Based on the rims you listed there it appears you don't care if the rims have the correct look for a vintage 1975 bike. The only rims in the list you have there that I personally would use that would work with 23mm tires are the Velo-Orange PBP rims. I see nothing indicating they are out of stock. Even if they were I would wait until they were back in stock. None of the others would look at all appropriate on that bike. The Grand Grand Bois and V-O RAID are too wide for 23mm tires.

https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...700c-rims.html


Edit: Add the Sun M13II (if you can still get the polished finish) to the list. The H Plus Son TB14 at 23mm seems a bit wide, more like the Grand Grand Bois and V-O RAID but still very nice rims. I don't think I'd put less than a true 25mm tire on a 23mm rim and since it's hard to predict exactly how wide the tire will measure the safe bet would be to go with a 28mm in case it runs narrow which sort of defeats the purpose of narrow rims and tire at that point.

bigbossman 

The Aerohead OC are fantastic rims. I pummel the hell out of mine, with zero issue. FWIW - 32h 3x.

You want a great modern rim without graphics? Buy some DT Swiss RR1.1's and peel the (minimal) stickers off. Also, don't dismiss the Mavic OP - those stickers come off pretty easily, and they are outstanding rims.

Just out of curiosity - 36h seem over-kill for a 160lb rider..... unless you already have the hubs?

Roger M

I have 32h Mavic Open Pros on an old Peugeot. They have been through the beat up streets of Seattle a few times. I have no problems with them. Mine only have one sticker that is about five inches long. It would come off easily if I decided to 86 it.


There are some new rims out that I would like to try. They have a nice clean look and can be had polished,grey, or black. The price is not the cheapest, but IMO they look nicer than some of the other options out there. H Plus Son TB14

Grim

I use CR18 on 3 bikes now. One sticker that coule easiy be removed with a heat gun and a little solvent. NO complaint out of the durability. The polished would have more of a vintage apeal and I have them on one of the bikes. These are for wider tires (22mm wide rim) and more of a 28mm up tire size all though I have put 25's on one.
VO rims seem to be getting good reveiws and they have a small understated sticker like the old Araya Red lables. The Raids look very interesting and I will probably put them on my Porteur/contructeur since I like 28-32's. https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...-rim-700c.html
The BPD's would be more to the OP's liking for narrow tires,
https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...700c-rims.html

eric_the_poor

anyone ever try the nashbar special? they're not 36H, but seem alright for $30. I only ask because I was considering these to replace my warped front wheel

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...0_10000_202455

BlueDevil63 

+1, Sun M13II looks vintage, can be had in polished or unpolished and is pretty cheap to boot.

Kommisar89

Can you still get them polished? When I was looking at rims a couple of years back they had discontinued the polished version. Those are very nice rims.

eschlwc

so many replies -- many thanks. seems i have a little research to do.
bigboss, yeah, the 36h hubs were original to this mb grand record (i think). they polished up so beautifully.
cheers, all.

Kommisar89

Oh these are very nice. I've never heard of H Plus Son.

Charles Wahl

I've never heard of H Plus Son either, and the shop that claims to be the sole US distributor (where are they made?) is in Brooklyn. Look like a wider version of the Mavic G40 to me: double-eyeletted (which I like) in either polished aluminum (thus prob not anodized) and gray anodized. Like the G40, no machining of the sidewalls, as on the Velocity rims (which I also like, but Velocity's rims are single-eyeletted).

Both the blurb for the TB14, and Velocity's promo for their P35 rim (much wider) make the argument that using a rim as wide as the tire makes for a better profile, and a ride more like a tubular. Maybe that's something to try out. Perhaps it's just rose-colored nostalgia, but I remember riding narrow Specialized Turbo or Avocet slicks on the 19 mm G40s, with great fondness. I ride wider tires now, but I don't seem to have found anything that felt that good since (though I didn't like the feel of 110 PSI tires on a poorly maintained road, fer shure).

I really like the O/C idea that Velocity has going, where the rear rim has offset holes to lessen dish. I bought a pair of the Aeroheads for a bike project for my spouse, and had them laced to 7-speed hubs, and there's practically no dish with a Hyperglide freehub. But I'm not a great fan of the house-shaped profile they have, from a vintage perspective.

frantik

i haven't had problems removing the stickers on mavic rims so far (well, besides knowing i just killed the resale value)

Kommisar89

That is generally true with cars and motorcycles so I can't really see why it wouldn't be true with bicycles but...it just doesn't look right. When I was first setting up the Bottecchia Grand Turismo with clinchers I picked up a set of Avocet 700x25C tires. The rims are Rigida AL1622's, 22mm wide. The Avocets actually measure 22mm. It just didn't look right at all and I was reluctant to try it. I returned them and got a set of Panaracer Pasela TG's in 700x28C. I also ran a pair of Nashbar 27x1's on a set of Weinmann 27" rims that measure 23mm on the Peugeot. The Nashbars also measured out at 22mm and while I rode it and nothing bad happened, I still didn't like the way it looked and I had to really watch the tire pressure because they had very little room between the surface of the tire and the rim. I switched the Nashbars to the Motobecane on AL1320 (20mm) rims and they look right at home.

BlueDevil63 

Niagara had them in polished just a few months ago. Yep just checked. Still have them in polished in both 32 and 36 hole. $26 each.