Originally Posted by
The Golden Boy
Maillard could (and did) make some very nice hubs. I think we (as people 30-40 years down, running into old beat up stuff, running into a lot of the cheaper Maillard hubs and reading horror stories about the Maillard Helicomatic) forget that Maillard was a highly respected company that made highly respected products that were specced on top of the line bikes. As a 40 hole hub, almost by definition, is bound for a touring bike or a tandem, chances are really good that you're dealing with a high quality hub.
For whatever it's worth- I've got a set of the Super Champion 40 spoke wheels laced to Phil hubs- they're the most impeccably spinning hubs I've ever experienced.
And for whatever it's worth, I had a Maillard/Matrix wheelset built for my Trek 400. The front wheel was a Maillard 700 laced to a Matrix rim from my Trek 720; the rear is the Matrix from the 720 and a Maillard 600 sealed bearing hub. It's a nice wheelset.
I recently bought a late 80s Trek 1000 for parts (frame is for sale if anyone wants it over in the For Sale section!!) and came with a Maillard 700 laced to Matrix rims as well. I traded them to a friend for a newer set of wheels...I think he got the better deal, but he had an immediate need for them and I didn't, whereas I wanted a better wheelset for my commuter. He's hooked me up in the past with some sweet stuff, so it balances out...but those were a sweet set of wheels.