I just purchased an older set of Mavic Module E2 laced to some Campy hubs. I put new Vredstein clinchers on that have a max psi of 160. I ride them at 140psi. Is there a max pressure that these rims can handle? Just trying to be on the safe side. Thanks.

Some hubs are stamped inside with a maximum PSI based on the mythical "average" rider and "average" tire. "Maximum" and "best" are very, very different concepts.

In the 1980's, most 700 x 25mm tires were stamped with a maximum PSI of around 100 PSI. And, as it turns out, that is the PSI level that yields the best combination of comfort and performance for a typical rider weighing 150 pounds to 170 pounds.

Today, primarily for marketing reasons, not performance reasons, some 25mm tires are stamped with a maximum PSI of 140 PSI or 160 PSI. That is a safety rating that has absolutely nothing to do with the PSI that provides optimum performance. With a 25mm width tire, and a 150 pound rider, the "best" PSI is around 100 PSI, just as it has always been.

I've never been able to decide WHICH sort marketing hype shows the most disrespect for the IQ of cyclists: tire companies marking tires at silly PSI levels, or Shimano adding an extra cog to its cassettes every couple of years. If we live long enough, the morons of marketing will have us on tires marked 300 PSI, riding bikes with 20 cogs.

Hear, hear! But let’s not forget the amazing disappearance of spokes.

Those Module E2's are nice rims. I've been using them daily on my commuter for the last 5 or so years & rarely have to true them. I run about 115psi. 140 seems like it would give a pretty harsh ride, but I bet the rims would have no problems handling it.

The failure will most likely be a blow-off, if anything happens at all. That isn't fatal, or even very destructive, usually. When speed was everything, I ran 150 psi all the time, and accumulated many thousands of miles on a set of E2s with specialized hubs. I finally realized that 110-120 was quite harsh enough, thank you, not nearly as hard on my wrists and elbows, and I couldn't measure a difference in performance, on the road. My trackie buddies, though, ran up to 200 psi regularly without problems, but their surface was as smooth as glass...