ROVAL Wheelset
03-15-12 | 06:10 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,567
Likes: 1,065
From: Berwyn PA
Bikes: I hate bikes!
ROVAL Wheelset
DISCLAIMER: This wheelset will be sold/traded away eventually. That being said, please know that any information you give maybe used facillitate said trade/sale. You will not be compensated for your time/response.
Ok. I can't find much info on these wheels. Tubular, 18spoke rear/16 spoke front, 7speed Sachs freewheel. The rear has a ding in it. Are these an evolutionary dead end (biopace, etc.) or something that other folks like? What is the history behind these? Pics are not great. My apologies.
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Ok. I can't find much info on these wheels. Tubular, 18spoke rear/16 spoke front, 7speed Sachs freewheel. The rear has a ding in it. Are these an evolutionary dead end (biopace, etc.) or something that other folks like? What is the history behind these? Pics are not great. My apologies.
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03-15-12 | 06:14 PM
#2
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 11,128
Likes: 39
Bikes: 1986 Alan Record Carbonio, 1985 Vitus Plus Carbone 7, 1984 Peugeot PSV, 1972 Line Seeker, 1986(est.) Medici Aerodynamic (Project), 1985(est.) Peugeot PY10FC
I think they are French, from the mid 80's to 90s maybe.... and would look really nice on my Vitus Carbone....
Very high tech when they came out. They do sell for good money if they are in great condition. The well used one in the pic looks to have seen better days though but the one on the left looks really good.
Chombi
Very high tech when they came out. They do sell for good money if they are in great condition. The well used one in the pic looks to have seen better days though but the one on the left looks really good.
Chombi
03-15-12 | 08:32 PM
#6
Full Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 364
Likes: 4
From: Portland Maine
Bikes: Topstone, Chisel, 930, Facet
I've got the same rear wheel, early aero attempt, with proprietary spoke blades. It also has a bumpy rim so no go. I thought I could rebuild it until I realized the issue with the proprietary parts. Can't even adjust the spokes without a special tool. Too bad, it's actually a cool design, with super smooth hubs. English thread. Anyone want mine?
Last edited by Kanegon; 03-15-12 at 08:56 PM.
03-16-12 | 01:14 AM
#7
Ride, Wrench, Swap, Race
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,834
Likes: 1,811
From: Northern California
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
Firstly, never throw one away!
The hub axle/cones are special-threaded so might be of real value to someone who has still-good rims.
I believe Maillard made the hubs, and used this axle on their pro hubs for a while during the '80's. The fine-threaded axle also made an appearance on "Edco-Swiss" cartridge-bearing hubs, but not sure if Maillard made the entire hubs for them.
I've used these wheels, and they performed very well. In a paceline I once ran over a brick going uphill at 15mph and only dented the rear rim a little. I didn't see it until I had no option but to try to hop it. BTW, I raced at 155lbs.
One or three issues, though.
Basically, it's the proprietary parts. You'll need spares eventually, especially spokes. They are uniquely-dimensioned T-headed spokes, but with normal threading. I've had to make a couple of them using a nail-head bladed spoke. I also had to trim down the blade profile on the grinder!
So, a damaged wheel provides spare axle, cones, spokes, nipples and the plastic nipple washers (which have been durable for me).
The spoke nipples need a 5.5 or 6mm socket that I slimmed down using a bench grinder to reach into the rim cavity (tire has to come off).
The spoke nipples may be frozen i.e. have hardened thread-locking adhesive. How I broke 2 spokes!
I would hit any stuck nipple with a soldering iron tip if I had it to do over, but I have spare parts nowadays.
There is no defined spoke tension. The nipples rest on plastic washers, which de-tension over the years. Proper tension is far less than with normal wheels, but they cleverly put twice as many spokes on the drive side. That means overall tension can be lower and still make a strong wheel with the deeply-profiled rim. My spoke tensiometer isn't calibrated for the odd spokes, but I'd guess I have only 60kg tension after I added a lot of tension.
There were tubular and clincher versions, in black and silver. Tubular and black are by far the most common.
The usual problem with a pair of Rovals is a damaged rear rim, and the front and rear rims have different drillings. However, Roval offered several different spoke count options, so possible some front rims have the same drilling as the lighter of the rear ones. I don't know, but perhaps some modern rim could be adapted IF the spokesdon't exit at the normal left-right-left, since these rear wheels have 2 right spokes for every one left spoke(!).
A very nice, very special wheelset if you take the time to make the nipple tool and have a spare dead rear wheel handy. Good wheelbuilding skills are important imo, you want even tensioning with these.
I now have one set of silver tubulars and one black set, plus one black set of clinchers.
I've never seen these sell for big bucks btw.
All of my miles have been on the tubulars.
The hub axle/cones are special-threaded so might be of real value to someone who has still-good rims.
I believe Maillard made the hubs, and used this axle on their pro hubs for a while during the '80's. The fine-threaded axle also made an appearance on "Edco-Swiss" cartridge-bearing hubs, but not sure if Maillard made the entire hubs for them.
I've used these wheels, and they performed very well. In a paceline I once ran over a brick going uphill at 15mph and only dented the rear rim a little. I didn't see it until I had no option but to try to hop it. BTW, I raced at 155lbs.
One or three issues, though.
Basically, it's the proprietary parts. You'll need spares eventually, especially spokes. They are uniquely-dimensioned T-headed spokes, but with normal threading. I've had to make a couple of them using a nail-head bladed spoke. I also had to trim down the blade profile on the grinder!
So, a damaged wheel provides spare axle, cones, spokes, nipples and the plastic nipple washers (which have been durable for me).
The spoke nipples need a 5.5 or 6mm socket that I slimmed down using a bench grinder to reach into the rim cavity (tire has to come off).
The spoke nipples may be frozen i.e. have hardened thread-locking adhesive. How I broke 2 spokes!
I would hit any stuck nipple with a soldering iron tip if I had it to do over, but I have spare parts nowadays.
There is no defined spoke tension. The nipples rest on plastic washers, which de-tension over the years. Proper tension is far less than with normal wheels, but they cleverly put twice as many spokes on the drive side. That means overall tension can be lower and still make a strong wheel with the deeply-profiled rim. My spoke tensiometer isn't calibrated for the odd spokes, but I'd guess I have only 60kg tension after I added a lot of tension.
There were tubular and clincher versions, in black and silver. Tubular and black are by far the most common.
The usual problem with a pair of Rovals is a damaged rear rim, and the front and rear rims have different drillings. However, Roval offered several different spoke count options, so possible some front rims have the same drilling as the lighter of the rear ones. I don't know, but perhaps some modern rim could be adapted IF the spokesdon't exit at the normal left-right-left, since these rear wheels have 2 right spokes for every one left spoke(!).
A very nice, very special wheelset if you take the time to make the nipple tool and have a spare dead rear wheel handy. Good wheelbuilding skills are important imo, you want even tensioning with these.
I now have one set of silver tubulars and one black set, plus one black set of clinchers.
I've never seen these sell for big bucks btw.
All of my miles have been on the tubulars.
Last edited by dddd; 03-16-12 at 01:34 AM.
03-16-12 | 06:23 AM
#8
A couple of years back, I went through the Cinelli warehouse buying as much as possible of the vintage items. They had quite a few sets of Roval wheelsets still the boxes. They were used for the Cinelli Laser bikes. I agreed to buy them and they were just about to be loaded in the van when a higher up stopped the transaction from going through. As best as I can recall they were the very first pre-built high end wheels. Before they appeared on the market, the only pre-built wheels were lower end ones. They came out in the very early 80's (at least that is when I first saw or heard of them).
03-16-12 | 05:32 PM
#9
Ride, Wrench, Swap, Race
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,834
Likes: 1,811
From: Northern California
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
"A couple of years back, I went through the Cinelli warehouse buying as much as possible of the vintage items."
Sounds like a nice field trip!
Sounds like a nice field trip!
03-16-12 | 06:10 PM
#10
Baron Corpuz I believe still has a stock of the wheels as sets of components.
https://www.the-bici.com/
His third brick and mortar storefront is no more, but an email might go a long way in locating replacement parts. My guess is that he might be willing to sell at a lower price things he does not have to image, and list on a site. Warning, his time to pack and ship is often kind of slow by modern standards.
https://www.the-bici.com/
His third brick and mortar storefront is no more, but an email might go a long way in locating replacement parts. My guess is that he might be willing to sell at a lower price things he does not have to image, and list on a site. Warning, his time to pack and ship is often kind of slow by modern standards.
