Will 28c avocet fasgrip tires work good on a Mavic CXP21 rim ? Nashbar has a $ 109.95 special for a completed wheelset (sora hubs) 36H. I want to upgrade the rims on my beater commuter bike.

Do a search and read some reviews on CXP21 Mavic wheelsets either here or at roadbikereview.com before you spend the money. A little research may prevent you from making a poor buying decision.

It sounds like you have the right setup going. Sora isn't race quality, but they are still solid components. Wheels built with 36 spokes should be solid. In addition, Mavic builds a pretty solid rim. Just cross your fingers and hope that the wheels are built correctly. I once bought a new front wheel for cheap and the entire rim was trued about 1 cm off center.

As far as the tires, I'd take threadend's advice and do a review on them. Some tires are crappy while others are good. As long as you have enough frame, fork, and brake clearance, 700x28 is great for a commuter-style bike. Me? I now have 700x25 Michelin Axial Pros, but once they wear out, I am going to try 700x27 tires from Rivendell.

marnan, I hate to promote, but...

I've got a set of CXP21's for sale at bicyclebid(see signature) with a reserve of 50 USD, and a buy it now for 60 USD. These wheels are slightly used, still in great condition, and have been trued at the local shop(they wre never really out of true, but I hd the shop check up just in case). They have Shimano 2200 hubs, which aren't as good as Sora, but they will work fine for commuting. The hubs are 9 spd also.

Thanks for all your comments. I had trouble finding any reviews on the CXP21 rims, so I read some reviews on the Mavic MA3 and they were all positive. I think that rim is alittle wider and may work better with 28c tires. Nashbar has an MA3 rim wheelset (sora hubs) for $139. However, they are 32H. I really want the 36H, at least on the rear. I am 165 pounds, but carry 8-10 pounds of commuter stuff on a left pannier. I check the rear spokes every month or so because they have loosened up in the past. Anyone know how much stronger a 36H is as compared to a 32H ? or is the strength more in the quality of the wheelbuild ?

Go with the 32s. I'm at a low weight of 215 (+-) from a high of 280+. I have always used 32 hole Fr and Rear, never had a problem even running ridiculously butted 15/17/15 spokes on the rear...and I ride on rough Michigan roads. You shouldn't have any problems with the 32 hole set up, just keep check of the spoke tension.

Like any cyclist would do with any wheelset.