Mavic Open Pro vs Open Spoke

catzz66 said:

Apparently the Open Spoke rim replaces the old MA3. I've already
ordered some wheels built on the Open Spoke rims to replace the low
spoke count wheels (20 and 24 spoke Alex) that came on my bike. I weigh
about 215 and ride 200-300 mostly urban miles per month.

I'm being quoted about 50 dollars a rim more for the Open Pro. I just
wonder if the Open Spoke is okay for someone at my level. I am getting
good hubs and spokes.

If you haven't made up your mind yet, maybe you would consider Velocity
Aerohead OC? These rims are asymmetric for the rear which allows much
more even spoke tension between the drive and non-drive side. I think
this is particularly important for heavy riders and/or heavy use. I
broke spokes on all sorts of other wheels, but not these yet. I am
about 225lbs and ride on rough-ish roads and I am quite pleased. If I
were doing any urban riding it would be no question as far as I am
concerned.

Joseph

catzz66 said:

Apparently the Open Spoke rim replaces the old MA3. I've already
ordered some wheels built on the Open Spoke rims to replace the low
spoke count wheels (20 and 24 spoke Alex) that came on my bike. I weigh
about 215 and ride 200-300 mostly urban miles per month.

I'm being quoted about 50 dollars a rim more for the Open Pro. I just
wonder if the Open Spoke is okay for someone at my level. I am getting
good hubs and spokes.

Isn't the replacement for the MA3 called "Open Pro" or some such? Don't
think it's called "Open Spoke" except maybe when the spokes pull
through.

Anyway, I thought Open Pros sold for a about $60 apiece (in silver), so
paying $50 more for them seems excessive.

Art Harris

Art Harris said:

Isn't the replacement for the MA3 called "Open Pro" or some such?

Oops. Make that "Open Sport."

Art Harris

Art Harris said:

Art Harris said:

Isn't the replacement for the MA3 called "Open Pro" or some such?

Oops. Make that "Open Sport."

Art Harris

Exactly right. I misread my notes.

catzz66 said:

Apparently the Open Spoke rim replaces the old MA3. I've already
ordered some wheels built on the Open Spoke rims to replace the low
spoke count wheels (20 and 24 spoke Alex) that came on my bike. I weigh
about 215 and ride 200-300 mostly urban miles per month.

Quoted message said:

I'm being quoted about 50 dollars a rim more for the Open Pro. I just
wonder if the Open Spoke is okay for someone at my level. I am getting
good hubs and spokes.

Wow, I paid $43/ea for my open-pro rims. The open _sport_ has an MSRP
of $30, the open pro, $60, I think. So $50 extra for Open Pro is
bunk, since this is a higher quality rim that will true up more easily.

Mavic price-fixes their rims in all advertising, by being the
exclusive national distributor for their own produts, but dealers are
allowed to lower the price if the customer bargains. Why not tell the
local shop that you can find the rims cheaper, and so you'd prefer to
bring in your own rims ?? That might get them to come down in price a
little bit on the Mavic "Open Profit" rims...

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

Donald Gillies said:

catzz66 said:

Apparently the Open Spoke rim replaces the old MA3. I've already
ordered some wheels built on the Open Spoke rims to replace the low
spoke count wheels (20 and 24 spoke Alex) that came on my bike. I weigh
about 215 and ride 200-300 mostly urban miles per month.

Quoted message said:

I'm being quoted about 50 dollars a rim more for the Open Pro. I just
wonder if the Open Spoke is okay for someone at my level. I am getting
good hubs and spokes.

Wow, I paid $43/ea for my open-pro rims. The open _sport_ has an MSRP
of $30, the open pro, $60, I think. So $50 extra for Open Pro is
bunk, since this is a higher quality rim that will true up more easily.

Mavic price-fixes their rims in all advertising, by being the
exclusive national distributor for their own produts, but dealers are
allowed to lower the price if the customer bargains. Why not tell the
local shop that you can find the rims cheaper, and so you'd prefer to
bring in your own rims ?? That might get them to come down in price a
little bit on the Mavic "Open Profit" rims...

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

Thanks for the advice. I'll do it.

catzz66 said:

Apparently the Open Spoke rim replaces the old MA3. I've already
ordered some wheels built on the Open Spoke rims to replace the low
spoke count wheels (20 and 24 spoke Alex) that came on my bike. I weigh
about 215 and ride 200-300 mostly urban miles per month.

I'm being quoted about 50 dollars a rim more for the Open Pro. I just
wonder if the Open Spoke is okay for someone at my level. I am getting
good hubs and spokes.

I don't know what kind of prices you've been quoted, but this might
help put things in perspective:

http://tinyurl.com/leg77

That's a pair of Mavic Open Pros on Ultegra hubs for $200. They don't
specify (at least not that I can see) but they are probably 32H rims.
You might want to go to 36, at least for the rear. Also, although
Performance claims "all are wheels are hand-finished by our
professional wheel builders", you might find that they will need to be
re-tensioned, stress relieved, etc. after you receive them.

At any rate, that should give you an idea of "value". You can expect to
pay somewhat more for a well made set of hand made wheels built to your
exact spec (spoke count, spoke guage, etc.).

Good luck.

Quoted message said:

Mavic price-fixes their rims in all advertising, by being the
exclusive national distributor for their own produts, but dealers are
allowed to lower the price if the customer bargains. Why not tell the
local shop that you can find the rims cheaper, and so you'd prefer to
bring in your own rims ?? That might get them to come down in price a
little bit on the Mavic "Open Profit" rims...

Mavic rims being sold cheaper generally don't come from Mavic USA. A shop
selling an Open Pro for $60 isn't making much money, especially given what
UPS is charging for shipping boxes large enough for rims these days. The
places selling them for less are bringing them in from off-shore sources...
which is fine, except that the pricing they're getting them for isn't
available from your LBS.

You can, of course, bring in your own rims... but it probably wasn't worth
the $17 savings to the many customers we built up the infamous "clicking"
Mavic Open Pro wheels for. If we supplied the rim, then it was our
responsibility to tear it down and rebuild it. After all, it was *us* who
sold the defective product. But if someone brings in a rim purchased
elsewhere, and it goes bad, his/her problem is with whomever sold them the
defective rim, and if they'll pay to have it rebuilt, great.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"Donald Gillies" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

catzz66 said:

Apparently the Open Spoke rim replaces the old MA3. I've already
ordered some wheels built on the Open Spoke rims to replace the low
spoke count wheels (20 and 24 spoke Alex) that came on my bike. I weigh
about 215 and ride 200-300 mostly urban miles per month.

Quoted message said:

I'm being quoted about 50 dollars a rim more for the Open Pro. I just
wonder if the Open Spoke is okay for someone at my level. I am getting
good hubs and spokes.

Wow, I paid $43/ea for my open-pro rims. The open _sport_ has an MSRP
of $30, the open pro, $60, I think. So $50 extra for Open Pro is
bunk, since this is a higher quality rim that will true up more easily.

Mavic price-fixes their rims in all advertising, by being the
exclusive national distributor for their own produts, but dealers are
allowed to lower the price if the customer bargains. Why not tell the
local shop that you can find the rims cheaper, and so you'd prefer to
bring in your own rims ?? That might get them to come down in price a
little bit on the Mavic "Open Profit" rims...

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

catzz66 said:

Apparently the Open Spoke rim replaces the old MA3. I've already
ordered some wheels built on the Open Spoke rims to replace the low
spoke count wheels (20 and 24 spoke Alex) that came on my bike. I weigh
about 215 and ride 200-300 mostly urban miles per month.

I'm being quoted about 50 dollars a rim more for the Open Pro. I just
wonder if the Open Spoke is okay for someone at my level. I am getting
good hubs and spokes.

Open Sport, not 'spoke' Not a bad rim but we are still hesitant about
it cuz the MA-3 was a pile of junk. $60 for OpenPro, $35 for the silver
OpenSport...better be 36h, for your weight.

Donald Gillies said:

catzz66 said:

Apparently the Open Spoke rim replaces the old MA3. I've already
ordered some wheels built on the Open Spoke rims to replace the low
spoke count wheels (20 and 24 spoke Alex) that came on my bike. I weigh
about 215 and ride 200-300 mostly urban miles per month.

Quoted message said:

I'm being quoted about 50 dollars a rim more for the Open Pro. I just
wonder if the Open Spoke is okay for someone at my level. I am getting
good hubs and spokes.

Wow, I paid $43/ea for my open-pro rims. The open _sport_ has an MSRP
of $30, the open pro, $60, I think. So $50 extra for Open Pro is
bunk, since this is a higher quality rim that will true up more easily.

Mavic price-fixes their rims in all advertising, by being the
exclusive national distributor for their own produts, but dealers are
allowed to lower the price if the customer bargains. Why not tell the
local shop that you can find the rims cheaper, and so you'd prefer to
bring in your own rims ?? That might get them to come down in price a
little bit on the Mavic "Open Profit" rims...

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

First, Mavic frowns on people selling their rims for less than
MSRP-they don't 'allow' people to bargin, this isn't a leather purse in
a Korean market.

And BTW, why not bargin for the loaf of bread at the market...C'mon
Don, margin in bike shops SUCK, why would anybody be so farging cheap
to bargain on a stinkin rim, fer crisssakes?

The profit you imagine may go to Mavic but it sure as [censored] doesn't go
to the bike shop..gibe the bike shop a BREAK!!!!!

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

Open Sport, not 'spoke' Not a bad rim but we are still hesitant about
it cuz the MA-3 was a pile of junk. $60 for OpenPro, $35 for the silver
OpenSport...better be 36h, for your weight.

Enough already! =] I could not read my own handwriting. Thanks for all
the good advice, everybody.