Mavic Open 4 CD Rims

I have a pair (32h front, 36h rear) built up as racing wheels in 1989 that I am still using. No
problem so far. They are hard anodized, which can make rims more prone to cracking, but there is no
evidence of that yet. I guess at 65kg I don't stress components too much.

Nick

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

Quoted message said:

My local bike store has a pair of new old stock Mavic Open 4 CD Rims that I'm thinking of getting
and having built onto a pair of Campag Centaur hubs.

The rims seem a bit historic and not currently sold.

Have you any experience with these rims? I bet there are people who have used them for a few years
now and have been able to develop some opinion.

Nick Payne said:

I have a pair (32h front, 36h rear) built up as racing wheels in 1989 that I am still using. No
problem so far. They are hard anodized, which can make rims more prone to cracking, but there is
no evidence of that yet. I guess at 65kg I don't stress components too much.

Same configuration here, about 10 years old, I'm heavier. No problems. They are rather light and not
very stiff rims which need a correspondingly light touch when building/truing.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

My local bike store has a pair of new old stock Mavic Open 4 CD Rims that I'm thinking of getting
and having built onto a pair of Campag Centaur hubs. The rims seem a bit historic and not currently
sold. Have you any experience with these rims? I bet there are people who have used them for a few
years now and have been able to develop some opinion.

They are very similar to current open pro rims. The bad part is the CD. That is mavic speak for hard
anodized. That is not good because from the factory this finish has tiny little cracks that over
time slowly grow and the rim will eventually fail because of cracks. I would look for some rims that
are not hard anodized.
------------
Alex

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

Quoted message said:

My local bike store has a pair of new old stock Mavic Open 4 CD Rims that I'm thinking of getting
and having built onto a pair of Campag Centaur hubs.

The rims seem a bit historic and not currently sold.

Have you any experience with these rims? I bet there are people who have used them for a few years
now and have been able to develop some opinion.

Regards Wayne Henderson

Still got a set on one of my bikes. They're doing fine though I've largely worn through the CD
coating on the braking surfaces. That took a long time to happen. I'd buy another set if they were
a good deal.

Cal

I guess

Quoted message said:

at 65kg I don't stress components too much.

It depends largely on the tension on the spokes, not just your body weight.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

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

Quoted message said:

My local bike store has a pair of new old stock Mavic Open 4 CD Rims that I'm thinking of getting
and having built onto a pair of Campag Centaur hubs.

The rims seem a bit historic and not currently sold.

Have you any experience with these rims? I bet there are people who have used them for a few years
now and have been able to develop some opinion.

Regards

I've got a pair that are 10 or 12 years old that I put about 1500 miles on every winter and spring.
Rode them this morning and would be happy to have another pair when they eventually wear out. Bill

Quoted message said:

Wayne Henderson

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

Quoted message said:

My local bike store has a pair of new old stock Mavic Open 4 CD Rims that I'm thinking of getting
and having built onto a pair of Campag Centaur hubs.

The rims seem a bit historic and not currently sold.

Have you any experience with these rims? I bet there are people who have used them for a few years
now and have been able to develop some opinion.

Regards Wayne Henderson

I've never owned a pair of O4CDs, but I certainly sold a few...

IIRC, the biggest differences between the O4CD and the Reflex/Open Pro rims are no machined
sidewall, and no welded seam.

No matter WHAT people say about Mavic rims, you should get lots of good mileage out of these. Keep
checking for cracks every once in a while (like you should with everything else) and ride the heck
out of them!

Mike That help?

Heroic rims. Despite the conventional wisdom that hard anodizing leads to cracks, my Open 4's went
many 1000 miles trouble free. Wish the color anodized "new and improved" Reflexes were as durable.

R/ John

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

Quoted message said:

My local bike store has a pair of new old stock Mavic Open 4 CD Rims that I'm thinking of getting
and having built onto a pair of Campag Centaur hubs.

The rims seem a bit historic and not currently sold.

Have you any experience with these rims? I bet there are people who have used them for a few years
now and have been able to develop some opinion.

Regards Wayne Henderson

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 16:05:29 -0800, "Mike S." <mikeshaw2@coxDOTnet>

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

My local bike store has a pair of new old stock Mavic Open 4 CD Rims

SNIP!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Regards Wayne Henderson

I've never owned a pair of O4CDs, but I certainly sold a few...

IIRC, the biggest differences between the O4CD and the Reflex/Open Pro rims are no machined
sidewall, and no welded seam.

No matter WHAT people say about Mavic rims, you should get lots of good mileage out of these. Keep
checking for cracks every once in a while (like you should with everything else) and ride the heck
out of them!

Mike That help?

Thanks to Mike and the rest for their replies.

Seems the Mavic Open 4 CD has a good reputation and history. I'll pick them up.

Regards Wayne

Wort said:

My local bike store has a pair of new old stock Mavic Open 4 CD Rims that I'm thinking of getting
... Have you any experience with these rims?

Check out the thread titled "Mavic rims don't *all* suck" for the local opinion of the O4CD. I
posted several pictures of one such rim that failed after many kmiles. Some of the locals think that
wasn't enough; the rim should have lasted until the braking surface was thinner.

My opinion? If everything I owned gave me the same durability, I'd be happy. I just wish the failed
rims had given me some warning before failing, but I don't know if that's possible.

Dave dvt at psu dot edu

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

Quoted message said:

Wort said:

My local bike store has a pair of new old stock Mavic Open 4 CD Rims that I'm thinking of
getting ... Have you any experience with these rims?

Check out the thread titled "Mavic rims don't *all* suck" for the local opinion of the O4CD. I
posted several pictures of one such rim that failed after many kmiles. Some of the locals think
that wasn't enough; the rim should have lasted until the braking surface was thinner.

My opinion? If everything I owned gave me the same durability, I'd be happy. I just wish the
failed rims had given me some warning before failing, but I don't know if that's possible.

That all depends on to whom you listen... Some think the sun rises and sets on Mavic's HQ, some
think they're the worst thing to happen since the Hindenburg...

I'm in the center, leaning more toward the former vs. the latter. Mike

Quoted message said:

Dave dvt at psu dot edu

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

Quoted message said:

Mike S.' mikeshaw2@coxDOTnet said:

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

Quoted message said:

My local bike store has a pair of new old stock Mavic Open 4 CD Rims

SNIP!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Regards Wayne Henderson

I've never owned a pair of O4CDs, but I certainly sold a few...

IIRC, the biggest differences between the O4CD and the Reflex/Open Pro

rims

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

are no machined sidewall, and no welded seam.

No matter WHAT people say about Mavic rims, you should get lots of good mileage out of these.
Keep checking for cracks every once in a while

(like

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

you should with everything else) and ride the heck out of them!

Mike That help?

Thanks to Mike and the rest for their replies.

Seems the Mavic Open 4 CD has a good reputation and history. I'll pick them up.

Regards Wayne

Make sure that you're getting a screaming deal. These guys have been out of production for a
while now...

Mike

On Sun, 29 Feb 2004 20:39:04 -0500, dvt <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Wort said:

My local bike store has a pair of new old stock Mavic Open 4 CD Rims that I'm thinking of getting
... Have you any experience with these rims?

Check out the thread titled "Mavic rims don't *all* suck" for the local opinion of the O4CD. I
posted several pictures of one such rim that failed after many kmiles. Some of the locals think
that wasn't enough; the rim should have lasted until the braking surface was thinner.

My opinion? If everything I owned gave me the same durability, I'd be happy. I just wish the failed
rims had given me some warning before failing, but I don't know if that's possible.

Dave dvt at psu dot edu

Some people might consider a rim cracking at the spoke holes to be a warning. I think it's probably
safer than a side wall letting the tire off without warning.

"dianne_1234" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 29 Feb 2004 20:39:04 -0500, dvt

<[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Wort said:

My local bike store has a pair of new old stock Mavic Open 4

CD Rims

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that I'm thinking of getting ... Have you any experience with these rims?

Check out the thread titled "Mavic rims don't *all* suck" for

the local

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

opinion of the O4CD. I posted several pictures of one such rim

that

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

failed after many kmiles. Some of the locals think that wasn't

enough;

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the rim should have lasted until the braking surface was

thinner.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My opinion? If everything I owned gave me the same durability,

I'd be

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

happy. I just wish the failed rims had given me some warning

before

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

failing, but I don't know if that's possible.

Dave dvt at psu dot edu

Some people might consider a rim cracking at the spoke holes to

be a

Quoted message said:

warning. I think it's probably safer than a side wall letting

the tire

Quoted message said:

off without warning.

Especially since the Open4 CD has a two-piece, double wall spoke "socket," and when the rim cracks
around the spoke hole, there is still a lot of area left to support the socket. In fact, I simply
re-trued my rim and rode it for a few hundred more miles until I had bottomed out the spoke, and it
looked like the rim was going to give birth to the socket. -- Jay Beattie.

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 29 Feb 2004 20:39:04 -0500, dvt <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I just wish the failed rims had given me some warning before failing, but I don't know if that's
possible.

dianne_1234 said:

Some people might consider a rim cracking at the spoke holes to be a warning. I think it's
probably safer than a side wall letting the tire off without warning.

I see no evidence of cracking at the spoke holes on the rim in question. I'm not sure I understand
your message.

--
Dave dvt at psu dot edu

dvt said:

Quoted message said:

dvt said:

I just wish the failed rims had given me some warning before failing, but I don't know if that's
possible.

dianne_1234 said:

Some people might consider a rim cracking at the spoke holes to be a warning. I think it's
probably safer than a side wall letting the tire off without warning.

I see no evidence of cracking at the spoke holes on the rim in question. I'm not sure I understand
your message.

Sorry, my post was in response to others saying rims should *never* crack at the spoke holes, saying
that would be a catastrophic failure. I was just commenting that I'd *rather* see spoke holes crack,
because I'm afraid I'd miss the signs of an impending sidewall failure, which would make it
catastrophic for me.

dianne_1234 said:

I was just commenting that I'd *rather* see spoke holes crack, because I'm afraid I'd miss the
signs of an impending sidewall failure, which would make it catastrophic for me.

I understand. And my pictures will vouch for the fact that I *did* miss the signs of impending
sidewall failure.

--
Dave dvt at psu dot edu

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

Quoted message said:

dianne_1234 said:

I was just commenting that I'd *rather* see spoke holes crack, because I'm afraid I'd miss the
signs of an impending sidewall failure, which would make it catastrophic for me.

I understand. And my pictures will vouch for the fact that I *did* miss the signs of impending
sidewall failure.

Seems to me that you can watch a spoke pull thru the rim, but a sidewall blowout is more violent.

Of the two, I'd rather have my nipples pull thru.

Mike

Quoted message said:

Dave dvt at psu dot edu