What happened to non-boutique inexpensive MO wheels?



D

damyth

Guest
OK, so I'm in the market for some nice but inexpensive pre-built
traditional (32 spoke) 700c non-boutique wheels. I go over to the
usual mail order places like Nashbar and Performance, but there are
none to be found! All they have now are boutique wheels and
non-boutique 650c. :(

I always used to get pre-built wheels via MO since those places offered
wheelsets at lower prices than the cost of individual of components.
Is this a fluke (maybe these places ran out traditional wheels since
it's end of the season) or the wave of the future? I really hope it's
not the latter. I remember even 6 months ago Nashbar was selling
Ritchey OCR wheelsets at extremely low prices. I'm kicking myself now
for not having bought some then.

In any case, please recommend decently durable rims for riders less
than 165 lbs. Need the right balance between durability and weight.
Ever since my Mavic rims started cracking at eyelets I've stopped using
them. What a good source for Velocity or Alex clincher rims (and are
Alex any good)?
 
On 28 Oct 2006 23:43:13 -0700, "damyth"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>OK, so I'm in the market for some nice but inexpensive pre-built
>traditional (32 spoke) 700c non-boutique wheels. I go over to the
>usual mail order places like Nashbar and Performance, but there are
>none to be found! All they have now are boutique wheels and
>non-boutique 650c. :(

[snip]

Dear Damyth,

Possibly you need to sort the Performance Bike wheel page from low to
high price? Or adjust your notion of inexpensive for inflation? Or
wait for sales?

http://www.performancebike.com/shop...20&orderby=2&filterby=&view_all=0&searchSize=

Mavic Open Pro CD 32-spoke front $119.99:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19030&subcategory_ID=5320

Ultegra Open Pro Silver 32-spoke front $119.9:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19027&subcategory_ID=5320

And so on.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel
 
I did notice that Campy Record / Open Pro 32H rims - which are on
perpetual sale at PerfBike for $299.95, are now "only" $374.98.
Perhaps Performance - thinking they have now corned the market for
mail order goods - has decided to tighten the screws on the American
Consumer ??

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA
 
In article
<[email protected]>,
"damyth" <[email protected]> wrote:

> OK, so I'm in the market for some nice but inexpensive pre-built
> traditional (32 spoke) 700c non-boutique wheels. I go over to the
> usual mail order places like Nashbar and Performance, but there are
> none to be found! All they have now are boutique wheels and
> non-boutique 650c. :(

So, now 32 spoke wheels are traditional?

--
Michael Press
 
[email protected] wrote:
> On 28 Oct 2006 23:43:13 -0700, "damyth"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >OK, so I'm in the market for some nice but inexpensive pre-built
> >traditional (32 spoke) 700c non-boutique wheels. I go over to the
> >usual mail order places like Nashbar and Performance, but there are
> >none to be found! All they have now are boutique wheels and
> >non-boutique 650c. :(
>
> [snip]
>
> Dear Damyth,
>
> Possibly you need to sort the Performance Bike wheel page from low to
> high price? Or adjust your notion of inexpensive for inflation? Or
> wait for sales?
>
> http://www.performancebike.com/shop...20&orderby=2&filterby=&view_all=0&searchSize=
>
> Mavic Open Pro CD 32-spoke front $119.99:
> http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19030&subcategory_ID=5320
>
> Ultegra Open Pro Silver 32-spoke front $119.9:
> http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19027&subcategory_ID=5320
>
> And so on.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Carl Fogel

Had you read my original post in its entirety (which you snipped)
perhaps you would have realized I'd avoid Mavic like the plague. In
fact I believe my exact words were: "Ever since my Mavic rims started
cracking at eyelets I've stopped using them." Perhaps I could have
been clearer in my writing style, but explain to me why I should go
back using/buying the same rims that cracked once on me already.
 
Michael Press wrote:
> In article
> <[email protected]>,
> "damyth" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > OK, so I'm in the market for some nice but inexpensive pre-built
> > traditional (32 spoke) 700c non-boutique wheels. I go over to the
> > usual mail order places like Nashbar and Performance, but there are
> > none to be found! All they have now are boutique wheels and
> > non-boutique 650c. :(
>
> So, now 32 spoke wheels are traditional?
>
> --
> Michael Press

32 spokes have always been "traditional" at Nashbar and Performance for
at least the last 15 years. Not to mention "for riders less than 165
lbs" (per my original post), 32 spokes are plenty.
 
On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 09:15:44 GMT, Michael Press <[email protected]> wrote:

>In article
><[email protected]>,
> "damyth" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> OK, so I'm in the market for some nice but inexpensive pre-built
>> traditional (32 spoke) 700c non-boutique wheels. I go over to the
>> usual mail order places like Nashbar and Performance, but there are
>> none to be found! All they have now are boutique wheels and
>> non-boutique 650c. :(
>
>So, now 32 spoke wheels are traditional?

Sure -- if built right they're almost bomb-proof except maybe for
loaded touring and people over 200#.


--
JT
****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
Visit http://www.jt10000.com
****************************
 
damyth wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
> > On 28 Oct 2006 23:43:13 -0700, "damyth"
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > >OK, so I'm in the market for some nice but inexpensive pre-built
> > >traditional (32 spoke) 700c non-boutique wheels. I go over to the
> > >usual mail order places like Nashbar and Performance, but there are
> > >none to be found! All they have now are boutique wheels and
> > >non-boutique 650c. :(
> >
> > [snip]
> >
> > Dear Damyth,
> >
> > Possibly you need to sort the Performance Bike wheel page from low to
> > high price? Or adjust your notion of inexpensive for inflation? Or
> > wait for sales?
> >
> > http://www.performancebike.com/shop...20&orderby=2&filterby=&view_all=0&searchSize=
> >
> > Mavic Open Pro CD 32-spoke front $119.99:
> > http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19030&subcategory_ID=5320
> >
> > Ultegra Open Pro Silver 32-spoke front $119.9:
> > http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19027&subcategory_ID=5320
> >
> > And so on.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Carl Fogel
>
> Had you read my original post in its entirety (which you snipped)
> perhaps you would have realized I'd avoid Mavic like the plague. In
> fact I believe my exact words were: "Ever since my Mavic rims started
> cracking at eyelets I've stopped using them." Perhaps I could have
> been clearer in my writing style, but explain to me why I should go
> back using/buying the same rims that cracked once on me already.

Gotta excuse Carl, sometimes his whizbang internet connection and
typing skills get in the way.

$350 gets you Ultegra hubs, Velocity Aero rims, DT db spokes and
Vecchio's build-
 
"damyth" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Michael Press wrote:
>> In article
>> <[email protected]>,
>> "damyth" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> > OK, so I'm in the market for some nice but inexpensive pre-built
>> > traditional (32 spoke) 700c non-boutique wheels. I go over to the
>> > usual mail order places like Nashbar and Performance, but there are
>> > none to be found! All they have now are boutique wheels and
>> > non-boutique 650c. :(
>>
>> So, now 32 spoke wheels are traditional?
>>
>> --
>> Michael Press
>
> 32 spokes have always been "traditional" at Nashbar and Performance for
> at least the last 15 years. Not to mention "for riders less than 165
> lbs" (per my original post), 32 spokes are plenty.
>

You must live and ride where the squirrel menace isn't too serious yet.
The rest of us ride 36 to 40 hole rims just to keep the suicidal rats out of
our forks.

Cal
 
In article <[email protected]>,
John Forrest Tomlinson <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 09:15:44 GMT, Michael Press <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >In article <[email protected]>,
> > "damyth" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> OK, so I'm in the market for some nice but inexpensive pre-built
> >> traditional (32 spoke) 700c non-boutique wheels. I go over to the
> >> usual mail order places like Nashbar and Performance, but there
> >> are none to be found! All they have now are boutique wheels and
> >> non-boutique 650c. :(
> >
> >So, now 32 spoke wheels are traditional?
>
> Sure -- if built right they're almost bomb-proof except maybe for
> loaded touring and people over 200#.

I ride on 32 spoke wheels and weigh (this week) 209#. I've weighed
195-200 during my racing days (I'm ~ 6'4") and around 215 since I quit.
I haven't had any problems with 32 spoke wheels built 3x on MA2 rims
using Shimano 8/9 speed or Campy 9 speed hubs- despite being told
repeatedly that you can't use MA2s with those hubs. The wheels stay
true and seem plenty strong. I haven't tried loaded touring on them
because I don't care for that sort of thing, but these wheels have
worked fine for credit card touring with a saddlebag.
 
On Oct 28, 10:43 pm, "damyth" <[email protected]> wrote:
> OK, so I'm in the market for some nice but inexpensive pre-built
> traditional (32 spoke) 700c non-boutique wheels.

Try Excel Sports Boulder (www.excelsports.com). They have a series of
wheels built with Shimano, DT, or even Chris King hubs laced to DT
rims. If I had the means, I'd love to get some of their King
wheelsets.
 
On Sat, 28 Oct 2006 23:43:13 -0700, damyth wrote:

> OK, so I'm in the market for some nice but inexpensive pre-built
> traditional (32 spoke) 700c non-boutique wheels. I go over to the
> usual mail order places like Nashbar and Performance, but there are
> none to be found! All they have now are boutique wheels and
> non-boutique 650c. :(
>
> I always used to get pre-built wheels via MO since those places offered
> wheelsets at lower prices than the cost of individual of components.
> Is this a fluke (maybe these places ran out traditional wheels since
> it's end of the season) or the wave of the future? I really hope it's
> not the latter. I remember even 6 months ago Nashbar was selling
> Ritchey OCR wheelsets at extremely low prices. I'm kicking myself now
> for not having bought some then.
>
> In any case, please recommend decently durable rims for riders less
> than 165 lbs. Need the right balance between durability and weight.
> Ever since my Mavic rims started cracking at eyelets I've stopped using
> them. What a good source for Velocity or Alex clincher rims (and are
> Alex any good)?

Pricepoint (www.pricepoint.com) usually has Ultegra/OpenPro/butted for
under $200/pair. I don't know what you'd call budget or boutique.

Matt O.
 
On 29 Oct 2006 05:45:29 -0800, "Qui si parla Campagnolo"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>damyth wrote:
>> [email protected] wrote:
>> > On 28 Oct 2006 23:43:13 -0700, "damyth"
>> > <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> > >OK, so I'm in the market for some nice but inexpensive pre-built
>> > >traditional (32 spoke) 700c non-boutique wheels. I go over to the
>> > >usual mail order places like Nashbar and Performance, but there are
>> > >none to be found! All they have now are boutique wheels and
>> > >non-boutique 650c. :(
>> >
>> > [snip]
>> >
>> > Dear Damyth,
>> >
>> > Possibly you need to sort the Performance Bike wheel page from low to
>> > high price? Or adjust your notion of inexpensive for inflation? Or
>> > wait for sales?
>> >
>> > http://www.performancebike.com/shop...20&orderby=2&filterby=&view_all=0&searchSize=
>> >
>> > Mavic Open Pro CD 32-spoke front $119.99:
>> > http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19030&subcategory_ID=5320
>> >
>> > Ultegra Open Pro Silver 32-spoke front $119.9:
>> > http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19027&subcategory_ID=5320
>> >
>> > And so on.
>> >
>> > Cheers,
>> >
>> > Carl Fogel
>>
>> Had you read my original post in its entirety (which you snipped)
>> perhaps you would have realized I'd avoid Mavic like the plague. In
>> fact I believe my exact words were: "Ever since my Mavic rims started
>> cracking at eyelets I've stopped using them." Perhaps I could have
>> been clearer in my writing style, but explain to me why I should go
>> back using/buying the same rims that cracked once on me already.
>
>Gotta excuse Carl, sometimes his whizbang internet connection and
>typing skills get in the way.
>
>$350 gets you Ultegra hubs, Velocity Aero rims, DT db spokes and
>Vecchio's build-

Dear Damyth and Peter,

Actually, I read it, but when someone is complaining that they can't
get cheap mail order rims, worrying about brand seems a bit much.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel
 
damyth wrote:
> What a good source for Velocity or Alex clincher rims (and are
> Alex any good)?

I sourced my last rims at aebike.com. Super speedy service and
seriously low prices. As far as Alex rims go, I've owned a lot of bike
over around 20 years of semi-serious riding and commuting, and Alex
rims are the only brand that's never ever let me down. I've had four
sets of wheels with them. A lot of people kvetch about them, but I'll
venture and guess that their wheels were built poorly, and it wasn't
the fault of the rim. Their basic silver eyeletted box section rim is
the most reliable rim I've ever used. Model number DM18 (I think).
Twenty bucks a pop. Your mileage may vary, offer does not apply on
Sundays.

I'd say build a set for fun, between some decent Alex rims, stainless
spokes, and hubs sourced from Ebay or craigslist, you should be able
throw some super durable wheels together for around a hundred bucks or
so.
 
landotter wrote:
> damyth wrote:
>> What a good source for Velocity or Alex clincher rims (and are
>> Alex any good)?
>
> I sourced my last rims at aebike.com. Super speedy service and
> seriously low prices. As far as Alex rims go, I've owned a lot of bike
> over around 20 years of semi-serious riding and commuting, and Alex
> rims are the only brand that's never ever let me down. I've had four
> sets of wheels with them. A lot of people kvetch about them, but I'll
> venture and guess that their wheels were built poorly, and it wasn't
> the fault of the rim. Their basic silver eyeletted box section rim is
> the most reliable rim I've ever used. Model number DM18 (I think).
> Twenty bucks a pop. Your mileage may vary, offer does not apply on
> Sundays.
>
> I'd say build a set for fun, between some decent Alex rims, stainless
> spokes, and hubs sourced from Ebay or craigslist, you should be able
> throw some super durable wheels together for around a hundred bucks or
> so.
>
There are cheap Alex wheels out there such as:

http://tinyurl.com/ykzavx
 
In article
<[email protected]>,
John Forrest Tomlinson <[email protected]>
wrote:

> On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 09:15:44 GMT, Michael Press <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >In article
> ><[email protected]>,
> > "damyth" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> OK, so I'm in the market for some nice but inexpensive pre-built
> >> traditional (32 spoke) 700c non-boutique wheels. I go over to the
> >> usual mail order places like Nashbar and Performance, but there are
> >> none to be found! All they have now are boutique wheels and
> >> non-boutique 650c. :(
> >
> >So, now 32 spoke wheels are traditional?
>
> Sure -- if built right they're almost bomb-proof except maybe for
> loaded touring and people over 200#.

What is done _now_ is not evidence that such is traditional.

--
Michael Press
 
On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 21:38:05 GMT, Michael Press <[email protected]> wrote:

>In article
><[email protected]>,
> John Forrest Tomlinson <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 09:15:44 GMT, Michael Press <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >In article
>> ><[email protected]>,
>> > "damyth" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> >> OK, so I'm in the market for some nice but inexpensive pre-built
>> >> traditional (32 spoke) 700c non-boutique wheels. I go over to the
>> >> usual mail order places like Nashbar and Performance, but there are
>> >> none to be found! All they have now are boutique wheels and
>> >> non-boutique 650c. :(
>> >
>> >So, now 32 spoke wheels are traditional?
>>
>> Sure -- if built right they're almost bomb-proof except maybe for
>> loaded touring and people over 200#.
>
>What is done _now_ is not evidence that such is traditional.

How long does it take for something to become traditional?

Is the key requirement that it be in widespread use when you got into
the sport?

--
JT
****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
Visit http://www.jt10000.com
****************************
 
Dan wrote:
> landotter wrote:
> > damyth wrote:
> >> What a good source for Velocity or Alex clincher rims (and are
> >> Alex any good)?
> >
> > I sourced my last rims at aebike.com. Super speedy service and
> > seriously low prices. As far as Alex rims go, I've owned a lot of bike
> > over around 20 years of semi-serious riding and commuting, and Alex
> > rims are the only brand that's never ever let me down. I've had four
> > sets of wheels with them. A lot of people kvetch about them, but I'll
> > venture and guess that their wheels were built poorly, and it wasn't
> > the fault of the rim. Their basic silver eyeletted box section rim is
> > the most reliable rim I've ever used. Model number DM18 (I think).
> > Twenty bucks a pop. Your mileage may vary, offer does not apply on
> > Sundays.
> >
> > I'd say build a set for fun, between some decent Alex rims, stainless
> > spokes, and hubs sourced from Ebay or craigslist, you should be able
> > throw some super durable wheels together for around a hundred bucks or
> > so.
> >
> There are cheap Alex wheels out there such as:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/ykzavx

spokes and rims are consumables..hubs should be reused. With a $50
wheel, don't expect a decent hub.
 
landotter wrote:
> damyth wrote:
> > What a good source for Velocity or Alex clincher rims (and are
> > Alex any good)?
>
> I sourced my last rims at aebike.com. Super speedy service and
> seriously low prices. As far as Alex rims go, I've owned a lot of bike
> over around 20 years of semi-serious riding and commuting, and Alex
> rims are the only brand that's never ever let me down. I've had four
> sets of wheels with them. A lot of people kvetch about them, but I'll
> venture and guess that their wheels were built poorly, and it wasn't
> the fault of the rim. Their basic silver eyeletted box section rim is
> the most reliable rim I've ever used. Model number DM18 (I think).
> Twenty bucks a pop. Your mileage may vary, offer does not apply on
> Sundays.

I've been riding a bit the past 25 years and I'd never heard of the
name "Alex" in the bike industry before about 1 year ago. I'm more
than a bit surprised to hear they have been around for two decades. I
was a bit miffed to see Performance is up to $275 on Record/Mavic
wheels. They must be getting a jump on Ben.








>
> I'd say build a set for fun, between some decent Alex rims, stainless
> spokes, and hubs sourced from Ebay or craigslist, you should be able
> throw some super durable wheels together for around a hundred bucks or
> so.
 
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