Is this a good deal?

[TorontoCommuter]

Hey everyone,
I'm not that all that knowledgeable about pricing on equipment, but my wife is looking to buy new rims for her bike and has found a set of new Mavic Open Pro 650c rims mounted on Shimano BR-5501 105 hubs for $160. Is this a good deal or not? I appreciate your input.

[alfeng]

... my wife is looking to buy new rims for her bike and has found a set of new Mavic Open Pro 650c rims mounted on Shimano BR-5501 105 hubs for $160. Is this a good deal or not? It's "okay" if her current bike has 650c rims (I presume the hubs are also new -- regardless, the 5501 hubs are an OLDER hub model [nothing wrong with that] that has been superseded by the 5600 series) ... it depends on the type of riding (Triathlon? Recreational? Commuting?) AND (more importantly) tire availability in your area.

Otherwise, if I had a frame that used 650c wheels & needed/wanted a new set of wheels, I would probably consider lacing some MAVIC 517 (or, equivalent - 559-17) 26" rims on whatever ROAD hubs you/she would like & use some MTB slicks ... BECAUSE, there are fewer 650c tire models available AND 650c tires tend to cost more than 26" MTB slicks/(i.e., non-knobby "road" tires).

[TorontoCommuter]

The hubs are also new, the wheelset is still wraped and has sticker tags on it. The seller had bought the 650c instead of 700c for his bike and seeing how we're in Canada and he bought them while in the US returning them would be a bit of a nightmare. Anyway, she is planning on doing a Triathlon's series for the first time this upcomming spring so we're putting together a bike now. Her bike is a pretty nice (actually REALLY clean) 48cm 80's Bianchi and had 26" wheels on it.

[alfeng]

... Anyway, she is planning on doing a Triathlon's series for the first time this upcomming spring so we're putting together a bike now. Her bike is a pretty nice (actually REALLY clean) 48cm 80's Bianchi and had 26" wheels on it.Okay ... it's a good-enough deal (i.e., less expensive than buying the components separately IF THOSE ARE THE COMPONENTS YOU WOULD HAVE SPEC'D & then lacing the wheels yourself OR having someone else do it for you).

BTW. This may be stating the obvious, but you're going to need to respace the rear triangle from what is probably 126mm to 130mm -- this is actually VERY EASY to do if you take your time & don't have arthritis in your upper body.

Despite what you may read elsewhere, do NOT use any extra leverage other than what you can impart with your arms ...

Hold the frame by the rear dropouts (one in each hand ... the rear wheel removed) and with your hands close to your chest (pull the dropouts apart ... measure. You will see that the separation has not changed much. REPEAT. Measure. Continue to repeat until the space between the dropouts is 130mm.

FWIW/IMO. If you spread BOTH sides simultaneously, the alignment will be maintained. If you spread one side at a time by using extraordinary leverage (e.g., 2x4), then you will PROBABLY (?) end up spending MORE time as you go about attempting to realign the frame.

After you spread the dropouts, you will NOW need to realign the rear dropouts so that they are parallel with the bike's centerline -- if you don't, the indexed shifting will be dodgy. I recommend you simply use a PIPE WRENCH + two small pieces of scrap wood that will sandwich the dropout -- the scrap wood is to prevent marring the dropouts. BE GENTLE! Tweak & repeat.

I presume you're going to be using barends attached to aero bars ... Shimano is the de facto standard ... I recommend 8-or-9-speed rather than 10-speed.

If not, opt for Campagnolo ERGO shifters (they can be used with Shimano compatible wheels).