Fiamme Hard Silver

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

Quoted message said:

Hi guys,

I just bought (very cheaply) a NOS pair of Fiamme "Hard Silver" single (tubular) rims. I haven't
seen these ones before. They've got eyelets, are 32 hole, and weigh about 340g each (on my kitchen
scales, which are +/- about 10g). They are silver, and seem to be hard anodised. They aren't
polished, but rather have a brushed finish.

The join is pinned, but they aren't machined or anything. The sidewalls are angled, rather than
parallel, so I imagine it would take some time for brake pads that have been worn in on parallel
sidewalls to wear to them. The widest part of the rim is 21mm wide, while at the base of the
sidewall they're about 19mm wide. The sidewall is about 10mm high.

So are these good rims? I was thinking of lacing a pair of track wheels with them. Is it
worthwhile trying to polish them? I went to work last night (while watching The Bill) with a cloth
and some Silvo for an hour, and have removed all the shop-crud, but they seem to be a fairly
low-shine surface.

I remember these. In the 70s, I rode a pair on my Holdsworth road bike.

- They are definitely hard anodized. Won't polish up without a ton of work.
- The angled brake track *is* for braking, but the smooth, parallel sidewalls of modern rims have
spoiled me, and perhaps you, too.
- We used to imagine the rim was basically the same as a Fiamme Red label, just with the hard
anodized finish. Maybe we were right ;-)

I think track wheels might be the very best use for them!

Have fun!

Should check the weight, had a pair in the early 80s. They seemed to be less durable than red label,
perhaps they were more similar to the yellow label instance I had in the early 70s.

I agree, use them on the track.

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

Quoted message said:

"Suzy Jackson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Hi guys,

I just bought (very cheaply) a NOS pair of Fiamme "Hard Silver" single (tubular) rims. I haven't
seen these ones before. They've got eyelets,

are

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

32 hole, and weigh about 340g each (on my kitchen scales, which are +/- about 10g). They are
silver, and seem to be hard anodised. They aren't polished, but rather have a brushed finish.

The join is pinned, but they aren't machined or anything. The sidewalls

are

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

angled, rather than parallel, so I imagine it would take some time for

brake

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

pads that have been worn in on parallel sidewalls to wear to them. The widest part of the rim
is 21mm wide, while at the base of the sidewall they're about 19mm wide. The sidewall is about
10mm high.

So are these good rims? I was thinking of lacing a pair of track wheels with them. Is it
worthwhile trying to polish them? I went to work last night (while watching The Bill) with a
cloth and some Silvo for an hour,

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

have removed all the shop-crud, but they seem to be a fairly low-shine surface.

I remember these. In the 70s, I rode a pair on my Holdsworth road bike.

- They are definitely hard anodized. Won't polish up without a ton of work.
- The angled brake track *is* for braking, but the smooth, parallel sidewalls of modern rims have
spoiled me, and perhaps you, too.
- We used to imagine the rim was basically the same as a Fiamme Red label, just with the hard
anodized finish. Maybe we were right ;-)

I think track wheels might be the very best use for them!

Have fun!

Suzy Jackson said:

I just bought (very cheaply) a NOS pair of Fiamme "Hard Silver" single (tubular) rims.

...

Quoted message said:

So are these good rims?

You pointed out already that they are tubies. So for most conceivable purposes, the answer is no.

But since they were cheap, and if you can build them up cheaply, and if you don't mind using sausage
casings instead of real tires, then why not give them a spin? Should be good for a laugh at least.

Thorusa.com has nice Sapim spokes dirt cheap. They might still be a bargain including
shipping to Oz.

Chalo Colina

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

Quoted message said:

Hi guys,

I just bought (very cheaply) a NOS pair of Fiamme "Hard Silver" single (tubular) rims. I haven't
seen these ones before. They've got eyelets,

are

Quoted message said:

32 hole, and weigh about 340g each (on my kitchen scales, which are +/- about 10g). They are
silver, and seem to be hard anodised. They aren't polished, but rather have a brushed finish.

The join is pinned, but they aren't machined or anything. The sidewalls

are

Quoted message said:

angled, rather than parallel, so I imagine it would take some time for

brake

Quoted message said:

pads that have been worn in on parallel sidewalls to wear to them. The widest part of the rim
is 21mm wide, while at the base of the sidewall they're about 19mm wide. The sidewall is about
10mm high.

So are these good rims? I was thinking of lacing a pair of track wheels with them. Is it
worthwhile trying to polish them? I went to work last night (while watching The Bill) with a cloth
and some Silvo for an hour,

and

Quoted message said:

have removed all the shop-crud, but they seem to be a fairly low-shine surface.

The Fiamme Hard Silver is a "hardened" grey aluminum and was made in both road and track models,
your trapezoidal-section copies being track. Circa 1980.

When crashed these can end up in several small sections with a spoke attached to each. The
brittleness may relate to the "heat treatment" that gave the "hard grey" finish. I use the quote
marks because that's the ad copy and I am not an expert on what was really going on. Their
predecessors, Fiamme Red Label and Yellow Label rims, are quite ductile by comparison.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

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

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

Hi guys,

I just bought (very cheaply) a NOS pair of Fiamme "Hard Silver" single (tubular) rims. I haven't
seen these ones before. They've got eyelets,

are

Quoted message said:

32 hole, and weigh about 340g each (on my kitchen scales, which are +/- about 10g). They are
silver, and seem to be hard anodised. They aren't polished, but rather have a brushed finish.

The join is pinned, but they aren't machined or anything. The sidewalls

are

Quoted message said:

angled, rather than parallel, so I imagine it would take some time for

brake

Quoted message said:

pads that have been worn in on parallel sidewalls to wear to them. The widest part of the rim
is 21mm wide, while at the base of the sidewall they're about 19mm wide. The sidewall is about
10mm high.

So are these good rims? I was thinking of lacing a pair of track wheels with them. Is it
worthwhile trying to polish them? I went to work last night (while watching The Bill) with a
cloth and some Silvo for an hour,

and

Quoted message said:

have removed all the shop-crud, but they seem to be a fairly low-shine surface.

The Fiamme Hard Silver is a "hardened" grey aluminum and was made in both road and track models,
your trapezoidal-section copies being track. Circa 1980.

When crashed these can end up in several small sections with a spoke attached to each. The
brittleness may relate to the "heat treatment" that gave the "hard grey" finish. I use the quote
marks because that's the ad copy and I am not an expert on what was really going on. Their
predecessors, Fiamme Red Label and Yellow Label rims, are quite ductile by comparison.

All the Fiammes I recall had those slightly sloped sides. Suzy told us hers measured 19mm wide on
the hub-facing side; I think the track version was much narrower there. About 12mm?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

I just bought (very cheaply) a NOS pair of Fiamme "Hard Silver" single (tubular) rims. I
haven't seen these ones before. They've got

eyelets,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

are

Quoted message said:

32 hole, and weigh about 340g each (on my kitchen scales, which are

+/-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

about 10g). They are silver, and seem to be hard anodised. They

aren't

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

polished, but rather have a brushed finish.

The join is pinned, but they aren't machined or anything. The

sidewalls

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

are

Quoted message said:

angled, rather than parallel, so I imagine it would take some time for

brake

Quoted message said:

pads that have been worn in on parallel sidewalls to wear to them.

The

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

widest part of the rim is 21mm wide, while at the base of the sidewall they're about 19mm
wide. The sidewall is about 10mm high.

So are these good rims? I was thinking of lacing a pair of track

wheels

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

with them. Is it worthwhile trying to polish them? I went to work

last

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

night (while watching The Bill) with a cloth and some Silvo for an

hour,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and

Quoted message said:

have removed all the shop-crud, but they seem to be a fairly low-shine surface.

Quoted message said:

"A Muzi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The Fiamme Hard Silver is a "hardened" grey aluminum and was made in

both

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

road and track models, your trapezoidal-section copies being track.

Circa

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

1980.

When crashed these can end up in several small sections with a spoke attached to each. The
brittleness may relate to the "heat treatment"

that

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

gave the "hard grey" finish. I use the quote marks because that's the

ad

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

copy and I am not an expert on what was really going on. Their

predecessors,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Fiamme Red Label and Yellow Label rims, are quite ductile by comparison.

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

Quoted message said:

All the Fiammes I recall had those slightly sloped sides. Suzy told us hers measured 19mm wide on
the hub-facing side; I think the track version was much narrower there. About 12mm?

Yes, that's the right idea. My Fiamme track rim here is about 15mm wide at the inside and about 18mm
wide at the top. I did not remember the dimensions, I just measured one.
--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971