Rims - Mavic/DT Swiss questions

[makoti]

Hello, everyone.

New here. Stumbled on the site researching rims & figured I’d join up & ask a couple of questions.
I am getting a Powertap wheel. Trying to decide if I should just get the wheelset from them, or build it myself (leaning that way, since I have built a few sets, enjoy it, and their set only comes in 32 hole. Everything I’ve built for myself in forever has been 28.) The front will be built around a stray Campy Chorus 28H I have.
So, I’ve always used Mavic rims. Open Pro CD’s of some sort. Was planning to get a set, started looking around, and ran into quite a few comments about rims failing. Been using Mavics for 20+ years and never had that happen. Is this a real, wide spread problem?
As an alternative, I was looking at DT Swiss, the r450’s. About the same price (about $60-ish, which is about where I want to stay), but I know nothing about DT Swiss. How are these rims? They are pinned, not welded. Big deal or no? Quality?
And to help with any suggestions, I am about 160-175lb (depending on motivation), ride pretty much all the time on smooth-ish roads, and will use the wheel for training, both indoors & out. Always built 2x, but thinking about making the PT wheel 3x.
Any feedback on the rims, spoking, whatever, is welcome.
Thanks!

 

[CAMPYBOB]

I ran a pair of Mavic Open Pro's into the ground over 5-1/2 seasons. 30K+ miles on them. Built 3X-32H front and rear with DT 14-gauge/plain gauge spokes to Campy Record hubs.

I busted my main line training/racing frame back in July and just swapped back to that old Douglas with the Open Pro's while waiting for a warranty frame and time to build it back up. The Mavics roll as true and smooth as the day I un-boxed the bike.

I go 163-170 this season and ride really crappy roads here in Ohio.

There is a lot of talk about Open Pro's cracking around the nipple holes. Entirely possible, but I'm pretty abusive (in addition to what our roads dish out) and I would build on Open Pro's again. This set (and another Open Pro/Campy twin set) was built by the excellent wheel builders at Colorado Cyclist. Like you, I've built wheels for decades and I am impressed with Colorado Cyclist's builders.

Straight 14 gauge spokes are not light (especially 32 of them per wheel) and the wheels are noticeably slower to spin up than almost any other modern wheel, but they are as close to bomb proof as training/flat racing wheels get.

No experience with the DT Swiss rims.

 

[makoti]

Thanks for the reply. It mirrors my experiences, but I haven't bought them in a few years so wanted to check. If I had gotten a flood of "They failed on me!", then I would have re-thought things.
Going Mavic. Will decide on 2x or 3x later, but they will be double butted. Now, do I spend the extra for black? Hmmm.