Ritchey OCR rims

[Johns]

Has anyone used Ritchey's Aero OCR Pro rims? Any opinions you'd share?

I'm tempted to try one rather than rebuild a wheel with an Open Pro--the Ritchey is significantly
cheaper, lighter, and has a better (deeper) profile.

At the same time, how is building with the "off center" rim? Is it really stronger and
easier to build?

Thanks a lot.

 

[Mark Hickey]

[email protected] (JohnS) wrote:

>Has anyone used Ritchey's Aero OCR Pro rims? Any opinions you'd share?

They really do make building a rear wheel easier by minimizing the dishing (helping minimize the
difference between bracing angles on the right and left side).

>I'm tempted to try one rather than rebuild a wheel with an Open Pro--the Ritchey is significantly
>cheaper, lighter, and has a better (deeper) profile.

That doesn't happen often, does it (lighter, faster, cheaper, choose any THREE)?

>At the same time, how is building with the "off center" rim? Is it really stronger and easier
>to build?

It really is easier to build and should be stronger (due to the better bracing angle for the right
(drive side) spokes.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame

 

[Ken]

Mark Hickey <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:
>>I'm tempted to try one rather than rebuild a wheel with an Open Pro--the Ritchey is significantly
>>cheaper, lighter, and has a better (deeper) profile.
>
> That doesn't happen often, does it (lighter, faster, cheaper, choose any THREE)?

In my experience, Ritchey products are usually good values: good designs, good performance, very
reasonable prices. Their stuff isn't fancy or highly hyped, but it works well. The only problem area
is their pedals, which are apparently made by Wellgo and are significantly inferior to similar
Shimano pedals.

Ken

 

[Matt O'Toole]

Mark Hickey wrote:

> [email protected] (JohnS) wrote:
>
>>Has anyone used Ritchey's Aero OCR Pro rims? Any opinions you'd share?
>
> They really do make building a rear wheel easier by minimizing the dishing (helping minimize the
> difference between bracing angles on the right and left side).
>
>>I'm tempted to try one rather than rebuild a wheel with an Open Pro--the Ritchey is significantly
>>cheaper, lighter, and has a better (deeper) profile.
>
> That doesn't happen often, does it (lighter, faster, cheaper, choose any THREE)?
>
>>At the same time, how is building with the "off center" rim? Is it really stronger and easier
>>to build?
>
> It really is easier to build and should be stronger (due to the better bracing angle for the right
> (drive side) spokes.

I've heard Ritchey makes wheels with zero dish, using OCR rims, and their own special hubs. Is
this true?

Wouldn't the flanges have to be closer together to do this? How does that affect wheel strength,
compared to having wider flange spacing, but asymmetric tension?

Matt O.

 

[A Muzi]

> Mark Hickey <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:
> >>I'm tempted to try one rather than rebuild a wheel with an Open Pro--the Ritchey is
> >>significantly cheaper, lighter, and has a better (deeper) profile.
> > That doesn't happen often, does it (lighter, faster, cheaper, choose any THREE)?

"Ken" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> In my experience, Ritchey products are usually good values: good designs, good performance, very
> reasonable prices. Their stuff isn't fancy or
highly
> hyped, but it works well. The only problem area is their pedals, which
are
> apparently made by Wellgo and are significantly inferior to similar
Shimano
> pedals.

Just curious - in what did you find the pedals lacking? They seem nice to
me. Those have an oilite bearing like an electric motor and feel very smooth when new compared to
low-end ball and cone models. Unusual but I wouldn't say "inferior". Did I miss something?

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

[Ken]

"A Muzi" <[email protected]> wrote in news:v6vm6fc0r1tk88 @corp.supernews.com:
> Just curious - in what did you find the pedals lacking? They seem nice to
> me. Those have an oilite bearing like an electric motor and feel very smooth when new compared to
> low-end ball and cone models. Unusual but I wouldn't say "inferior". Did I miss something?

I've heard alot of complaints about the click-in mechanism jamming or breaking. They also don't
float as well or hold as well as the Shimano pedals.

 

[Mike S.]

"Matt O'Toole" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mark Hickey wrote:
>
> > [email protected] (JohnS) wrote:
> >
> >>Has anyone used Ritchey's Aero OCR Pro rims? Any opinions you'd share?
> >
> > They really do make building a rear wheel easier by minimizing the dishing (helping minimize the
> > difference between bracing angles on the right and left side).
> >
> >>I'm tempted to try one rather than rebuild a wheel with an Open Pro--the Ritchey is
> >>significantly cheaper, lighter, and has a better (deeper) profile.
> >
> > That doesn't happen often, does it (lighter, faster, cheaper, choose any THREE)?
> >
> >>At the same time, how is building with the "off center" rim? Is it really stronger and easier to
> >>build?
> >
> > It really is easier to build and should be stronger (due to the better bracing angle for the
> > right (drive side) spokes.
>
> I've heard Ritchey makes wheels with zero dish, using OCR rims, and their own special hubs. Is
> this true?
>
> Wouldn't the flanges have to be closer together to do this? How does that affect wheel strength,
> compared to having wider flange spacing, but asymmetric tension?
>
> Matt O.

American Classic used to make narrow flange rear hubs (I haven't really looked at their new HF rear
hub to compare) that used the same size spoke on both sides. I have a wheel built on that hub that
is staying as straight and true as any other wheel.

It was certainly easier to build my AC rear wheel without having to worry about differing tension.

Mike

 

[Mark Hickey]

Matt O'Toole <[email protected]> wrote:

>I've heard Ritchey makes wheels with zero dish, using OCR rims, and their own special hubs. Is
>this true?
>
>Wouldn't the flanges have to be closer together to do this? How does that affect wheel strength,
>compared to having wider flange spacing, but asymmetric tension?

Ritchey makes hubs that yield an effectively dishless wheels, as did Sachs. The right (aka drive
side) flange stays at the same place, but the left flange moves in a little. Due to the OCR rim, the
bracing angle is better on the right side, and when you think about it, there's really no great
reason to make the bracing angle on the left side a lot shallower.

In fact, making the bracing angles similar means the spoke tension is much more uniform, so the
wheel builds easier and is more likely to stay true for life.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

jstonebarger-<< Has anyone used Ritchey's Aero OCR Pro rims? Any opinions you'd share?

Built some wheel with them, nice altho lightish, rim.

<< At the same time, how is building with the "off center" rim? Is it really stronger and easier to
build? Think offset rear spoke holes is a great idea, wish more would do it but Ritchey has made the
rim light also-wish a more normal weight rim was also offset. As for easier to build-nope, just like
any other-

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Matt O'Toole]

Mark Hickey wrote:

> Matt O'Toole <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I've heard Ritchey makes wheels with zero dish, using OCR rims, and their own special hubs. Is
>>this true?
>>
>>Wouldn't the flanges have to be closer together to do this? How does that affect wheel strength,
>>compared to having wider flange spacing, but asymmetric tension?
>
> Ritchey makes hubs that yield an effectively dishless wheels,

Are they just effectively dishless, or actually dishless? I'm just curious.

> as did Sachs. The right (aka drive side) flange stays at the same place, but the left flange moves
> in a little.

I had some Mavic hubs which had narrower flange spacing too. Of course, these were all before
asymmetric rims came along.

> Due to the OCR rim, the bracing angle is better on the right side, and when you think about it,
> there's really no great reason to make the bracing angle on the left side a lot shallower.

I guess you're right, the real problem is the shallow bracing angle on the right side. Once you fix
that, the left side hardly matters, except...

> In fact, making the bracing angles similar means the spoke tension is much more uniform, so the
> wheel builds easier and is more likely to stay true for life.

Exactly.

Matt O.

 

[Matt O'Toole]

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:

> The biggest problem we see in the Ritchey wheels are the built quality, not the components.

In the end, that's really what matters.

Matt O.

 

[Bald Headed Joh]

On Wed, 12 Mar 2003 09:08:28 -0800, JohnS wrote:

> Has anyone used Ritchey's Aero OCR Pro rims? Any opinions you'd share?

Had one on the Specialized Sirrus Pro I bought new last year for commuting. It was Ritchey built
with flat spokes. Failed spectacularly at 1800 miles. No, I didn't jump curbs with it. Ritchey did
replace the rim no questions asked.

 

[Mark Hickey]

Matt O'Toole <[email protected]> wrote:

>Mark Hickey wrote:

>> Ritchey makes hubs that yield an effectively dishless wheels,
>
>Are they just effectively dishless, or actually dishless? I'm just curious.

I'm not sure (haven't bought any for a long, long time). I know the MTB wheels I used to build up
with Sachs hubs and Ritchey OCR rims were pretty close to dishless (but not quite).

I would guess that the road wheels still have some dish, just based on the fact they can only manage
a few mm's of offset at the spoke holes.

Anybody out there with a Ritchey wheel and a ruler? ;-)

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame