I am in need of a hub rebuild on a Vento from circa 1996. It came with a few models of Lemond bikes.
The specs are: 16 bladed spokes, 41 mm rim and the hub flange on the drive side is slightly
oversized. I think they call it HPW.
This wheel is very similar to the Shamal from the same generation. I think the Shamal uses a ti axle
and pawl carrier. I am not aware of other changes but I am interested in finding out. Unfortunately
for me, the excellent Campag site seems to only have information on current production.
What I would like to know is what if anything can I upgrade while it is being rebuilt? I will not
throw away good parts because I only use this wheel when weight is not a primary consideration. I
also know that the hub is really not considered "rotating weight" since the polar moment of inertia
is virtually nil. Having said that, I will consider upgrading parts to either Shamal replacements or
aftermarket parts if they are good enough quality.
With regard to the rim, it is very heavy. I have had wheels built by true artisans and one of the
tricks used was drilling holes about the size of the nipple holes. It probably adds up to only a few
grams and any positive result is from the placebo effect. Can anyone comment on that? These rims
seem strong enough to allow this drilling. Are there any weight reduction tricks I have forgotten?
Any comments on any of the above issues would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks very much!
--Chris