Weld on Mavic Open Pro Rim - Will it Hold?

[Aman]

Hello,

I just got a new wheel-set for light touring. It consists
of Mavic Open pro rims, 36 spokes, Ultegra Hubs. Upon inspecting
the rims I notice that the rear rim does not have a nice smoothed
out, and filled in seem, like the front rim does. It has a small
shallow crevice where the two sides of the rim meet. This is
only in the center where the spokes seat. It looks OK on the
side walls of the rim and the two sides of the rim seem to
be matched up well. Does this Matter?

Are there pins holding the two sides of the rim together
in addition to the weld?

Thanks in Advance, Alex

 

[Art Harris]

Aman wrote:
> I just got a new wheel-set for light touring. It consists
> of Mavic Open pro rims, 36 spokes, Ultegra Hubs. Upon inspecting
> the rims I notice that the rear rim does not have a nice smoothed
> out, and filled in seem, like the front rim does. It has a small
> shallow crevice where the two sides of the rim meet. This is
> only in the center where the spokes seat. It looks OK on the
> side walls of the rim and the two sides of the rim seem to
> be matched up well. Does this Matter?
>
> Are there pins holding the two sides of the rim together
> in addition to the weld?

Don't worry. The force of the 36 spokes is going to hold the rim
together.

Art Harris

 

[john]

Art Harris wrote:

>Don't worry. The force of the 36 spokes is going to hold the rim
>together

While this is probably true, I see no reason to put up w/ shitty
workmanship like this. It's possible that this discontinuity will wear
your brake pads faster. It's also possible that the rim isn't true or
will become untrue at the weld due poor weld quality. These are
supposedly top of the line rims. Why take any chance if you can return
them for free. Don't they have inspectors? This is something very easy
to spot if one only looked. Mavic should be ashamed. The only reason I
wouldn't return this rim/ wheel, is if I had no way to get along w/o
it, while being replaced.

Good luck, John
..

 

[Colin Campbell]

Aman wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I just got a new wheel-set for light touring. It consists
> of Mavic Open pro rims, 36 spokes, Ultegra Hubs. Upon inspecting
> the rims I notice that the rear rim does not have a nice smoothed
> out, and filled in seem, like the front rim does. It has a small
> shallow crevice where the two sides of the rim meet. This is
> only in the center where the spokes seat. It looks OK on the
> side walls of the rim and the two sides of the rim seem to
> be matched up well. Does this Matter?
>
> Are there pins holding the two sides of the rim together
> in addition to the weld?
>
> Thanks in Advance, Alex
>
>
I have a bunch of Mavic Open Pro rims, and all the ones I inspected just
now have the weld carefully covered by some of the labeling, opposite
the hole for the valve stem. I can see the weld on the side of the
rims, down to the braking surface, but it doesn't seem very rough or as
if there's a deep indentation on the rim surface. Is the weld on your
rim under the label, too? Did you remove the label to examine it more
closely?

If the two rims are different to your eye and touch, I'd go back to the
bike shop and ask them to look it over. It is possible that a bad weld
made it past the inspection process.

 

[Aman]

The spot of the crevice is actually inside the rim, the part
that gets a rim strip put over it. The outside looks fine,
even underneath the sticker. The braking surface is fine
also. The reason that I am concerned is that I have seen rims
come ajar at the seem. It does seem like this should have
been noticed in quality control, but once a rim strip is on
this will be unseen. If it is only cosmetic I'll keep it,
but if their is any chance of failure from this I'll
exchange it. I hope this makes it clearer, and if any one
has heard of these rims failing like this, I'd like to hear
about it; and/or any other educated opinions are
appreciated. Thanks Again, Alex


On Fri, 19 May 2006, Colin Campbell wrote:

> Aman wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > I just got a new wheel-set for light touring. It consists
> > of Mavic Open pro rims, 36 spokes, Ultegra Hubs. Upon inspecting
> > the rims I notice that the rear rim does not have a nice smoothed
> > out, and filled in seem, like the front rim does. It has a small
> > shallow crevice where the two sides of the rim meet. This is
> > only in the center where the spokes seat. It looks OK on the
> > side walls of the rim and the two sides of the rim seem to
> > be matched up well. Does this Matter?
> >
> > Are there pins holding the two sides of the rim together
> > in addition to the weld?
> >
> > Thanks in Advance, Alex
> >
> >
> I have a bunch of Mavic Open Pro rims, and all the ones I inspected just
> now have the weld carefully covered by some of the labeling, opposite
> the hole for the valve stem. I can see the weld on the side of the
> rims, down to the braking surface, but it doesn't seem very rough or as
> if there's a deep indentation on the rim surface. Is the weld on your
> rim under the label, too? Did you remove the label to examine it more
> closely?
>
> If the two rims are different to your eye and touch, I'd go back to the
> bike shop and ask them to look it over. It is possible that a bad weld
> made it past the inspection process.
>
>

 

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

john wrote:
> Art Harris wrote:
>
>> Don't worry. The force of the 36 spokes is going to hold the rim
>> together
>
> While this is probably true, I see no reason to put up w/ shitty
> workmanship like this. It's possible that this discontinuity will wear
> your brake pads faster. It's also possible that the rim isn't true or
> will become untrue at the weld due poor weld quality. These are
> supposedly top of the line rims. Why take any chance if you can return
> them for free. Don't they have inspectors? This is something very easy
> to spot if one only looked. Mavic should be ashamed. The only reason I
> wouldn't return this rim/ wheel, is if I had no way to get along w/o
> it, while being replaced.

Re-read the OP:
"It has a small shallow crevice where the two sides of the rim meet. This is
only in the center where the spokes seat."

Has nothing to do with the brakes.

--
Phil

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

Aman wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I just got a new wheel-set for light touring. It consists
> of Mavic Open pro rims, 36 spokes, Ultegra Hubs. Upon inspecting
> the rims I notice that the rear rim does not have a nice smoothed
> out, and filled in seem, like the front rim does. It has a small
> shallow crevice where the two sides of the rim meet. This is
> only in the center where the spokes seat. It looks OK on the
> side walls of the rim and the two sides of the rim seem to
> be matched up well. Does this Matter?
>
> Are there pins holding the two sides of the rim together
> in addition to the weld?
>
> Thanks in Advance, Alex

The tension holds the rim together mostly but yes, there is a aluminum
thingy in the rim to hold it together for welding(a completely
unnecessary procedure). Don't worry about it.

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

john wrote:
> Art Harris wrote:
>
> >Don't worry. The force of the 36 spokes is going to hold the rim
> >together
>
> While this is probably true, I see no reason to put up w/ shitty
> workmanship like this. It's possible that this discontinuity will wear
> your brake pads faster. It's also possible that the rim isn't true or
> will become untrue at the weld due poor weld quality. These are
> supposedly top of the line rims. Why take any chance if you can return
> them for free. Don't they have inspectors? This is something very easy
> to spot if one only looked. Mavic should be ashamed. The only reason I
> wouldn't return this rim/ wheel, is if I had no way to get along w/o
> it, while being replaced.
>
> Good luck, John

The sidewalls are machined so that dimple(in lots of OpenPros, BTW)
will not be around the brake pad. As for 'top of the line', I guess but
mavic isn't my first choice for any rim/wheel.

It's all about complete wheels for mavic and with their rear hubs, they
should be ashamed, but it's hard to be when they are rolling around in
a room full of 'Francs'.
> .

 

[D'ohBoy]

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote (in part):

> As for 'top of the line', I guess but
> mavic isn't my first choice for any rim/wheel.

I am curious (and you have probably already expressed yourself on this
matter) what your specific issues are with Mavic rims. There are
aesthetic issues (the OP click) but I have never heard anything really
negative about OP's except, ahem, "machined brake track syndrome".
Which supposedly makes the rim last about 200 miles (if you are lucky).

I know the older rims (MA-3 (MA-2?)), etc, had some significant issues
but the CXP-30, CXP-33, and OP have all been good to me and/or
relatives.

Thanks (in advance) for enlightening me -

D'ohBoy

P.S.: Did you find your Diadora Ergos from either of the sites I
posted to rbm for you?

 

[D'ohBoy]

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote (in part):

> As for 'top of the line', I guess but
> mavic isn't my first choice for any rim/wheel.

I am curious (and you have probably already expressed yourself on this
matter) what your specific issues are with Mavic rims. There are
aesthetic issues (the OP click) but I have never heard anything really
negative about OP's except, ahem, "machined brake track syndrome".
Which supposedly makes the rim last about 200 miles (if you are lucky).

I know the older rims (MA-3 (MA-2?)), etc, had some significant issues
but the CXP-30, CXP-33, and OP have all been good to me and/or
relatives.

Thanks (in advance) for enlightening me -

D'ohBoy

P.S.: Did you find your Diadora Ergos from either of the sites I
posted to rbm for you?

 

[john]

Phil wrote:

>Re-read the OP:
>"It has a small shallow crevice where the two sides of the rim meet. This is
>only in the center where the spokes seat."

>Has nothing to do with the brakes.

Yeah, you're right. I missed that part, John

 

[john]

Peter wrote:

>It's all about complete wheels for mavic and with their rear hubs, they
>should be ashamed, but it's hard to be when they are rolling around in
>a room full of 'Francs'.

Yes I agree. That was the basis of my anger, even though, I now realize
that, as others have pointed out, that it is inconsequential. It gets
into; is a flaw, a flaw, if it does not impact the parts fitness for
service?

Regards, John

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

D'ohBoy wrote:
> Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote (in part):
>
> > As for 'top of the line', I guess but
> > mavic isn't my first choice for any rim/wheel.
>
> I am curious (and you have probably already expressed yourself on this
> matter) what your specific issues are with Mavic rims. There are
> aesthetic issues (the OP click) but I have never heard anything really
> negative about OP's except, ahem, "machined brake track syndrome".
> Which supposedly makes the rim last about 200 miles (if you are lucky).
>
> I know the older rims (MA-3 (MA-2?)), etc, had some significant issues
> but the CXP-30, CXP-33, and OP have all been good to me and/or
> relatives.
>
> Thanks (in advance) for enlightening me -
>
> D'ohBoy

Open Pro rims seem to be noisy. Often customers will come in with
creaking/clicking and it is either nipple eyelet noise or the wedge at
the seam has come loose. They build ok and seem to be reliable but the
noise is unsat for a $60 rim. Like CXP-33 and even the new OpenSport.
> P.S.: Did you find your Diadora Ergos from either of the sites I
> posted to rbm for you?