Technical > Wheels, Tyres and Brakes

What rims for world tour?

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Dude:
Thanks for the replies!
But did any one of you write to answer my question?

I already have two set of new rims and was asking for your view on witch is the better one for long-distance touring!
The  fairly light, double-eyelet X-618 or the wider, thicker-wall, single-eyelet D-521[?]

The wheels on my earlier bike(Mavic D-521, XT-hubs, DT Comp. spokes/nipples, Schwalbe Marathon 1,75) stood up well, but felt a bit heavy, and I am trying to limit the weight of my gear to be able to move more swiftly.

Bomber: A set of well built wheels do not need 700-something grams per rim to stay true! It is after all the spokes doing the job.[;)]

tynevalleycommuter: I think your right! I have heard similar stories, and would recommend DT Competition with 2-1,8-2 mm thickness and brass nipples.

Monkey: On the basis of that incident you dismiss all Mavic rims? My two set of rims are Ceramic-coated so wear is not much of an issue. I have competed/trained on a similar Mavic X-117/217 for over ten years and they are still in good shape! [^]

John: Interesting! What conclusions could be made from that story?[:0]

Thanks and come again!

John:
No conclusions, just the observation that the D521 is fragile round the eyelets even compared to a similar profile Mavic non-eyelet rim. Even double eyelets fail. In the bad old days Mavic M40 and M/T 261s always failed in the same way - the inner part of the eyelet popped off and the outer part pulled out of the rim.

I couldn't compare with the X618 because I've never used them but like you have used ceramic X117s on my moutain bike for 11 years including short periods on the mountain tandem - great rim. The D521 isn't. Despite the amount of metal in the D521 there isn't much where it matters - round the eyelets.

Istanbul_Tea:
Perhaps try out Velocity Deep-V's?

cass gilbert:
Dude,

I've had that problem in the past with Mavic D521s - after a short while, the rim began splitting around the nipples, a real bummer when you're in the middle of China - as I'm sure you'll appreciate. I then tried the Ceramic version and had no problems, but didn;t get the chance to do quite the same mileage for a full test. It put me off Mavic for a while - I know other heavily laden riders who have the same problem with 521s - so I've stuck to Sun since then, even though they're heavy.

This said, I'm thinking of trying a new set of D521 Ceramics on a bike I'm taking to India (with trailer instead of panniers) in a couple of weeks as Thorn have told me they've had no problems with them - so maybe there was a bad batch a while ago?!?

However, I've heard from several people that the 618s are a better, stronger rim for touring thanks, as you say, to the double eyelets - only problem is, Mavic no longer make them due to need to match the competition in weight - and lose an eyelet in doing so. So if you have a pair, I think they'd be a better choice to go for if you're after a light but relatively strong touring wheel.

I'll let you know how the 521s go - if I decide to go for them. Your post has stirred up uncertainty as the last thing I want is another rim failure just for a few measly hundreds of grams...

Cass

Dude:
Thank you Cass for your reply!
I will be looking forward to reading a review of those wheels![:p]

I used a set of 521´s laced to XT disc compatible hubs with DT Competition spokes and brass nipples on my trip from Singapore to Kunming last year and a SE Asia roundtrip the year before.
Was heading for Hong Kong but due to Chinese authorities not revelling the facts about the Sars epidemic I change my trip and headed north. Had one to many close call with reckless Chinese lorry drivers on a very bad road so I opted for a nightbuss some of the way. The trip ended when the bike was lost in the night on the switchback roads since I had trusted a drunken bussdriver(!) tying it to the roof.[V]
Was found four month later by the local police and retrieved to me by a friend traveling in that area![^]

The front wheel hade a severe taco bend but after flexing my biceps and day fiddling with the spokewrench I was able to get the wheel straight![}:)]
No cracked eylets or damage ceramic coating!!![;)]
Had to sell that bike since the frame, a KHS Team Issue hardtail MTB with True Temper OX Ultra Gold tubes and no rackeylets, was less than ideal for heavy laden touring. [:o)]

I think those wheels were very sturdy and withstood allot of abuse without showing any sign of failing. But they were also a bit to heavy to get rolling for my liking.[xx(]
Due to the wide 521 rims the Schwalbe Marathon´s 1.75" tires spread wider, got a bigger footprint and higher rolling resistance than if they would have been mounted to a narrow and lighter rim like the Mavic X-517 or 618. But I did get the extra traction needed for those gravel/jeep tracks I encountered in Laos China and Cambodia.

I now have a Shimano Lx rear hub and one XT front hub with reinforced axel laying around that I was going to use with the 521´s. Have been toying with the idea to get a set of disc compatible XT hubs for the 618´s so I could swap them to my disc equipped MTB (when I take the plunge and build one...), or build a custom tourer(maybe a tandem if I could only find me a cycling dame [:I]) with discbrakes. But due to lack of current need and some negative response in other forums, I will probably just get a new Lx front hub, to use with the rear I have on the 521`s, and a new XT rear hub to use with the front one on the 618 rims![|)]

- Have been following the disc conversion of that British Racing Green steel MTB-frame of yours and read the travel stories you published in C+. Have you any experiences from heavy laden touring trips using discbrakes[?]
- Have you noticed any lack of strength due to the more narrow and offcentre spokes[?]

Hope you have a grrreat trip in India![:p]

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