Mavic OPEN PRO SILVER

Price Paid:  $60.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
Anything in the Fraser Valley

Bike Setup:
Marinoni EL/OS, soon to be Shimagnolo 10v

Summary:
I have these rims in a wheelset built with Dura-Ace 7700 hubs (32h). The front has DT 15/16 spokes and the rear has DT 14/15 on the drive side, and DT Revs on the non-drive, all 3x with brass nipples.

These rims could be GREAT as they are reasonably light and strong, but Mavic seems to have some serious quality control issues. My original rear rim started clicking after a few months, then the front chimed in. Like others, I found oiling the eyelets would quiet them until they got wet. Then, the rear broke a couple of eyelets. They just fractured off, right where they sit on the rim.

I replaced the rear and the new rim seems to be a bit different. The brake track is slightly deeper. So far, it has remained quiet. I might replace the front, but since I'm using these wheels primarily in wet weather, I'll wait until the braking surface requires it.

Strengths:
Build up nicely, seem to be strong enough for guys bigger than me.

Weaknesses:
Clicks, creaks and broken eyelets.

Similar Products Used:
Lots of Mavic, Campy, FiR, Ambrosio.

Price Paid:  $45.00 at Revolution Bikes, St

Bike Setup:
Dura Ace Hubs

Summary:
I've been a wheel builder for years and have some major reservations about this rim. Almost right out of the box they began creaking and the only solution is to keep the spoke nipples and eyelets oiled. I built the front wheel with lighter gauge spokes, and now I break one about once a month. I've never had a set of wheels where you broke spokes in the front wheel, especially not when the spokes are still fairly new.

Strengths:
Do stay straight and need little to no routine truing (as long as the spokes don't break).

Weaknesses:
Noisy, break spokes, heavy.

Similar Products Used:
mavic GP40's, GEL 280's etc etc. Just about every mavic product made.

Price Paid:  $50.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
The long road along the Jersey shore

Bike Setup:
Lemond steel frame, carbon fork, Campy Chorus, Selcof bars, stem, and seatpost.

Summary:
I built these rims around a Campy Chorus group, and the rims took to building nicely. Riding them was a different story. They felt weak and flexy in corners (I used Sapim 14/15 spokes 3X with brass nipples too!). I'm easy on my equipment, and I had to true these rims more often than my MTB wheels, specially the rear one. The rear also developed cracks near the eyelets after a year. I found out the metal matrix they use is brittle. The hard anodized version of this rim is known for eyelet cracks.
I'm a wheelbuilder who does lots of stuff for local riders and teams, and these are the last high-end rims I'd ever recommend.

Strengths:
Easy build.

Weaknesses:
Not very stiff.
Questionable longevity.

Similar Products Used:
Matrix
Bontrager
FIR
Ambrosio
Alex
Campy

Price Paid:  $0.00

Bike Setup:
Nicely, thank you.

Summary:
I weigh 215 lbs. I have put around 1,500 miles on this set of Open Pros without incident. Tyres are usually inflated at 110-120psi. I have trued the wheels once since building them myself. Straight, true reliable. 5x5.

Strengths:
Strength, easy building, easy to install and remove tyres

Weaknesses:
None that i have observed. Rode 2,000 miles on a blue set before using them to up-grade my wife's bike. No problem with them either, except Colorado Cyclist way under-tensioned the original build.

Similar Products Used:
MA-3, CXP-21

Price Paid:  $0.00

Bike Setup:
C'dale r4000 full dura ace

Summary:
What? Weight limitations? I am 230lbs and have over 5k miles on a silver open pro (36 hole).

Strengths:
Strength, light weight, reliability

Weaknesses:
?

Similar Products Used:
sun venus (rim cracked at the eyelets on two rims)