Description The same rim used on the Mavic Helium wheels. Light weight. Maxtal Aluminum, machined braking surface, and a welded rim joint for better durability. 32 hole.
Summary: I'm surprised to hear about the problems reported on these rims - I wonder how well-built those wheels were. I have a set of 32h reflex tubulars on dura-ace hubs that have been my race wheelset for cyclocross for 5 years. They are still my favorite racing wheels and are still true after hundreds of punishing miles of cross racing in all conditions.
BTW if you are picky enough to choose to have you wheels built up from rims, spokes, and hubs, go the extra distance and choose a good wheelbuilder to make them...
Strengths: strength, weight
Similar Products Used: Velocity Escape Tubulars, Mavic Helium Tubulars
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Bike Setup: 14/17 g revolution spokes with Record hubs. 1500 g for the set including skewers.
Summary: Outstanding rims. I use them on both my commuter (a fixed gear cross bike) and my racing bike. Fairly bombproof. About 5000 km on one set and just got a new set for my racing bike.
Strengths: Light, stiff, durable.
Weaknesses: Not too aero. But that's not why you get box section rims.
Similar Products Used: Ambrosio
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Summary: These rims stink. I weigh 162 lbs and have them built with 14 straight gauge spokes.
The first set lasted several years, then the back one started cracking around the eyelets (the front one is still fine). I bought a used Reflex off Ebay and built it to a reduced tension 90 Kg as I found recommended on the Internet.
It cracked after a few months, I figured that it might have been built too high previously, so I bought another one, it cracked after a few months (built to 90 kg on the drive side). These rims have an ERD that's a little odd for a box section rim, so once you've built up a set of wheels with Reflex rims, you're stuck with them, unless you want to change all your spokes.
Therefore, I decided to try one more time, and this rim's started cracking after less than 2000 miles. This stinks!
I'll be shopping around, but I'll probably have to buy all new spokes.
Strengths: nothing special
Weaknesses: weak
Similar Products Used: Mavic GP4, Mavic GL 330, Fir Isidis, Campy Victory, Wolber Aspin. All built by me and none of these cracked, ever!
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Summary: The first set of Reflex rims lasted me several years, I still have the front one. Then the back rim started cracking around the eyelet holes after several years of use. I replaced it with a used Reflex rim off Ebay. I read on the internet that these rims should only be built with 90 Kg of tension on the drive side, but it didn't last very long before it started cracking. I thought that maybe I'd buy a brand new one, that maybe the rim had been built to too high a tension previously. The brand new rim build to 90 Kg cracked again after a few months, maybe 2000 miles. These rims ERD is a little odd for box section tubulars, so once you've built a wheel with Reflex rims, you're kind of stuck with Reflex rims, unless you want to change out all your spokes.
Therefore, I decided I'd give it one more chance, I bought another Reflex, from a different supplier (hoping maybe the other one had a bad batch). It's starting to crack after 1 or 2000 miles. This stinks! I've ridden old GP4s back in the mid-eighties and they were bullet proof, GL 330s were fine too. I never had a set, but I imagine vintage GEL 280s were stronger (how could they have been worse!) than these and they were 100 grams lighter! These rims are too fragile for normal use, and they're not super light either. I'm going to try to find something else, but I'll probably have to replace all my spokes too. I weigh 162 lbs and these wheels are built with 14 straight gauge spokes, using Conti Gatorskin Sprinter tires.
Strengths: shiny
Weaknesses: won't last 2000 miles without cracking
Similar Products Used: Fir Isidis, Mavic GP4, Mavic GL 330, Wolber Aspin, Campagnolo Victory. I built all these and had no cracks in any of these rims, ever.
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Bike Setup: 1999 Litespeed Classic, LOOK LDS fork, Cinelli bar & stem, Turbomatic saddle, Dura Ace 9 speed group, hand built tubulars
Summary: i've been riding tubulars exclusively for 15 years, and have tried many different rims. I've used these in both the plain silver and hard anodized CD finish. Wheels always built 3X w/ double-butted 14/15/14 spokes and brass nipples. I have had problems with FiR tubular rims cracking and eyelets pulling out, but never with Mavic or Ambrosio. The slightly wider 22mm cross-section o the Reflex mates nicely with a fatter 24c tubular like a Veloflex Roubaix or Challenge Strada, and definitely adds comfort on rough roads, As others have said, not the most aerodynamic rim if your race ( I don't).
Strengths: One of few tubular rims still available
Wide profile adds strength and comfort
Round and true, easy to build
Weaknesses: Cost more than most NOS tubular rims
Similar Products Used: Mavic Paris-Roubaix, GL330, GP4, FiR Isidis, ST120, Ambrosio Formula 20, Campagnolo Omega
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