[filtersweep]

Why have Al wheelsets along the lines of Campy Shamals gone the way of the dinosaur? It seems next to impossible to find deep ( 34+ mm) Al rims these days. Have we been completely brainwashed into believing lighter is better? Or has carbon completely replaced AL as the material of choice for deep rims? It seems it should be relatively easy to build a cheaper deep Al-rimmed wheel that should be quite durable- yet they really don't exist. Or am I just missing the point?

And I'm not looking to spend a small fortune on a Prima Vigor....

 

[spookyload]

How about the mavic cosmic elites or build your own with cxp33's. There are other alternatives like the Velocity rims, and the spartacus wheelset, or I think Ritchey even makes an aero rim and wheelset.

 

[buffedupboy]

There are

You are just not looking in the right places. If the rim goes up to about 35-40mm, the rim weights will be around the 600g mark. Carbon deep section rims are about 400-500g. That's a big deal when it comes to wheelsets. The deepest I've seen is a 32mm alu rim and that weight 500+g.

They appear not to be produced much anymore because they are sold as complete wheelsets. Don't bother with the CXP32, the only good mavic rim in my opinion is the open pro. The mid-v don't contribute much if at all to aerodynamics and weight more.

Regards,
Sean

 

[DaveLobster]

Everyone wants the lightest wheels...

Why have Al wheelsets along the lines of Campy Shamals gone the way of the dinosaur? It seems next to impossible to find deep ( 34+ mm) Al rims these days. Have we been completely brainwashed into believing lighter is better? Or has carbon completely replaced AL as the material of choice for deep rims? It seems it should be relatively easy to build a cheaper deep Al-rimmed wheel that should be quite durable- yet they really don't exist. Or am I just missing the point?

And I'm not looking to spend a small fortune on a Prima Vigor....

To answer your questions - because they are perceived as too heavy, yes we have been brainwashed, and yes, carbon is better for deep-dish rims.

Since the current market focuses on wheel weight, the market for these wheels has diminished. The best info I can find shows the Shamals weighed 1938g per pair in the 1999 tubular version. The all-aluminum 16-spoke Mavic Cosmic's weighed 2014g per pair (tubular). With all the sub-1500g gram wheelsets out there, the market for wheels like this is long gone.

A 700c bicycle rim is made from an extrusion almost 2 meters long. If you want that 2-meters of aluminum to be 34mm+ deep and the standard 20mm+- wide, it's gonna take a lot of metal, and can only be so light. The lightest deep aluminum rims I know of are the American Classic 420's, which are 34mm deep and weigh 420g. They can only be purchased as a complete wheelset from American Classic. As for rims that are available separately, most are no deeper than 30mm and weigh 480-520g.

That's why carbon is popular for super-deep rims - they can be deep and light. And people are willing to pay for it. -Dave

 

[Gator]

We live in the age of carbon...

...and apparently nothing else will do. I live in the Bay Area, and there is seemingly an unlimited market--and budget--for trick carbon wheels. Everyone's rolling on $2K, it seems.

But don't let that discourage you. I've got a set of Cosmic Equipes (a lower spoke count than the Elites) and they're a great wheelset. No, they're not that light, but they are BURLY. I''ve logged 6,000+ miles on our scenic-but-crappy roads since I've had 'em and popped one spoke. One eyelet later and they are still arrow straight.

And the shape does make a difference. Between the semi-deep section and bladed spokes, you'll definitely feel them kick in once you get over 25 mph--once you get'em rolling, they ROLL. Plus, they look pretty cool. =)

You might not win any races with 'em (but who knows?) but if you want some cheap, strong, pretty trainers, these aren't half bad.