Wheels - Mavic Open Pro vs DT Swiss R1800

I am updating some parts on an old 1984 or '85 steel bike. My current
wheels, Mavic MA40 with Campy Record hubs, are almost 30 yr old. I
already have 9-speed drive train parts, so I'm probably going to
spread my rear triangle to 130mm and get some modern wheels.

A couple of wheel sets are on sale locally. Both wheel sets are
unused, i.e., no mileage, and are listed at about the same price. One
is Mavic Open Pro with Ultegra hubs (I suspect they are 6600 series,
but I don't know that yet). The rims are 32H with 3X spokes. The other
wheel set is DT Swiss R1800. The hubs, I think, are DT Swiss 370. The
front rim is 20H with a radial spoke pattern and the rear is 24H with
a 2X pattern.

Do you think the DT Swiss wheels are strong enough for recreational/
training riding with a rider weight of 190lb? The DT Swiss web site
says the max rider weight for the wheels is 220lb. I am old school and
am familiar with 3X and 32 to 36H rims, so the Open Pro rims seem a
safer way to go, assuming these rims don't suffer from the dreaded
Mavic cracks at the spoke holes.

Anyone want to give their opinion of these wheels?

Thanks,
Ciera

On May 7, 6:24*pm, Ciera wrote:
I am updating some parts on an old 1984 or '85 steel bike. My current
wheels, Mavic MA40 with Campy Record hubs, are almost 30 yr old. I
already have 9-speed drive train parts, so I'm probably going to
spread my rear triangle to 130mm and get some modern wheels.

A couple of wheel sets are on sale locally. Both wheel sets are
unused, i.e., no mileage, and are listed at about the same price. One
is Mavic Open Pro with Ultegra hubs (I suspect they are 6600 series,
but I don't know that yet). The rims are 32H with 3X spokes. The other
wheel set is DT Swiss R1800. The hubs, I think, are DT Swiss 370. The
front rim is 20H with a radial spoke pattern and the rear is 24H with
a 2X pattern.

Do you think the DT Swiss wheels are strong enough for recreational/
training riding with a rider weight of 190lb? The DT Swiss web site
says the max rider weight for the wheels is 220lb. I am old school and
am familiar with 3X and 32 to 36H rims, so the Open Pro rims seem a
safer way to go, assuming these rims don't suffer from the dreaded
Mavic cracks at the spoke holes.

Anyone want to give their opinion of these wheels?

Here's a couple of reasons for the Mavic OP/Ultegra wheels. First, the
wheelset uses standard spokes (probably db) that can be repaired at
"anybikeshopusa" if broken. Same for the rim, 32h rims are plentiful
and you can replace with anything, especially if you find the Mavic to
be noisy. Further, shimano hubs are arguably the quietest on the
market, although I admit to not knowing much about the DT hub. The
ultegra hub is also very easy to service. Finally, I have 3 or so
wheelsets with Mavic OP and the only one I had crack at the spoke
holes was a rear wheel that had almost 20K miles on it. I presume it
was due to use and not the hard anodizing. Good luck!

On May 8, 8:56*am, bfd wrote:
On May 7, 6:24*pm, Ciera wrote:



I am updating some parts on an old 1984 or '85 steel bike. My current
wheels, Mavic MA40 with Campy Record hubs, are almost 30 yr old. I
already have 9-speed drive train parts, so I'm probably going to
spread my rear triangle to 130mm and get some modern wheels.

A couple of wheel sets are on sale locally. Both wheel sets are
unused, i.e., no mileage, and are listed at about the same price. One
is Mavic Open Pro with Ultegra hubs (I suspect they are 6600 series,
but I don't know that yet). The rims are 32H with 3X spokes. The other
wheel set is DT Swiss R1800. The hubs, I think, are DT Swiss 370. The
front rim is 20H with a radial spoke pattern and the rear is 24H with
a 2X pattern.

Do you think the DT Swiss wheels are strong enough for recreational/
training riding with a rider weight of 190lb? The DT Swiss web site
says the max rider weight for the wheels is 220lb. I am old school and
am familiar with 3X and 32 to 36H rims, so the Open Pro rims seem a
safer way to go, assuming these rims don't suffer from the dreaded
Mavic cracks at the spoke holes.

Anyone want to give their opinion of these wheels?

Here's a couple of reasons for the Mavic OP/Ultegra wheels. First, the
wheelset uses standard spokes (probably db) that can be repaired at
"anybikeshopusa" if broken. Same for the rim, 32h rims are plentiful
and you can replace with anything, especially if you find the Mavic to
be noisy. *Further, shimano hubs are arguably the quietest on the
market, although I admit to not knowing much about the DT hub. The
ultegra hub is also very easy to service. Finally, *I have 3 or so
wheelsets with Mavic OP and the only one I had crack at the spoke
holes was a rear wheel that had almost 20K miles on it. I presume it
was due to use and not the hard anodizing. Good luck!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Your spoke holes should outlive your brake surface, but on an Open Pro
tensioned above about 115kgf, they may not -- which is s an expensive
shame. I just cracked a spoke hole on my last Open Pro and will now
look for a different rim -- the Aeroheads are not much better
(although the can tolerate slightly higher tensions), and at about
200lbs, something in the 450+ g range is probably in order for me for
commuting.

As for the OPs two sets, I would buy the Open Pro because I am
familiar with the wheel and have everything I need in my basement to
fix a broken spoke, freehub body, etc -- but, the DT is probably a
fine wheel, too. The DTs were spec'd on Giants and did not get a lot
of distribution from what I can tell -- so not a lot of reviews. They
are heavy and probably pretty durable. Both wheels probably would be
fine for a 190lb rider. But if you do break a spoke on a low spoke
count wheel, you're going to have a nice wobble that a few tuns of a
spoke wrench will not fix, and getting the wrench on the spoke
probably means taking off the tire and fishing around in the rim with
a special wrench. For pure field serviceability, the Open Pro wheel
will be better. It may also be lighter and have a fairly similar
aerodynamic profile, if those things matter. -- Jay Beattie.

Op 8-5-2011 20:27, Jay Beattie schreef:
.. For pure field serviceability, the Open Pro wheel
will be better.

Huh?? I like DT hubs because of their serviceability. No trial and error
adjustment like Shimano hubs. Better sealed too.

https://picasaweb.google.com/LoetjeH/DT240S#5300525662636801666

Lou

On May 8, 1:27*pm, Jay Beattie wrote:
On May 8, 8:56*am, bfd wrote:









On May 7, 6:24*pm, Ciera wrote:

I am updating some parts on an old 1984 or '85 steel bike. My current
wheels, Mavic MA40 with Campy Record hubs, are almost 30 yr old. I
already have 9-speed drive train parts, so I'm probably going to
spread my rear triangle to 130mm and get some modern wheels.

A couple of wheel sets are on sale locally. Both wheel sets are
unused, i.e., no mileage, and are listed at about the same price. One
is Mavic Open Pro with Ultegra hubs (I suspect they are 6600 series,
but I don't know that yet). The rims are 32H with 3X spokes. The other
wheel set is DT Swiss R1800. The hubs, I think, are DT Swiss 370. The
front rim is 20H with a radial spoke pattern and the rear is 24H with
a 2X pattern.

Do you think the DT Swiss wheels are strong enough for recreational/
training riding with a rider weight of 190lb? The DT Swiss web site
says the max rider weight for the wheels is 220lb. I am old school and
am familiar with 3X and 32 to 36H rims, so the Open Pro rims seem a
safer way to go, assuming these rims don't suffer from the dreaded
Mavic cracks at the spoke holes.

Anyone want to give their opinion of these wheels?

Here's a couple of reasons for the Mavic OP/Ultegra wheels. First, the
wheelset uses standard spokes (probably db) that can be repaired at
"anybikeshopusa" if broken. Same for the rim, 32h rims are plentiful
and you can replace with anything, especially if you find the Mavic to
be noisy. *Further, shimano hubs are arguably the quietest on the
market, although I admit to not knowing much about the DT hub. The
ultegra hub is also very easy to service. Finally, *I have 3 or so
wheelsets with Mavic OP and the only one I had crack at the spoke
holes was a rear wheel that had almost 20K miles on it. I presume it
was due to use and not the hard anodizing. Good luck!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Your spoke holes should outlive your brake surface, but on an Open Pro
tensioned above about 115kgf, they may not -- which is s an expensive
shame. I just cracked a spoke hole on my last Open Pro and will now
look for a different rim -- the Aeroheads are not much better
(although the can tolerate slightly higher tensions), and at about
200lbs, something in the 450+ g range is probably in order for me for
commuting.

For a road rim, you can't do much better for the buck than an Alex
R390. Socketed and a claimed 485g. A friend of mine is a big
knucklehead, and he can't even destroy them.


As for the OPs two sets, I would buy the Open Pro because I am
familiar with the wheel and have everything I need in my basement to
fix a broken spoke, freehub body, etc -- but, the DT is probably a
fine wheel, too. *The DTs were spec'd on Giants and did not get a lot
of distribution from what I can tell -- so not a lot of reviews. They
are heavy and probably pretty durable. Both wheels probably would be
fine for a 190lb rider. But if you do break a spoke on a low spoke
count wheel, you're going to have a nice wobble that a few tuns of a
spoke wrench will not fix, and getting the wrench on the spoke
probably means taking off the tire and fishing around in the rim with
a special wrench. *For pure field serviceability, the Open Pro wheel
will be better. It may also be lighter and have a fairly similar
aerodynamic profile, if those things matter. -- Jay Beattie.

I'm usually with you on low spoke wheels, but I really hate Mavic
gear. DT makes some really nice rims and hubs. Just make sure the
spokes are seated in the flange and that the tensions are correct.

Ciera wrote:

A couple of wheel sets are on sale locally. Both wheel sets are
unused, i.e., no mileage, and are listed at about the same price. One
is Mavic Open Pro with Ultegra hubs (I suspect they are 6600 series,
but I don't know that yet). The rims are 32H with 3X spokes. The other
wheel set is DT Swiss R1800. The hubs, I think, are DT Swiss 370. The
front rim is 20H with a radial spoke pattern and the rear is 24H with
a 2X pattern.

Rims are one of those categories of bike parts where expensive ones
are not necessarily better than cheaper ones. Mavic and DT rims are
both expensive and not necessarily worth any extra cost versus Alex or
Sun rims.

The choice you specify is between a proven wheel layout with a known
bad rim, and an presumed okay rim with a known bad wheel
configuration. So I'd choose C.) neither of the above.

Chalo

On May 8, 12:41*pm, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 8-5-2011 20:27, Jay Beattie schreef:
. *For pure field serviceability, the Open Pro wheel

will be better.

Huh?? I like DT hubs because of their serviceability. No trial and error
adjustment like Shimano hubs. Better sealed too.

https://picasaweb.google.com/LoetjeH/DT240S#5300525662636801666


I'm talking about rims and truing after a broken spoke. On a
conventional rim, I just pull out my key-chain spoke wrench and adjust
the wheel. On many prefab wheels, you have to take off the tire, rim
strip, etc. and use a special wrench. As far as hubs go, I never work
on them in the field, and Shimano is more convenient for me at home
because I have old hubs and freehub bodies sitting around that I can
use for parts if necessary. Buying DT would mean starting over with a
new system. I have found Shimano seals to be excellent, particularly
the off road models. I ride them in the rain six months a year or
more -- today for example (and hail). -- Jay Beattie.

Jay Beattie wrote:
On May 8, 12:41 pm, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 8-5-2011 20:27, Jay Beattie schreef:
. For pure field serviceability, the Open Pro wheel

will be better.
Huh?? I like DT hubs because of their serviceability. No trial and error
adjustment like Shimano hubs. Better sealed too.

https://picasaweb.google.com/LoetjeH/DT240S#5300525662636801666


I'm talking about rims and truing after a broken spoke. On a
conventional rim, I just pull out my key-chain spoke wrench and adjust
the wheel. On many prefab wheels, you have to take off the tire, rim
strip, etc. and use a special wrench. As far as hubs go, I never work
on them in the field, and Shimano is more convenient for me at home
because I have old hubs and freehub bodies sitting around that I can
use for parts if necessary. Buying DT would mean starting over with a
new system. I have found Shimano seals to be excellent, particularly
the off road models. I ride them in the rain six months a year or
more -- today for example (and hail). -- Jay Beattie.

Change yourself. Attain the physique of a lithe young girl. I haven't
broken a spoke in a prefab, magic dusted, overpriced with mystique Mavic
wheel since 1996, when I caught someones rear skewer in my front wheel
in a race.

JS.

On May 8, 3:10*pm, James wrote:
Jay Beattie wrote:
On May 8, 12:41 pm, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 8-5-2011 20:27, Jay Beattie schreef:
. *For pure field serviceability, the Open Pro wheel

will be better.
Huh?? I like DT hubs because of their serviceability. No trial and error
adjustment like Shimano hubs. Better sealed too.

https://picasaweb.google.com/LoetjeH/DT240S#5300525662636801666

I'm talking about rims and truing after a broken spoke. *On a
conventional rim, I just pull out my key-chain spoke wrench and adjust
the wheel. *On many prefab wheels, you have to take off the tire, rim
strip, etc. and use a special wrench. *As far as hubs go, I never work
on them in the field, and Shimano is more convenient for me at home
because I have old hubs and freehub bodies sitting around that I can
use for parts if necessary. *Buying DT would mean starting over with a
new system. I have found Shimano seals to be excellent, particularly
the off road models. *I ride them in the rain six months a year or
more -- today for example (and hail). -- Jay Beattie.

Change yourself. *Attain the physique of a lithe young girl. *I haven't
broken a spoke in a prefab, magic dusted, overpriced with mystique Mavic
wheel since 1996, when I caught someones rear skewer in my front wheel
in a race.

JS.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The 32/36 wire spoke wheel is practically a thing of the past, at
least with racers or new light-bike purchasers. The low spoke count
wheels must be working out for a large number of people at this
point. I'll switch over if a set comes OEM on some wonder bike that I
buy in a final effort to keep up with people half my age -- or if all
my Shimano hubs wear out, which will be never. I'll never go low spoke
count on my work bike. -- Jay Beattie.

On May 8, 3:52*pm, Chalo wrote:
Ciera wrote:

A couple of wheel sets are on sale locally. Both wheel sets are
unused, i.e., no mileage, and are listed at about the same price. One
is Mavic Open Pro with Ultegra hubs (I suspect they are 6600 series,
but I don't know that yet). The rims are 32H with 3X spokes. The other
wheel set is DT Swiss R1800. The hubs, I think, are DT Swiss 370. The
front rim is 20H with a radial spoke pattern and the rear is 24H with
a 2X pattern.

Rims are one of those categories of bike parts where expensive ones
are not necessarily better than cheaper ones. *Mavic and DT rims are
both expensive and not necessarily worth any extra cost versus Alex or
Sun rims.

The choice you specify is between a proven wheel layout with a known
bad rim, and an presumed okay rim with a known bad wheel
configuration. *So I'd choose C.) neither of the above.

Chalo

I'm kind of with Chalo on this one. And kind of not. Build a good
wheel with Shimano hubs and DT rims. The one DT rim I built was
perfectly round and easy to build with. Unlike the two Sun rims I
built. Bad warped rims. The Sun rims were bought to replace two Open
Pro rims that cracked at the eyelets on the non drive side rear. Do
not buy Mavic Open Pro rims. One wheel had 10-15 thousand or more
miles. The other had maybe 5 thousand miles. Mavic makes crap rims.
The Alex Crosstini rims I built with were OK but not nearly as good as
the DT rim. DT makes premium rims. And charges for them. Mavic
makes crap rims and charges premium prices. Sun and Alex rims are
fairly cheap but much less quality than DT. Still better than Mavic
though.