REI Safari or Surly Long haul Trucker?

On Mar 28, 2:53*pm, Woland99 wrote:
On Mar 28, 2:35 pm, landotter wrote:

Holy crap, just googled--you're right, they're listing at $75!! An
Adventurer is the same weight, tough, easy to build and $25. No
brainer.

Dunno - maybe that was a mistake - I went with Randonee over LHT
after guy at REI bike (shop who gave me good advice in the past)
spoke against Alex rims.

Nothing wrong with those Mavics--I just wouldn't pay retail for them
is all. The big difference between the bikes is the choice of
shifters. If you like the Randonee's more contemporary style--then you
made the right choice.

Just because somebody works in a shop does not make them credible. The
same D--- at my local looked at my newly built set of wheels yesterday
and declared the "spokes to be too tight to be acting properly like
part of the suspension." He's not the wheelbuilder...thank goodness.

Are Alex Rims made with eyelets? no eyelets no touring.

On Mar 28, 4:46*pm, datakoll wrote:
Are Alex Rims made with eyelets? no eyelets no touring.

If you order the Adventurer or even the cheaper DM18 from QBP in the
US--it will have eyelets. I'd have no reservations doing a heavy tour
on the cheap DM18, only thing it needs to make it a pleasant rim is a
quick emery sanding of the rim joint for smooth braking. Adventurer is
nicer looking, $5 more, and 50g less. It's also black if you're color
coordinating. DM18 is silver in 700c, black in 26".

Alex is kinda odd the Universal Cycles implies some are eyeletted
some not but then the rim is pinned together not welded. Ideally, the
rim should have multiple chanbers, barrel eyelets and welded with a
rectangular construction allowing rebending.
DT offers a cafe rim at $$ but not with multiple chambers and as cafe,
of narrow width.
The Rhyno is aimed at tandems so on a tourer itsa go for no hassle
riding.
After 10 years of it, I'd say any showroom stock touring bike is a
short haul touring bike.

Before you go-situps/crunchs front and side. turning knee bends.
press down exercise for the vastus medialis. chondromalacia ex for the
tibialis ligament-rope a poly water jug around the big toe, sit on
steps, rasie and lower lower leg 3-4 inches while holding upper leg
steady. do that every morning toget the old bones knee lube going.
find the bicycle strechs and do it before and after on tour.

campmor has varitec cotton/poly tee's in dayglo-in a few weeks-
outstanding touring T

On Mar 28, 5:05*pm, datakoll wrote:
Alex is kinda odd the Universal Cycles implies some are eyeletted
some not but then the rim is pinned together not welded. Ideally, the
rim should have multiple chanbers, barrel eyelets and welded with a

The Alex Adventurers or DM18s do not have sockets, but they are plenty
strong regardless. I would consider sockets necessary on a rim with
the "Mavic" brand. For a lighter tourer, a CR18 or Salsa Delgado, as
Hank suggested, would be a nice choice.

Woland99 ? wrote:
[...]
Main reason I went with Randonee instead of LHT were Mavic rims -
I have not heard too much much good about Alex stuff.[...]

I generally hear the opposite. No problems with any of the Alex rims on
my bicycles, and they typically cost half of what a Mavic rim does. I am
not paying twice as much just to get European Heritage & Mystique® in a rim.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

On Mar 28, 6:13*pm, landotter wrote:
On Mar 28, 5:05*pm, datakoll wrote:

Alex is kinda odd the Universal Cycles implies some are eyeletted
some not but then the rim is pinned together not welded. Ideally, the
rim should have multiple chanbers, barrel eyelets and welded with a

The Alex Adventurers or DM18s do not have sockets, but they are plenty
strong regardless. I would consider sockets necessary on a rim with
the "Mavic" brand. For a lighter tourer, a CR18 or Salsa Delgado, as
Hank suggested, would be a nice choice.

seriously, perhaps yawl miss the point. Alex designers did not supply
"sockets" in the adventurer or 18. Not suppling sockets is a cost/
profit design feature not a road use consumer feature. Alex decison to
not "socket" rules out Alex' attempt to sell a cheap rim as a durable
rim.

On Mar 29, 1:55 pm, datakoll wrote:
On Mar 28, 6:13 pm, landotter wrote:

On Mar 28, 5:05 pm, datakoll wrote:

Alex is kinda odd the Universal Cycles implies some are eyeletted
some not but then the rim is pinned together not welded. Ideally, the
rim should have multiple chanbers, barrel eyelets and welded with a

The Alex Adventurers or DM18s do not have sockets, but they are plenty
strong regardless. I would consider sockets necessary on a rim with
the "Mavic" brand. For a lighter tourer, a CR18 or Salsa Delgado, as
Hank suggested, would be a nice choice.

seriously, perhaps yawl miss the point. Alex designers did not supply
"sockets" in the adventurer or 18. Not suppling sockets is a cost/
profit design feature not a road use consumer feature. Alex decison to
not "socket" rules out Alex' attempt to sell a cheap rim as a durable
rim.

Sockets aren't necessary when the rim is made of strong alloy and the
extrusion errs on the side of caution. A DM18 700c tips the scales at
a good 630g, while a skinnier Sun CR-18 is 500g. Who needs sockets
when you got meat? Eyelets are plenty.

Yeah, you can save 100g per wheel with socketed Mavics and pay $50
more per wheel--but what's 100g per end in the grand scheme when you
add tires? Use Paselas instead of Marathons if you want to go light.
You'll save 400g per wheel.

Alex are cheap and durable, but not the lightest, following the
conventional rules of cycling: pick two.

On Mar 29, 5:43 am, Tom Sherman
wrote:
Woland99 ? wrote:
[...]
Main reason I went with Randonee instead of LHT were Mavic rims -
I have not heard too much much good about Alex stuff.[...]

I generally hear the opposite. No problems with any of the Alex rims on
my bicycles, and they typically cost half of what a Mavic rim does. I am
not paying twice as much just to get European Heritage & Mystique® in a rim.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

Alex does make some lousy rims - notably the single-wall "X-Rim"
series. But OEMs are paying $3 a rim for those, and that's not a
market segment in which Mavic takes part. Comparing apples to apples,
Alex makes equal if not better rims at much lower prices

On Mar 29, 2:14 pm, Hank wrote:
On Mar 29, 5:43 am, Tom Sherman
wrote:

Woland99 ? wrote:
[...]
Main reason I went with Randonee instead of LHT were Mavic rims -
I have not heard too much much good about Alex stuff.[...]

I generally hear the opposite. No problems with any of the Alex rims on
my bicycles, and they typically cost half of what a Mavic rim does. I am
not paying twice as much just to get European Heritage & Mystique® in a rim.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

Alex does make some lousy rims - notably the single-wall "X-Rim"
series. But OEMs are paying $3 a rim for those, and that's not a
market segment in which Mavic takes part. Comparing apples to apples,
Alex makes equal if not better rims at much lower prices

The X-series are fine for re-rimming old 27" bikes for cheap. I've
done a couple. They're round and build easily. If you're doing a nice
old 27" sporting ride, go for a CR-18, but for a wide rimmed 70s 27"
bike with chrome rims, the X404 with the center ridge is perfect,
especially matched with a 1 1/4" tire. You know--for a bar bike or
neighborhood ride. It's a single wall rim is all, with single wall
weaknesses--don't be curb jumping too hard with them.

It's no single wall Araya at least--that's true fromage--I think I got
a couple of those in the garage, you can twist those into fun animal
shape with your bare hands!