Worn-through Mavic rims - replacements?

bruceman

I've just worn through the rear wheel from a set of Mavic Ksyrium Elite rims in just under 12-months of use on London's roads and am now looking for a suitable replacement.

History of use: In that time they've covered just over 4200miles, including lots of time in the rain. I've been using Swisstop 'green' brake pads in order to maximise braking in the wet, but I suspect that their softer rubber also helped to gather up more of the grit & muck off the road that's ultimately accelerated frictional wear on the rims.

In retrospect, switching from the 'standard' steel rims that came with the bike for these aluminium Mavic's has been a very expensive exercise. There is no doubt that they are very good rims when you're out cycling, but I don't want to be replacing wheels each year. Has anyone managed to find a good compromise between ride quality and rim longevity without going back to the bog standard CXP22 rims that came with the bike?

Any advice appreciated, Bruce

ride_whenever

Just clean your bike.

bruceman

A very unhelpful response, thanks. I clean my bike every Saturday - how often do you clean yours?

ShutUpLegs

bruceman wrote:

A very unhelpful response, thanks. I clean my bike every Saturday - how often do you clean yours?

Everytime it gets wet or dirty.

styxd

Ride less, drive more.

taimur

My riding partner has put 12-15k hms on his DT swiss which are now shjowing signs of age but going strong still without ever servicing hubs etc. we call him the roadroller since he weighs 93kgs and runs like a roller regardless of bumps cateyes harsh roads glass and what not. The wheels have never gone beyond two mwintenance runs which required some minimal truimg and once correcting a slight jump.

take a look at DT Swiss entry level to mid-range wheels they redefine bomproof.

rolf_f

Can you even get bikes with steel rims these days?! Alloy is the current standard. And if the problem is rim wear on wet rides, steel rims are not the solution!

Not sure the alloy used in Mavic rims is likely to be any softer than any other brand. The other question would be - how often do you clean the brake blocks? Ie take them off, dig out the bits of alloy that score the rims and replace them on to the bike with freshly cleaned braking surfaces? Really you ought to do that after every wet ride as well.

nathancom

loosen the rear brake cable tension...

That does seem incredibly low mileage but if you want replaceable rims get handbuilts, only £150 to get a new set of f/r rims with fitting, so saving £300 on a new pair of Kys Elites

petemadoc

I would expect many many thousands of miles out of a rim. I guess that bad weather and constant stop start traffic has killed yours. Have you been commuting using the Elites?

I have some cheap wheels I use for commuting and cyclocross, they get used in all weathers and the take a real hammering. 4 years later and no sign of rims wearing.

I don't what kind of riding you're doing but in bad weather, winter training and so on wouldn't you be better with a cheaper set of robust wheels and save the nice wheels for the weekends. Or even a winter bike?

antonyfromoz

The only thing that stops rims wearing is to use disc brakes - perhaps another bike ie cyclocross with discs, is needed in your stable? N+1

majormantra

Rolf F wrote:

Can you even get bikes with steel rims these days?! Alloy is the current standard. And if the problem is rim wear on wet rides, steel rims are not the solution!

Indeed, what rims did the OP have before? It's many decades since a decent bicycle has come with steel rims, and for good reason - they're bloody awful unless you like heavy, easy to dent rims that don't stop in the wet.

bruceman

PeteMadoc wrote:

I would expect many many thousands of miles out of a rim. I guess that bad weather and constant stop start traffic has killed yours. Have you been commuting using the Elites?

I have some cheap wheels I use for commuting and cyclocross, they get used in all weathers and the take a real hammering. 4 years later and no sign of rims wearing.

I don't what kind of riding you're doing but in bad weather, winter training and so on wouldn't you be better with a cheaper set of robust wheels and save the nice wheels for the weekends. Or even a winter bike?

Pete, you've hit the nail on the head - I ride into London almost daily in all weathers and the constant stop-start and collection of dirt has done them in. I agree with earlier sentiment about clean wheels & brakes being ideal, but practically, when I get back from work in the dark after another hour's ride in the cold & rain, the last thing I feel like doing is cleaning. This winter has been particularly miserable on the weather front...

Hence the practical solution I'm coming round to is to use the CP22's that came with the bike for all wet and inclement weather riding and save my better wheels for dry days and weekend rides. It will be a pity not to use the Elite's on a daily basis though as they are a joy to ride, I'll miss them!

nochekmate

The fact that you will miss the Elites, only serves to tell you that you should have been employing a cheaper wheelset for your daily commute.

Sadly, it's been an expensive to learn but sometimes a harsh lesson is needed to allow commonsense to prevail.

nathancom

bruceman wrote:

PeteMadoc wrote:

I would expect many many thousands of miles out of a rim. I guess that bad weather and constant stop start traffic has killed yours. Have you been commuting using the Elites?

I have some cheap wheels I use for commuting and cyclocross, they get used in all weathers and the take a real hammering. 4 years later and no sign of rims wearing.

I don't what kind of riding you're doing but in bad weather, winter training and so on wouldn't you be better with a cheaper set of robust wheels and save the nice wheels for the weekends. Or even a winter bike?

Pete, you've hit the nail on the head - I ride into London almost daily in all weathers and the constant stop-start and collection of dirt has done them in. I agree with earlier sentiment about clean wheels & brakes being ideal, but practically, when I get back from work in the dark after another hour's ride in the cold & rain, the last thing I feel like doing is cleaning. This winter has been particularly miserable on the weather front...

Hence the practical solution I'm coming round to is to use the CP22's that came with the bike for all wet and inclement weather riding and save my better wheels for dry days and weekend rides. It will be a pity not to use the Elite's on a daily basis though as they are a joy to ride, I'll miss them!

Yeah but how much more fun will they be on a proper ride without carrying bags, the sun shining and the bike zipping along on a good fresh pair of wheels. I like having a winter hack because it makes the best bike feel that bit better.

petemadoc

bruceman wrote:

Pete, you've hit the nail on the head - I ride into London almost daily in all weathers and the constant stop-start and collection of dirt has done them in. I agree with earlier sentiment about clean wheels & brakes being ideal, but practically, when I get back from work in the dark after another hour's ride in the cold & rain, the last thing I feel like doing is cleaning. This winter has been particularly miserable on the weather front...

Hence the practical solution I'm coming round to is to use the CP22's that came with the bike for all wet and inclement weather riding and save my better wheels for dry days and weekend rides. It will be a pity not to use the Elite's on a daily basis though as they are a joy to ride, I'll miss them!

Commuting in all weathers on wheels that cost £400 upwards doesn't make any sense.

The real answer is n+1. You need a commuting bike. You can get a decent 2nd hand bike for £300 that will do the job nicely, sure it might be a bit heavy but that helps with the training and makes the weekend stead feel so much nicer.

markos1963

I would have thought you'd worn out the front first? Or do you just brake with the rear? Perhaps this might be the problem?

ugo.santalucia

What kind of advice are you looking for? You seem to get more symphaty than anything...

My advice is to get a set of wheels where you can buy spare rims without having to take up a loan...

pkripper

markos1963 wrote:

I would have thought you'd worn out the front first? Or do you just brake with the rear? Perhaps this might be the problem?

+1 - I'd definitely expect the front to go first. Equally, I regularly commute into London, about an hour each way and to be honest, don't use the brakes that much as on standard route you get to know roughly the phasing of the lights and the like so anticipation and backing off the pace is key.

Equally, swisstop greens generally cause less rim wear as the softer compound wears in preference.

To be honest, if you don't want to be replacing rims, cleaning more regularly is your best friend, even if that is a quick rim wipe with some bluepaper or a sponge and bucket. 2 mins at the end of a ride will save you more time and cost in the long run.

My advice is get something like 105's on a kinlin 30mm rim - lightish, pretty tough, and inexpensive.

bruceman

Hi, thanks for all your comments & advice.

To answer a few of your questions:

The front rim is also thoroughly worn, it's just that the back rim split through first - both wheel need replacing.

Regarding getting a n+1 bike, that's unfortunately not something I can do due to storage space, hence why I have to have one bike that fulfil the requirements of both the daily commute plus my longer distance weekend rides.

Overall, my primary reason for my post was see who else has experienced a similar problem and how they solved it, in similar usage/conditions to myself. The internet is full of official reviews and manufacturor blurb, but it's pedals on the pavement that tell you how these things really perform in the real world. There is no single solution and everyone has their own preference, but I thought it worth posting the question in case someone had found a wheel that was harder wearing than the Elite's but still 'competitive' in terms of performance. However, from what I've seen, that appears to not exist.

In summary, it seems that everyone 1) either washes their wheels more regularly that I do (with even a quick wipe being better than nothing - good advice), 2) uses cheaper harder wearing commuter-suitable wheels (saving their 'good wheels' saved for better weather) or 3) has a dedicated commuter bike.

Hence all advice points back to the only real option that I have which is to use my CXP22's (already in my garage and paid for!) and keep the good wheels for competitive rides / good weather only.

It's a real pity that the cost of repairing a set of Mavic's is almost the same cost as purchasing a new wheel (based on my calls to Mavic), hence I must now throw out an entire wheel despite the hubs still being perfectly fine. Because of their 'unique' hub+spoke system, I can't see any wheel builder being able to recycle my hubs into a different rim.

pkripper - thanks, I'll definiately look into a set of kinlin's - I'd not heard of them before. Having a wheelset where you can replace the rim when it's worn whilst retaining the unworn hubs is exactly the sort of longer-term solution that my wallet needs.

antonyfromoz

My brother in denmark had the same issues with rims wearing out on the sandy, salted roads over winter. His solution was to get a cross bike with discs (he went the titanium route but other options are open). I know you have said the second bike option is not for you due to space requirements but if you are going to be doing more commuting than other riding maybe it is worth changing to a bike with discs over the long term. You will always be able to put some light tyres on for summer riding and discs are much easier to replace than rims...

smidsy

What can I say....no, I must resist..must resist....aaaarrrrgghhhh....

ugo.santalucia

smidsy wrote:

What can I say....no, I must resist..must resist....aaaarrrrgghhhh....

C'mon say it...

The easiest and most common rim to find as replacement is Mavic Open PRO... the OP should get a set of wheels built on Open PRO... or something even cheaper... Ambrosio Evolution, Rigida Chrina or even the previously mentioned Kinlin

ride_whenever

Probably cheaper still would be a fixed gear bike. Then just brake with your legs and save rim wear, that's how I keep rims going through the winter.

smidsy

Chuck the Elites in the bin and buy some proper hand built wheels :-)

ugo.santalucia

ride_whenever wrote:

Probably cheaper still would be a fixed gear bike. Then just brake with your legs and save rim wear, that's how I keep rims going through the winter.

Disc front, fixed rear, it is the way to go for anyone who is fast enough to get out of the blocks before Bolt crosses the finish line....

mallorcajeff

I ride my bike to and from with full carbon wheels. Why does it seem a big issue what wheels people use and when? When they wear I buy another set. I cannot understand why people buy good equipment then use it once is blue moon. Buy it use it and enjoy it. If I bought a fast car I would use it all the time not leave it in the garage? I don't want to though as I hate driving now so cars have no interest for me. Just don't get by people say buy cheap stuff and ride with that. If you got nice stuff use it.

Wirral_paul

mallorcajeff wrote:

If I bought a fast car I would use it all the time not leave it in the garage? I don't want to though as I hate driving now so cars have no interest for me. Just don't get by people say buy cheap stuff and ride with that. If you got nice stuff use it.

Does the same go for fast girlfriends? Use it all the time and when it wears out, buy another one??

buckmulligan

You have my sympathy, there's something about the London roads that just destroys bikes. Between the several cycling commuters at work I've seen nearly every problem going, worn rims, knackered shifters, pointy chainrings, shredded tyres, bottom brackets lasting 2 months, chains and cassettes even less etc etc.

I don't know if it's the ubiquitously bad surfaces or the harsh stop-start riding style required, but using expensive parts is both pointless and expensive. Stick the CXP22s back on and enjoy the boost when you go back to the Ksyriums.

As for getting new rims and getting them rebuilt, probably a very difficult exercise, but you might stand a chance with them being so popular.

ugo.santalucia

BuckMulligan wrote:

You have my sympathy, there's something about the London roads that just destroys bikes. Between the several cycling commuters at work I've seen nearly every problem going, worn rims, knackered shifters, pointy chainrings, shredded tyres, bottom brackets lasting 2 months, chains and cassettes even less etc etc.

I don't know if it's the ubiquitously bad surfaces or the harsh stop-start riding style required, but using expensive parts is both pointless and expensive. Stick the CXP22s back on and enjoy the boost when you go back to the Ksyriums.

As for getting new rims and getting them rebuilt, probably a very difficult exercise, but you might stand a chance with them being so popular.

Nothing to do with London... Components of the last decade have gone down in quality dramatically... Manufacturers try to make the price point whilst trying to turn a profit... The result is a load of crap...
I know this is a can of worms, but in Campagnolo range, Super Record 2013 in terms of quality is probably worse than Veloce 2003.
This of course applies to Shimano, Mavic... Everyone, really

rolf_f

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Nothing to do with London... Components of the last decade have gone down in quality dramatically... Manufacturers try to make the price point whilst trying to turn a profit... The result is a load of crap...
I know this is a can of worms, but in Campagnolo range, Super Record 2013 in terms of quality is probably worse than Veloce 2003.

I've not seen any mech made today that looks anywhere near as well built as the 1980 Suntour Cyclone mechs on my Raleigh. And they are light. There's a lesson there that nobody seems to want to learn. The electronic groupsets will drag the quality down still further.

mallorcajeff wrote:

I ride my bike to and from with full carbon wheels. Why does it seem a big issue what wheels people use and when? When they wear I buy another set. I cannot understand why people buy good equipment then use it once is blue moon. Buy it use it and enjoy it. If I bought a fast car I would use it all the time not leave it in the garage? I don't want to though as I hate driving now so cars have no interest for me. Just don't get by people say buy cheap stuff and ride with that. If you got nice stuff use it.

Using things on special occasions makes the experience more enjoyable. What you use all the time just ends up becoming mundane. And there is also the factor that we don't all live in as favourable climate as Mallorca has. If the roads are usually dry, then wear and tear is minimal.