New rims or new wheels?!

huggy
huggy Posts: 242
edited July 2011 in Road buying advice
I have a pair of Mavic Ksyrium SSC SLs, lovely wheels but sadly the rims have gone a bit concave and I think they won't hold out much longer. (Although correct me if I'm wrong, not sure how long rims last in that state?)

Anyone have any experience of getting new Mavic rims in and built up? From forum reading it sounds quite hard and costly. Would any other Mavic rims work with the current spokes and hubs?
If that avenue doesn't work I'll have to get some more wheels, on a budget of about £400 max., so a hard push to find some that match the SLs!

Any advice would be gladly received! Bit of a panic knowing how to sort it as otherwise I won't have a bike to ride if the rims really do go.

Cheers

EDIT: Forgot to say I very recently got brand new bearings in so they roll too nicely to give up... :(

Comments

  • balthazar
    balthazar Posts: 1,565
    edited July 2011
    I can't help I'm afraid, but I'd assume that a replacement rim is easily available at a sensible price for a good expensive wheel with a sacrificial brake track... especially one sold by a manufacturer who specialises in rims.

    If not, then it's like being laughed at.

    These are popular wheels. It must be an absolutely standard request. Can your LBS not help?
  • huggy
    huggy Posts: 242
    Yeah gonna get on to a few bike shops for quotes in the morning. FIngers crossed something works out!
  • cubicboy
    cubicboy Posts: 117
    I went to two LBSs recently to get a price on re-rimming my Ksyrium SL Anniversary wheels. The price... a whopping £170 per wheel. Ouch.
    I have bought a new pair and will eBay the older ones (when I get round to it).
  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    If you were me you would just use them till they failed !!!

    I actually had that happen on a fairly old Mavic mtb wheel, not much fun as I was miles from anywhere in the middle of nowhere. Ended up riding the bare rim home with no tyre!

    I had about six miles warning before the rim failed, it bulged out quite a bit and I had to slacken the brake off all the way to let the wheel turn. With hindsight I should also have let some air out of the tyre to reduce the force against the rim.

    My LBS rebuilt the wheel for 40 quid plus 20 for a new Mavic rim. So it all depends how good a deal you can get on rims, might not hurt to contact Mavic direct.
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