Open Pros: Who's riding them & how do you like em?

[William]

Just wondering. I found a special build deal with DA hubs. Of all the wheels I've had, it seems that the rims that held up the best for me were...

Campy Omega V's & Mavic 04CD's.....neither of which is made anymore (as far as I know). I'm told that the Open Pros are pretty stout. Who has them and how are they treating you?


Thanks,
William

[regularguy412]

I've had a pair I've been using for three years. Since I don't use them exclusively, I'll estimate they have about 8K miles on them. They're great wheels -- built on Ultegra hubs with 14/15 DT Swiss spokes 3x all around. I've never had to touch'em with a spoke wrench to re-true. I'm about 165 lbs and can sprint 'OK'. I'm also pretty easy on equipment.

I'd say, you'd probably be pleased.

Mike in AR:beer:

[abqhudson]

My everyday wheels are Open Pro/Campy Record. They have been great to me.

[markie]

I used them on a 29er MTB for a while without problems. I got about 10,000 miles on a ceramic coated pair on a fixie before a car took them to a premature dump.

So I say, solid.

[jlwdm]

I am riding them on my CSI. Great wheels unless you are a weight weenie.

Talked to a weight weenie friend in AZ yesterday - not small guy and has his bike down to 13.8 lbs. Not using open pros!

Jeff

[Dekonick]

32 3 cross to Record hubs. Nice.

[caleb]

Oops, double post.

[caleb]

32 3 cross to Record hubs. Nice.

Me too. 6000 miles or so and I still love them. I think they roll more smoothly than higher profile rims (i.e. Mavic CXP 33, Velocity Deep V), and still seem to be very durable.

DT rims are easier for some shops to get, but I don't think they're any nicer.

[RPS]

I’ve been riding them with Shimano hubs almost exclusively for the last four or five years and have never touched them except for an accident where a friend put his front QR through most of my rear drive-side spokes breaking most of them. The rim itself got bent just enough so that it couldn’t be rebuilt and trued 100% with correct spoke tension, but I did it anyway as a test and rode it for another year without any additional mechanical problems. I finally got tired of the wheel making noise (due to under-tensioned spoke) and replaced the rim with another OP. However, I can't blame that problem on the OP rims.

Other than that accident they have been 100% trouble free. OTOH at +/- 150 pounds I’m not that heavy, plus I ride light.

[Spinner]

... and have no bad experiences; they are bombproof and i weigh 200. two pairs were ordered from colorado cyclist and they are as true today as when they were new with one set having 20,000+ miles of experience.

[Wiley J]

To those who have purchased Open Pros recently, has Mavic solved the clicking problem?

[flydhest]

I think they are good and can be built very sturdily, but they are not, necessarily, bombproof. I've had some last a long time, but my weight goes between 180 and 225 (currently at 190 and hoping to stay there or lower). At the upper end of my range, I would not suggest that the 32 hole versions are bombproof if you have some crappy roads and tend to be hard on gear. Below 200, I don't think you'd have issues.

I hesitate with the above info, as it is based on two sets of wheels, but there it is.

[William]

Well, with my height/weight/power issue, I was thinking 36 H Open Pros. Can they handle the William-anator-anator? :)




William

[39cross]

Well, with my height/weight/power issue, I was thinking 36 H Open Pros. Can they handle the William-anator-anator? :)
Well, in that case I think you need to use one of the earlier versions, hard to find but I'm sure you can score one off of eBay.

[William]

Well, in that case I think you need to use one of the earlier versions, hard to find but I'm sure you can score one off of eBay.



Stiff yet compliant? :)



William

[vqdriver]

Well, in that case I think you need to use one of the earlier versions, hard to find but I'm sure you can score one off of eBay.

radial lacing? really? ;)

[tiretrax]

organic, too.

they work great for me and can handle the occasional pothole without breaking a spoke like my easton ea 90 slx's.

[rustychisel]

I built my fixed gear wheels with normal OPs, 36h 3 cross to Suntour Superbe hubs... beautiful, simple, true, no noise, tough as nails. Haven't touched them since I built them (2 years)

[39cross]

radial lacing? really? ;)Shimano doesn't recommend it, but with these spokes you can lace them like shoes and it won't matter.

Stiff - hell yes! Compliant....sorry William!

[gman]

To those who have purchased Open Pros recently, has Mavic solved the clicking problem?

I had two sets that developed this issue and it got worse over time.

I switched to DT 1.1 rims and love them. They build up nicely and easily. No clicking - nothing but silence (except my labored panting).

[FL_MarkD]

I have two pairs, one about 11 years old and one pair new this year (Ultegra hubs, DT spokes). At 180 pounds and riding some rough roads I have not had any problems.

The 'clicking noise' is not a problem on the new set. The old set had the clicking when I first rode them last year. The bike was a 'garage hanger' for a long time and I bought it used, fixed it up and rode it. There was a clicking in the OP rims. I removed tires, tubes, rim tape. Hung the rim over the corner of a bench between the spokes for a firm backing, then used a nail punch to punch on the two 'dimples' that help form the joint in the rim. Never heard a click from them since (3500+ miles). Others reported that it fixed it for them too, but it appears to be primarily a problem on the older rims.

For a regular ride wheel they seem great. I don't/won't race so I don't need $750-1200 wheels. There a many good wheelbuilders out there with good deals on OPs with Ultegra hubs, just do a search.

Mark

[tylercheung]

Stiff yet compliant? :)



William

plus speed demons downhill!

[bpatterson]

The mavics are durable but you pay in wieght mine don't spin as fast as the orions which have held up to everything imaginable and I cant compare them to my reynolds MV32T ul's

[WadePatton]

I've had a pair I've been using for three years. Since I don't use them exclusively, I'll estimate they have about 8K miles on them. They're great wheels -- built on Ultegra hubs with 14/15 DT Swiss spokes 3x all around. I've never had to touch'em with a spoke wrench to re-true. I'm about 165 lbs and can sprint 'OK'. I'm also pretty easy on equipment.

I'd say, you'd probably be pleased.

Mike in AR:beer:
that's pretty much my deal-same build, more years, less miles. NEVER had a problem (never trued). and 155# this last year--heavier before. and/but i'm more climber than sprinter.

MOF am about to mate some used ck hubs to new o/p rims with wheelsmith db14's 32, 3x.

i like to ride and not diddle with wheels.

wp

the only other rim i'd currently consider is something from downunder-aeroheads most likely...

oh, but i should add that i ride rough paving 1/3 of the time and bunny hop and ride wheelies... :banana:

[riceburner]

solid for road, could be even for cross.

[MilanoTom]

To those who have purchased Open Pros recently, has Mavic solved the clicking problem?

I've had a set for a few years (3x with silver record hubs & DT spokes). They clicked a little when I first got them, but it eventually went away. I've been very pleased with them.

Regards,
Tom

[dschlichting]

OP Ceramics on 3 bikes all with Campy hubs, oldest build from 1995. No cracks . . . yet.
2 of the rims have had clicking / creaking / squeaking issues. Seems to have been cured by a drop of PW Tenacious Oil on the nipple/eyelet/rim area.

[Louis]

FWIW the OP's on my DeRosa have never clicked.

[Ken Robb]

I have them on Record, DA, and Ultegra hubs with zero problems and no re-truing. I'm 200 lbs. nekkid.

[Spinner]

...we rode together in a tdfl event. i rode my orange rambouillet and dbrk's black kirk terraplane. isn't this cool, we met via the web?

i've ridden multi-speeds since 1972. early s.hit was heavy and difficult to adjust.

opees are indeed bombproof. mine are 32 x 3s. i also dig phil bbs. i prefer to maximize function and minimize maintenance. my sleds are very clean.

[maunahaole]

Willy - are we talking about an everyday build or just sometimes? For everyday training wheels (and this is taking into account your size and some occassional crap roads), I would say that they are on the light side, even at 36h, but just - I wouldnt go bashing them through potholes and consider a true and tension if you honk on them hard a few times. I weigh more than you do, probably put out less watts, and have a set in 32 (I got them cheap) and I have broken a spoke after a pretty hard uphill effort. it trued back up nicely. If you are set on open pros, 36 in back for sure, but you can get away with a 32 in front. You may want to go heavier i.e. a DT1.2 in a 32, but that's a much heavier rim. The one thing I like about the open pro is that on either bike I have, they give a nice ride and handle well.

[Jeff N.]

The Open Pro is essentially an evolved Open 4CD. In my opinion, it is the very finest rim available for (nearly) all purpose riding. Any clicking problems I have ever encountered go away immediately with a little Triflow sprayed lightly in the eyelets. I've had 32h Open Pros built 3x onto Record, Dura Ace and Chris King hubs over the years with outstanding, trouble-free service, and I'm a card-carryin' Clydesdale. They're simply unbeatable, IMO. Ditto CXP-33's, but I have a preference for the OP profile. Jeff N.

[zray67]

I'm a 6'3", 240# and I use the open pro in 32/36 configuration. I swear by them. I always use a 36hole in the rear. On my fixies I use Velocity rims. But I think i have been very fortunate in finding a very competent wheel maker.

[97CSI]

32 3 cross to Record hubs. Nice.+1. About as good as it gets. 28 on the front.

[soulspinner]

Got OPs from 2003 and just fine with chorus hubs. Held up better than my DT rims with and without eyelets. Irony is that the DTs are heavier than OPs with eyelets and still havent held up as well.

[soulspinner]

+1. About as good as it gets. 28 on the front.


Dont think Campy makes a 28 hole Record hub anymore...

[Ken Robb]

The Open Pro is essentially an evolved Open 4CD. In my opinion, it is the very finest rim available for (nearly) all purpose riding. Any clicking problems I have ever encountered go away immediately with a little Triflow sprayed lightly in the eyelets. I've had 32h Open Pros built 3x onto Record, Dura Ace and Chris King hubs over the years with outstanding, trouble-free service, and I'm a card-carryin' Clydesdale. They're simply unbeatable, IMO. Ditto CXP-33's, but I have a preference for the OP profile. Jeff N.

and one of my Record/OP sets came from Jeff--they are still perfect.

[mister]

got an open pro on the rear of my commuter, 32h record 10 hub.
it's ok. it'll get knocked out of true every so often but it's usually pretty easy to get back to rolling nice. i'm about 190lbs right now and then i put a pannier on the rear rack too.

i had a set that were laced to some track hubs, that build was much stronger.

when this rear rim wears out i'm putting an excellight in it place. i've love to find a 36h rear campy hub but that's a long shot.

[Jeff N.]

and one of my Record/OP sets came from Jeff--they are still perfect.Wondeful! Case'n'point. Jeff N.

[TmcDet]

William,

I have a set of 32 H Open Pros (Campy 10 speed) that I love the ride of but have not been that impressed with the durability of. The front has been great never needing anything done to it but the back has not held up good at all. I get maybe 5,000 before it needs to be retrued and then maybe 7,000 max before the rim itself has to be replaced (stress cracks and/or eyelets pulling out). The rim has been replaced twice now and needs to be replaced again. No rim that I have tried has been able to hold up for me but a Velocity Arrowhead has held up better than any others, the ride of the Velocity is not as good as the open pro though. I would be interested in seeing how the 36 H would hold up in the OP's.

Kenneth

Well, with my height/weight/power issue, I was thinking 36 H Open Pros. Can they handle the William-anator-anator? :)




William