Mavic Open Pro CD finish

[bigman]

Anyone have any experience with these rims? Pros? Cons?

Thanks

[maunahaole]

I have not ridden CD finish in an Open Pro, but have in other older rims. Personally, I do not think it is worth the extra money. It doesnt add any strength to the finished wheel. One of the fairly credible pages out there (which one it is is escaping me right now) states that the CD finish can help start stress risers and facilitates cracking. It is much more slippery on the brake track at first until you get it worn off and let the pads work on the metal.

[thwart]

They look trés cool... but brake pads wear off the CD coating and they look less cool.

Especially if you ride in the rain and a little bit of grit gets under the pads...

[tmessenger]

I've been riding a pair for about 6 years and they still look good and only a little of the coating has worn off of rear, no issues with braking for me but I'm in Iowa so no mountains to go down.

Tim

[JonB]

As others said, the CD finish will wear off over the nipples so there's a patterned look to a used set. The world can see how much they've been used due to this. Some may like the look, like good worn in handlebar tape, but if you're the type that likes a clean, always new looking bicycle, look elsewhere.

[WeakRider]

They are the best looking rims on the market, but, as others have mentioned, the finish on the braking surface does wear down. Personally, I use them on my track bike. It doesn't have a rear brake, and I rarely use my front one.

[th_boone]

Love/hate for me. They are the best looking rims, period.

However, last year, I took my girlfriend on ONE particular ride on her wheels, with new brake pads, in the mountains, in the rain. Cleaning the bikes after the ride, I was wiping the rim's braking surface to silver in spots. I remember saying to myself, "is his happening?!" Now both wheels have a muttled look.

It has not gotten any worse, but still confuses me to this day how it just removed in a one ride...

[oldpotatoe]

Anyone have any experience with these rims? Pros? Cons?

Thanks

They are hard anodized, then the eyelet is installed, creating micro cracks which can lead to early eyelet pull thru. PLUS they are more expensive.

Con....

[bigman]

thanks for the info - they do look great from the photos I have seen , I know the old brown anodizing wears off, was hoping the new silver CD was more durable, anyone using this version currently?

[kong79]

I'm old enough to remember when any quality rim came hard anodized. Only the low end rims weren't. I'm still riding on a set of 25+ year old Matrix rims (Treks old house brand) that are hard anodized and still look great and have had 0 issues. I personnally cringe at painted rims, they look cheap to me.

[PaulE]

No problems with spoke holes cracking on 3 pairs that I own,but the braking surface can wear in a strange pattern.Open Pro rim braking surface (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=67409)

[bigman]

Your pics look much different than what I was referring to. check out this link and you can zoom in as well.
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1076104_-1_400038_400002_400038
thanks

[JonB]

Bigman,
That's what the Open Pro CD's will look like after they've been ridden. That's the look folks are talking about...

[caleb]

If you want black brake tracks, get the Ceramic version. The coating will outlast the rim.

[11.4]

The cracking issue relates to rim wall thickness and to a lesser extent to the anodizing technique. The problem with wall thickness is that Mavic tries for thin walls to reduce weight but then has rather inconsistent wall thickness. If the walls get a little too thin, they are more susceptible to metal hardening from the hard anodizing process. This is why some people will have rims with problems, others won't. It's also exacerbated at that point by poor quality control on the anodizing process.

There are anodized rims that have extremely durable finishes, like the Ambrosio Nemesis tubular rim. But frankly, the anodizing is purely cosmetic. Don't pick your rim for the anodized finish if you plan on riding them. And yes, riding in the rain wears the finish much faster.

[majl]

Bringing this one back from a year ago. Any users of these rims have photos of what they look like after worn in, particularly on the brake track? Couldn't seem to find any...

[djg21]

If you want black brake tracks, get the Ceramic version. The coating will outlast the rim.


I just learned last evening that Mavic is no longer making ceramic-coated rims. I've used them exclusively for years, because they perform much better in wet weather, and as you mention, have a much harder, and hence more durable braking surface that is especially suitable for bigger riders.

That being said, I've now had two of these rims crack around some of the nipples (I use 32h, 3x with brass nipples). While I'm big for a cyclist, and believe pavement to be optional, I'm pretty easy on wheels and have never had an issue with them going out of true.

I was told that Mavic had a problem with some of these rims built 3 years ago, and both of my broken rims were of this vintage. Mavic supposedly corrected the issue in subsequent years. But my wheelbuilder indicated that he could not get the rims any longer from Mavic, and suggested instead the HED Belgium C2 rims, which he swears ride nicer, are faster (the larger cross-section supposedlu allows the tire to remain rounder and reduces rolling resistance while allowing for lower tire pressures), and supposedly are more durable than the Open CDs.

In know some vendors still have an inventory of the Open CD ceramic rims. so if you decide to go this route, you may want to purchase the rims sooner rather than later.

[Grant McLean]

Any users of these rims have photos of what they look like after worn in, particularly on the brake track? Couldn't seem to find any...

The brake track area will wear in somewhat of a pattern due to spoke tension.
I think it's cool.

-g

[majl]

Grant - thanks for the photo.

[Mark McM]

The brake track area will wear in somewhat of a pattern due to spoke tension.

Actually, it's not spoke tension that causes sidewall bulges (and corresponding quicker brake track wear) - those bulges were already in the rim before the wheel was built.

These bulges are generally found in eyeletted rims. They are caused when the (flat) eyelets are crimpled onto the curved spoke bed, and the slight flattening of the rim spoke bed due to the crimping causes the sidewalls to bulge out slightly. If you examine an unbuilt eyeletted rim, you'll find that these bulges are already there.

If you think about it, the spoke tension (which is trying to pull the eyelet and surrounding spoke bed away from the rim) would actually be trying to suck the sidewalls inward around the spokes, not outward.