Author Topic: Mavic ceramic rims are discontinued (Read 16616 times)

GruB · « **on:** 10 August, 2011, 09:29:55 am »

I have monitored rim wear on my Etape and during the winter I really chew into the aluminium braking surface. I use good quality pads and don't brake excessively - but what causes this is the roads I use. There is a high concentration of grit and sand from the rural land around me and this increases the sand paper effect - I believe.

So I made the decision to replace my existing rim when worn with a ceramic one - believing them to be more sturdy = better value for money.

I am not up to building my own wheels yet ( when I am retired maybe ) so I asked the LBS to source me a Mavic Open Pro ceramic rim.
He reported back yesterday that they are no longer available. They do however do a CD coating on a Mavic Open Pro rim that is ceramic. They are much cheaper than the traditional ceramic rim and also much better wearing than a normal aluminium braking surface. You also can use normal brake pads.

Does anyone have the CD coated Mavic Open Pro on their bike?

tiermat · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 August, 2011, 09:37:20 am »

From the conditions you are describing you would probably, I believe, be better off with TC coated rims rather than ceramic.

Although it is 12 years ago this happened, I think it is still relevent to recount.

I used to race XC, which involved me doing rediculous amounts of training every week.

This training took me through areas where the path under wheel was mainly sand and grit. Drivetrains wore out in double quick time and wheel rims didn't fair much better. So I ordered a set of Mavic ceramic rims (built onto Pace sus hub front and XT hub rear). Took me 6 months to wear through them, at which point the LBs took them back and replaced the rims with Sun-Ringle TCC rims. As far as I know those rims are still going strong.

Chris N · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 August, 2011, 09:41:12 am »

CD isn't ceramic, it's hard anodising (Couche Dure, or Hard Layer). Not used them, but it will be somewhere in between the hardness of a normal rim and a ceramic rim. Probably closer to a normal rim - and maybe worth the extra fiver.

If you want the ceramic rims CRC, Wiggle and SJS have all got them in stock.

Greenbank · « **Reply #3 on:** 10 August, 2011, 09:50:31 am »

My PowerTap wheel is built into a Mavic Open Pro CD. As chris n says, it's anodised not ceramic. Uses normal brake pads.

Not noticed anything different, and the wheel has only done ~2000km or so so nowhere near where I'd start noticing any wear anyway.

tatanab · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 August, 2011, 10:04:11 am »

In the late 80s I had some CD rims. I took them off after a week because I found that in the rain braking was dire. I imagine that once the sidewall coating started to wear then things would have improved but on a machine for daily use I could not wait to find out.

Rhys W · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 August, 2011, 11:00:20 am »

Quote from: chris n on 10 August, 2011, 09:41:12 am

CD isn't ceramic, it's hard anodising (Couche Dure, or Hard Layer). Not used them, but it will be somewhere in between the hardness of a normal rim and a ceramic rim. Probably closer to a normal rim - and maybe worth the extra fiver.

It won't make any difference to wear - the anodising is machined off the braking surface anyway!

Early anodised rims didn't have this machining, so there was a few weeks where your brakes were slow and grabby while the anodising wore off.

border-rider · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 August, 2011, 11:06:01 am »

I had some Open4 CDs that last years & years. Way longer than a standard rim. They had anodised braking surfaces & I never had an issue with the braking. If the braking surfaces weren't hard-anodised then they'd be a bit pointless...

I like the ceramics, myself. They easily last 4-5 times longer than standard OPs

Chris N · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 August, 2011, 11:09:02 am »

The normal anodising layer is removed by what Mavic call their UB process:

The CD layer isn't:

Rhys W · « **Reply #8 on:** 10 August, 2011, 12:34:50 pm »

I didn't know that Mavic made Open Pros with the anodising still intact on the braking surfaces - interesting...

Biggsy · « **Reply #9 on:** 10 August, 2011, 12:38:35 pm »

Quote from: Rhys W on 10 August, 2011, 12:34:50 pm

I didn't know that Mavic made Open Pros with the anodising still intact on the braking surfaces - interesting...

But only with hard rather than soft anodising.

iakobski · « **Reply #10 on:** 10 August, 2011, 12:40:00 pm »

Quote from: Grub on 10 August, 2011, 09:29:55 am

Does anyone have the CD coated Mavic Open Pro on their bike?

I had one on the front. I can't comment on how long the braking surface might have lasted as I pringled it on a Welsh mountain last year, but by the time it had happened I'd completely worn through the CD layer (and some) having done exactly 9,500 km of mainly winter riding. I don't generally get through rims especially fast.

The wall thickness when NEW was very thin at 1.1 mm. I don't know if this had anything to do with its premature failure, but I'd say if you are wearing out your current rims, DON'T go for one of these, look at something a bit sturdier/thicker.

hatler · « **Reply #11 on:** 10 August, 2011, 01:02:20 pm »

Is there anyone else who makes ceramic rims ?

Tewdric · « **Reply #12 on:** 10 August, 2011, 01:23:03 pm »

LBSs occasionally say things are no longer available if they can't be arsed to chase backorders for a period of time - out of stock at the importer is a more likely scenario.

dasmoth · « **Reply #13 on:** 10 August, 2011, 01:27:17 pm »

Quote from: hatler on 10 August, 2011, 01:02:20 pm

Is there anyone else who makes ceramic rims ?

DT Swiss make some. Maybe only 26" sizes though (their website isn't cooperating for me right now).

Tewdric · « **Reply #14 on:** 10 August, 2011, 01:33:16 pm »

Quote from: dasmoth on 10 August, 2011, 01:27:17 pm

Quote from: hatler on 10 August, 2011, 01:02:20 pm
Is there anyone else who makes ceramic rims ?

DT Swiss make some. Maybe only 26" sizes though (their website isn't cooperating for me right now).

I think you're right but a 29er might be on the way. No equivalent to the Open Pro AFAIAA.

PaulF · « **Reply #15 on:** 10 August, 2011, 01:59:15 pm »

Quote from: Tewdric on 10 August, 2011, 01:23:03 pm

LBSs occasionally say things are no longer available if they can't be arsed to chase backorders for a period of time - out of stock at the importer is a more likely scenario.

Mine told me that when I was after a Mavic TN719, there's still a "Ceramic 2" option here is that the same thing?

Tewdric · « **Reply #16 on:** 10 August, 2011, 02:42:08 pm »

Quote from: PaulF on 10 August, 2011, 01:59:15 pm

Quote from: Tewdric on 10 August, 2011, 01:23:03 pm
LBSs occasionally say things are no longer available if they can't be arsed to chase backorders for a period of time - out of stock at the importer is a more likely scenario.

Mine told me that when I was after a Mavic TN719, there's still a "Ceramic 2" option here is that the same thing?

Looks like it, yes.

GruB · « **Reply #17 on:** 10 August, 2011, 07:10:41 pm »

Thanks all. I am committed to the purchase now as the LBS has sourced me one. We get on well so I trust him and will buy it and see how I get on and then report back, after it has worn out

andrew_s · « **Reply #18 on:** 10 August, 2011, 08:46:37 pm »

Open Pro ceramic are available from Chainreaction
Hard anodized CD rims are reputedly more prone to cracking round the spoke holes than plain silver, as well as the poorer braking for the first month or two until the coating wears off the braking surface.

hatler · « **Reply #19 on:** 10 August, 2011, 10:39:11 pm »

Mavic Ceramic 2 also available at Wiggle.

vorsprung · « **Reply #20 on:** 08 September, 2011, 12:36:18 pm »

I want to rebuild the front wheel on my audax bike. It currently has a normal 32h Open Pro.

Is it worth spending out 80 quid for a "Ceramic" Open Pro from chainreaction?

If I use appropriate brake blocks will it do approx double the mileage? It's double the price

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=17147

thx

border-rider · « **Reply #21 on:** 08 September, 2011, 12:40:47 pm »

yes. I reckon about 4x the mileage, though after about 2x you may need to de-glaze the surface.

hatler · « **Reply #22 on:** 26 September, 2011, 02:28:27 am »

The other great benefit of ceramic rims is not getting your hands covered in black rim-alloy gunk when you come to handle the wheels.

vorsprung · « **Reply #23 on:** 26 September, 2011, 11:25:03 am »

I was too slow getting the rim from chainreaction

I am going to rebuild the wheel into a 17mm Exal LX17 instead. This has the same ERD as a Open Pro

hyperplanesdrifter · « **Reply #24 on:** 10 May, 2014, 12:56:40 pm »

I have been using the CD version of the Open Pro (second on the pic bellow)
with
original Campagnolo pads that came with brakes of the Athena 11 speed a few years ago when it was first introduced.

The ride I normally do is a straight up hill ~ 400 m. el. at 10% then down the same narrow asphalt path which due to bike or pedestrian traffic or wetness requires breaking most of the time.
Rims were doing great with no visible wear (say I was up there with this set up ~ 20 times).

Now I mounted the same rims on an old 26" deKerf (with MAVIC V-break adapters) and brand new soft break pads...
In one short ride, but with a number of hidden cross roads with traffic, on more or less flat road the hard anodized coating started to peel off... a layer of break pads' rubber was also left on the breaking surface.

The question I have - is there anybody that had good experience with these rims and V-brakes - and with which break pads?

thx

Quote from: chris n on 10 August, 2011, 11:09:02 am

The normal anodising layer is removed by what Mavic call their UB process:

The CD layer isn't:

Author Topic: Mavic ceramic rims are discontinued (Read 16616 times)

Chris N

border-rider

Chris N

iakobski

border-rider