PDXaero

My new mecacycle turbo is coming together well but having only lived though half of the 80s I'm having some trouble making my build somewhat sensible for the early 80s.

Frame: Super Vitus 980 Mecacycle Turbo
Fork: Super Vitus 980
Headset: Stronglight (maybe A9, maybe Delta)
Crankset: Stronglight (maybe BIS, maybe Delta)
FD: Huret Jubilee
RD: Huret Jubilee
Shifters: simplex retrofriction
Brakes: CLB omega (maybe, haven't decided)
Bars: Atax Guidons Phillipe
Stem: Atax pearl finish

That leaves me with the wheels, I am considering
a) Roval wheelset
b) Rigida dp-18 to Sachs hubs
c) Mavic hubs, Mavic rims
d) other? maybe Hi-e or helicomatics

The bike has no specific purpose other than to look good and serve me for maybe 200 clean and warm miles per year.
With the super short wheelbase I would consider doing superlight wheels to make it a mountain climber but deeper section rims would show off the seat tube interface better.

Guide me, Oh C/V retrogrouches.

bikemig 

I'm a big fan of mavic parts so I'd vote (c). If you don't have all the parts yet, I'd look for mavic parts for this build. I really like the stronglight A9 headset as well. This will be a fun build.

ThermionicScott 

If the bike just has to look pretty, I've got some wheels off a late-1980s Peugeot with chrome steel Rigida rims that you can have for the price of shipping.

balindamood

Mavic 500's laced to Rigida's.

Chombi

Rovals would be real nice.... but looking for replacements for the proprietray spokes could become a bigger and bigger issue as years go by.... It would still be my first choice though, especially for a very special, unique French frame like a Mecacycle Turbo... (Dang!, I've been always wanting to find one of those!)
Otherwise you could build up some real nice aero wheels using Wolber Profil 18 or 20 rims (Mavic GEL280s if you want to go weenie) with the hubs of your choice (I'd certainly go more upmarket French than Helicomatics for a frame like that, maybe 500 series Mavics, Pelissier 2000s or Stronglight Delta??), and oval section or bladed spokes.

PDXaero

I agree wholeheartedly, which is why I have a full mavic track bike and a full mavic road bike.
I seriously considered building my 5th set of Mavic hubs to be a cop-out

Ohhh, forgot about wolber rims, profil 20s can be had pretty cheap too. Pelissier 2000s would be great but almost as expensive as stronglight deltas.

Chombi

BTW PDXaero, don't those frames use a special Huret FD with a French style braze-on mount? Do you have one already for the frame? asking because I think that could be the hardest thing to find for the build. as the French did not really come up with a standard for the threaded boss location on the seat tube. I know Mavic and Simplex French FD brazed on mounts do not interchange. Bosses for the Mavics are a bit lower on the seat tube than the ones for Simplex.... I've seen the bosses on the Mecacycle frames and it seem to be different location-wise to both what I've seen would work for Mavic and Simplex FDs.

PDXaero

I have the huret FD, thats why i went with the jubilee rear.
Now the 26.6 quill seatpost on the other hand... I have a hack in place that works but il n'est francias pas

Chombi

Quill seatpost? I guess I kinda remember that the Mecacycle Turbo might not have a seatpost clamp.
I guess the default would be an Atax quill post as used by Peugeot in the mid 80's. I think the early Peugeot Triathlons with SV980 tubing might have used them and might have been the same 26.6mm size you are looking for. Rubis, another French maker did make some quill posts, but I think I've only seen those in 25 and 23mm sizes for Vitus framesets, and they tend to be quite expensive if you can even find them. If you can't find one, you might consider just making a quill post out of a "normal" one.

scozim 

I'd go tubular - great combo with the SV tubing. Mavic GL330's or Wolber Aspins - I've got them both and they're solid wheels.

dddd

I would play opportunist here and go with whatever I had, or came across cheap.

Are you needing 700c, or will 27's work?

Beware of French threading and brittle spokes.

Just my $.02

Chombi

I have both too. The Aspins are very similar in weight to GL330s, so the resulting wheels should also ride very similarly....

miamijim

B or C

Mavic 500's are very nice hubs. Maybe 500's laced to Mavic MA40's or G4's?