banerjek

Is there such a thing?

I get two years max out of a set of rims before they're so trashed they have to be pitched. The slop weather is the culprit because the rims on the wheels I don't ride in slop seem to last forever. I don't ride my brakes, but I need to use them a lot -- I work on a steep 1000' hill and the cars like to go slowly.

Elvo

banerjek

If I were building a bike now, that's how I'd do it. But I'm trying to figure out how to work with what I have.

Carbonfiberboy 

Long ago, Mavic made an OpenPro with a ceramic track coating. Those last practically forever. NOS? But I doubt it. They're treasured. Otherwise, just get quick at replacing rims. Doesn't take that long or cost that much for something you'd replace as a consumable. I stagger mine so I replace one rim/year. I use the same spokes, maybe a few new nipples.

dtrain

Some H Plus Son Archetypes come in a 'Hard Ano' brake track finish...I think that's a similar idea as the ol' Open Pro CD (which they still make). The OP Ceramic was a whole other level of coating.

H Plus Son Archetype Hard Anodized Road Rims
Mavic Open Pro CD

TrojanHorse

I had some of those - they were supposed to enhance wet weather braking but I'm not sure they actually lasted any longer.

PepeM

Like these ones?

adrien

I've found Ambrosias to be very hard wearing. I have a set with over 10,000 miles that show zero signs of wear. Compared to a set of Velocities, which failed at 14,000 miles.

redlude97

are you using koolstop salmons already? I find the soft compound helps extend the life of aluminum rims

Carbonfiberboy 

You may have had the OpenPro CD which was not the Ceramic. The Ceramic lasts almost forever. I still have a pair in perfect condition after several seasons of wet weather use. The Ceramic rims needed a special green shoe or you'd go through half a pad in one ride. After a while the ceramic lost its initial sharpness and pad wear went way down.

Mavic has a new thing, the Exalith:
Exalith 2 | Mavic - United States
Don't know anyone who's running them, but worth a google. They also need special shoes. There was a fellow in England doing some specialty ceramic touring rims, but I don't think they worked out.

Carbonfiberboy 

Interesting. Wish they also offered rims with multiple drillings. Getting the ceramic to bond securely to the alloy can be an issue, time will tell.

joejack951

No need to build a whole new bike to get a disc brake where it counts. Swap your fork for a disc brake version and pick the right mechanical disc brake package to work with your current levers. And of course get a front wheel with a disc hub. I had a similar issue with rim wear due to several areas on my commute with stops signs at the bottom of steep hills. I brake almost exclusively with my front disc now so rim wear is totally a thing of past, on that bike at least.

dtrain

^ I did that with my hard tail MTB. Older frame with no tabs - but the fork had them - so I upgraded just the front to disc.

joejack951

I did the front only disc brake thing on my short-lived Gunnar Crosshairs and then on my Pedal Force CX1 which has been my main bike for the past six years. Saves a bit of weight and makes rear rack installation easier, too. Really opens up your frame choices.

TrojanHorse

I think you're right, come to think of it.

I still have it at home in the shed somewhere...

bengreen79

Another vote for front disc upgrade...very happy with the one I did on my mountain bike which I use for trails and sloppy weather commuting. That bike had cantilevers so I used a road mechanical BB7.

colnago62

I just had some Open 4CD rims used in a build this summer. There still might be some laying around out there.

Elvo

Since you're going to be spending $500+ on a new wheelset, might as well get a disc brake fork:

Nashbar Carbon Cyclocross Fork

RPK79

Personally I would just go cheap with something like Vuelta Corsa Pro for a hundred and change and just consider them consumables.

joejack951

At over 2000 grams for the pair and only 20F/24R spokes, no thanks. My commuting wheelset cost a bit more, but with 32F/32R spokes and a disc front hub, they still weigh in at under 1500 grams.

banerjek

I've been using these for years. For wet weather, they're a must and they seem to work better in dry than the black compound.

I've toyed with the idea of getting a front disc as that would obviously be easy and not particularly expensive. The main thing holding me back there is that my workhorse is custom and I purposely had it built so clearances would be very tight. This means finding a fork that could take a disc and not look funny on this particular bike is a bit tricky.

dtrain

You're in the Portland area, right? I'd say grab these and run 'em into the ground:
https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/bop/5298817172.html

joejack951

Which clearances are tight? I assume you mean tire/fender clearance? What size tires and which fenders are you using now? My Winwood fork (very similar to the Nashbar carbon cyclocross fork, aside from the carbon steerer) looks pretty clean with SKS P35 fenders and 28mm Continental tires.

RPK79

I guess I wouldn't be overly concerned about weight for foul weather commuting. /shrug

joejack951

1800-2000 grams and 32F/32R spokes would be fine by me (like the good ol' standby of Open Pro rims and Ultegra hubs with 2/1.8/2 spokes). But low spoke count and heavy? No thanks.