First wheel build- Which used rim: Mavic or Alex?
 

I'm thinking about building a wheel around a dyno hub, using one of the rims from a donor 'set' from a friend.

Rim choices are Mavic A319 622x19 or AlexRims - label is faded but inside rim width is 18mm approximately.

i know next to nothing about wheels, but to my eye the Mavic rims look better.
Mavic A319
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5f0bdd2e9e.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3ca81f858c.jpg
AlexRims:
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...87a801931b.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b82cee3c91.jpg

I'd appreciate comments and input. Thanks.

I know it wuld be better to buy a new rim but this plan is for just a cheap experiment.
If it doesn't work out I can re-sell the dyno and chalk it up to experience.

It won’t make much difference. I’d probably use the Mavic over the Alex but either would do the job. My concern with the Mavic you’ve shown is that it appears to have holes in it. If they are just scrapes, it will probably be okay. If they holes are actual holes, go with the Alex.

Take a micrometer and measure the brake track thickness.

I'd probably disassemble both wheels and compare the bare rims for trueness.
The straighter the rim, the easier the build.

Two good replies! My initial preference is the Mavic rim. If nothing but due to the machined brake track. Andy

both rims are of good quality, but i think mr. stewart nailed it with the mavic machined sidewall. it really does make a difference

If you have access to a glass table top, you can lay the rims down on it to see how true they are.

And it has to be a glass table top because???

Glass table tops are either flat or shattered. Other materials can have imperfections or warpage, although granite/marble/etc. would probably be close enough... or a surface plate if you have one.

Yeah, all else being equal, build up the straightest one.

I've built wheels using both Mavic and Alex rims. My opinion is based on using new rims. The Mavic rims definitely were easier to build. After bringing the spokes up to equal tension, the Mavic rims were needed a lot less truing on the stand than the Alex rims.

Thanks.
I hadn't even noticed those marks in the label area. I just checked - one mark was just a wrinkle in the label and the other is a slight scuff in the rim with the label wrinkled up around it.
So I think it will be OK.
I think using the Mavic with the full eyelets might be easier for me as a rookie? No chance of dropping a nipple into the rim?

Thanks for all the replies.
I've ordered the hub and once I have that here, I'll do some measurements and order spokes and nipples.
I guess I can 'unbuild' the wheel(s) while I'm waiting.

Any recommendatins for a spoke supplier? (I'm in Canada so shipping can be an issue but a spoke supplier local to me is charging twice to three times the US prices I've seen...so I'm wide open to alternatives.)

An old trick is to just thread an old spoke into the nipple head from the head side several turns and use the spoke to feed the nipple into the hole.

I’ve only built 3 or 4 wheels, but getting ready to do a few more. It’s easier than you might think and can be very rewarding.

My advice is to take your time. Read through Sheldon Brown’s online instructions completely before getting started, and then have them ready to consult once you’re underway. If you can have a complete wheel to look at as you go, with the same spoke count and cross pattern as your new build, that helps.

i don’t have anything to offer that wasn’t already stated regarding your two rim choices.

Modern Bike has a good selection of spokes. Harris Cycles does too, and I like supporting them. Retrogression is my favorite source for fixed gear and single speed parts, and of course spokes don’t care how many gears you have, so this shop is another good source.

Though they they cost a little more, butted spokes are recommended, because they make a more durable wheel. If you use deeply butted spokes—like Sapim Laser (2.0 / 1.5 / 2.0)—you must be careful to not wind them up. I just twist 1/8 or 1/4 of a turn when truing and tensioning, and then back off again half that far each time.

If your first wheel is a front, that will give you an easy introduction, and then you can move to a rear next.

Although I prefer butted spokes, these are USED RIMS.

I would NOT use 1.5mm spoke on the DS. The DS tension is getting mighty close to the point that you can't add more tension. The spoke will just stretch & stretch and.....
Remember, this is a newbie assembling this wheel. A little "cushion" for mistakes is a good idea.
My typical choice is 14/15ga. DS and a thinner spoke on the NDS. 1.6-1.7mm in the "thin" section.

I find a rear wheel MUCH easier. You basically build the DS and just tension the NDS for proper dish.

Thanks for all the info; I appreciate it.
I've bought Musson's book, and it seems good. Well-written and clear.
https://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php

This wheel will be a front with disk brake hub, so some of the same asymmetry as a rear wheel. Looking forward to it! :)

For spokes and nipples you might want to take a look at BIKE24 from Germany. They have DT Swiss and Sapim available at reasonable prices.

All good pointers, for both the OP and me, also a newbie wheelsmith. I’ve used DT 2 / 1.8 / 2 in the past and got wheels that stayed true and strong. My next front will have the Sapim Lasers, but the rear to go with it is getting Sapim Race. It’s a fixed gear, double threaded hub, so dishing is not an issue and the left & right side will have equal length and equal tension spokes, like a front.

Yes, the eyelets prevent dropping a nipple into the rim but that’s not a huge problem in general. A dropped nipple will come out but you have to do a bit of shaking to get it out. They tend to rattle around if you forget to get them out...I know from experience.

Others have suggested Rose Bikes out of Germany. Rose sells spokes for less then you can get them wholesale in the US. Shipping is reasonable and quick. I would suggest double butted (or triple if you are a heavier rider or are planning on heavier loads). The rim is secondary to the life of a wheel. Spokes are more important. Spend money on them.

budget wheel
front wheel
dynamo hub

Unless you have a history of trashing well built wheels, save your money and use straight gauge spokes. Budget build - butted spokes are considerably more expensive. Dynamo hub - this isn't a weight weenie build. Front wheel - how many people have broken spokes on their front wheel? I use straight gauge without any issues on rear wheels. I'm not arguing that butted aren't stronger and all that, just that straight gauge is perfectly adequate unless you are experiencing a lot of spoke failures. Even then, my guess is poor builds not straight gauge spokes.

1. You call 30 or 40 cents apiece considerable? On a 32 spoke wheel, it’s like ten bucks more.

2. The point of butted spokes isn’t just to save a few grams. It’s about making the wheel more durable.

I mean, you’re not wrong in your comments. I can’t speak for the OP, but for my money butted spokes are a worthwhile upgrade.

I understand but I see used rim, experimental build, front wheel - why spend the $10? I’m an accountant, 30-40% more expensive is something if it is for overkill. But for the parameters mentioned, I wouldn’t have commented.

About double-butted vs plain spokes...thanks for those ideas and thoughts; I appreciate them.
I think I read somewhere that it's as easy (or easier) to build with the DB spokes.
The basic spoke cost isn't such a big issue. If you check my other thread on 'Spoke Source' you can see that (since I'm in Canada) the shipping cost can be as much as the cost for the spokes themselves.

All 'food for thought'.

If I really want to practice, I can just unlace and rebuild one of the rims, re-using the spokes. If I get bored, I may well do that!

Your strategy is certainly valid. I’ve contemplated the question myself when planning a wheel build. I tend to default to the nicer components anytime the cost difference is low to moderate (from the perspective of someone living in the first world and making a decent income). I’m sure I’ve spent hundreds—probably thousands—of dollars over the years, 20 to 50 dollars at a time, on bike stuff that offered little real benefit.

Look at it this way: If the wheel build works, and you end up keeping it, the double butted spokes will give a better return in the long run. If you build the wheel with straight gauge spokes, you might end up rebuilding in the future and end up spending money twice. Nothing is more expensive then the tool you have to buy twice.