mavic gell330 tubular rim strength
 

hi,
Any experience thoughts on durabllity strength of mavic gel 330 tubular rims.

Or if you were a 240 pound rider would you ride these with 27mm tires with a 32 spoke build on roughish roads/ gravel aka Cino ?

I remember them as very well respected rims. So I vote yes, break a leg! - kidding.

No. If you're going to build tubulars to ride rough roads, I'd go with the GP4s at 400 grams in a heart beat.

VeloBase.com - Component: Mavic GP 4 (Red Label)

The big boys rode these in races like Paris Roubaix and that should tell you something.

Hmmm. That's a tough call. The 330's are pretty light, and not as durable as the 4's. I had some 28 spoke 330's that developed cracks (rear wheel) after maybe 600-1000 (?) miles. At the time, I was a strong 185-190 lb. rider. Was going up a steep hill at full gas, and the rear wheel taco'd and basically stopped me dead cold.

The reason I used the rims was because they are what I had on hand, and I was on a budget. At the end of the day, I lost money, because I had to have that wheelset re-built with GP4's anyway.

thanks Already have the built 330 wheels (like new wheelsmith build so quality build at least) so as much as I would love them to GP4 no luck (my clincher wheelset is ma40 so that should be pretty bulletproof, but can't get as low of a gear on these)

you’re just a freewheel swap away from riding the ma40 s. You will not be a happy camper if you develop mechanical issues on the ride.

lol that is what I thought....except the ma40's are built on a early shimano cassette (ultra glide) so as best i can tell I am limited to the 28 and am just going to workout harder..... the idea of running tubies was kinda fun

Shimano uniglide? There are solutions for that.

https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...yperglide.html

or put up a wtb on the C & V for sale forum

I’ve had great success converting late UG 7-speed freehub bodies to HG using this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-Fre...k/274322577186

If that works for your hub, HG cassettes are plentiful.

Are the GL330 rims stronger than the GEL330s? I was given a 36h GL330 wheelset with Campy Nuovo Tipo hubs (to be rebuilt). Like squirtdad, I'm "full grown" at ~230 lbs. I'm hoping these wheels with 27mm to 30mm tires will support my prodigious mass.

if you ride "light", get your weight off the saddle when the washboard gets going or you see a pothole, thrasition to tarmac to dirt or the other way around, should be OK unless the rims are well used.
Read, brake track anodizing gone.

My 1982 Lotus Classique has an early Uniglide freehub and it came originally (and still) with a 13-32 cassette.

Maybe the OP will be fine but maybe not. I worked in a top 100 independent bike dealer in the 80s. It was a really good shop with some excellent wheel builders. The shop was in New Orleans which is where I grew up. The city is a natural testing ground for headsets, wheels, and tires. It’s built on mud and the roads sink on a regular basis. Consequently they are cracked and full of potholes. Plus many of the locals think they have a right to toss their empties out on the street. Like I said, the city was and is a fine testing ground for wheels, tires, and headsets. I would not have recommended those rims to the OP for a ride like the CINO BITD. Ive done my share of gravel riding on GP 4 s back before anyone knew that was a thing. They will hold up.

ok oft to WTB and ebay thanks :)

Probably best advice so far..... don't be stupid :) thanks all

I did see a number of listings for 32t Uniglide cogs, if you're inclined to make your own cassette. The other observation is that the gaps in a 13-32t 6-speed cassette are pretty darn big. The words "yawning chasm" come to mind.

You might be referring to the GEL280s not 330.... I don't remember Mavic making GEL330s.
GEL280s are considered by many as "special event" wheels. Very very light and quite fragile. Most would only consider them for use in time trial applications. It is not uncommon to hear about GEL280's developing cracking around the spoke hole eyelets, after some miles. I wouldn't recommend them for 200+ pound riders.

Thinking more, I like the freehub solution for a different reason, avoiding a bent axle.

I know about the GEL280s, and I could have sworn I had seen references to GEL330s, but maybe not. I did find this old Mavic catalog link: http://www.equusbicycle.com/bike/mav...es/13and14.jpg
Looks like the GP4s are for "the worst conditions and all kinds of surfaces", the GL330s are for "all roads, except under the most extreme conditions", and the GEL280s are for "the fitting of extra-lightweight wheels".

Seems like the Holy Grail of old Mavic tubular rims are the Paris Roubaix SSC grey, like these => https://www.ebay.com/itm/274333855218?hash=item3fdf926df2:g:owkAAOSw7mhekgGj

Too bad those 330s are on a hub that cannot run Campy 9-speed. If they could, I"d take 'em in a flash as wheels as close to race as I'm going to do. I'm 155. I trained on the 330gm Arc en Ciels and raced 290gm Faimme Ergals.

I'm planning to go back to tubulars on all my good bikes to stop the recurring nightmares I have of flatting a clincher on a big descent and it coming off the rim. (I did it at 25 mph. That was bad enough! I've also blown tubulars at 45+ at least once and I cannot even remember where or which wheel; it was so inconsequential.) I'm thinking a pair of GP4s or equiv and a pair of GL330s for my fix gear and another of each for my 9-speed.

Actually, I have full use for the front, Send me a PM as to what you want for the pair. A good 7-speed hub will get used sometime. I have (2) 7-speeds. Be a shame unspoking the wheelsmiths but the rebuilding is always fun. This will also kickstart my conversion. (I've got GP4s from a forum mate but they'll go onto my current hub - when those rims die. Sadly, not soon enough.)

I've had good experience with GL330s. I'm also no lightweight. My weight has fluctuated a lot over the years, but I'm usually in the 200-215 pound range. The 32h front GL330 rim on my LOOK has lasted throughout my teenage race years, and continues to roll like the Energizer Bunny since I rebuilt it 2x in 2008. This bike gets as much use as any in my collection. I've used GL330 rims in the rear in the past, but don't have any currently in operation. That said, I like light wheels, even if I'm beyond the recommended weight limits. I have a bunch of bikes and spare wheels with low-three-hundred gram tubular rims/wheels (Campagnolo, Wolber Super Champion, Araya, Wolber Arc-en-Ciel, Record du Monde, Fiamme Red Label, Fiamme Ergal) . The Mavic GL330s stack up really well against the rest in that class, but still do need periodic trueing. Definitely expect a bit more maintenance than a GP4 or MA40, but don't let that stop you, especially if you can fit wider tires like the 27mm you mention. I think a fat tubular, not over-inflated, does wonders to prolong wheel life.

Oh, and I don't think the 753r tubeset on my LOOK is recommended for riders above 175 pounds, but that's not stopping me either. A lot depends on "how light you ride"--plowing through bumps with your butt heavy on the saddle, versus constantly being aware of hazards and soaking up bumpy roads with the legs as much as possible.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...1a9b6146_k.jpg[

You and I are about the same size. I have 7 road bikes all running tubulars. 5 with 36 hole and 2 with 32's. Very rarely do I have to true the 36's.

At our size the 36's are your best bet.