Enthusiast

Hey all, I'm trying to decide the fate of a 18 hole Rolf Vector Comp front rim. It says 1998(or 1999?) World Championship on it so I'm guessing its a number of years old. My current ss commuter has Alexrim DC19s with no-name hubs and Continental contacts. I'm looking for a faster wheelset for when I go on group rides on the weekend. I pride myself on going fast with a frugal bike setup but I have to draw a line somewhere!

I've been having difficulty finding hubs (considering using a 36h hub, bad idea?) and nipples (holes in rim seem larger than standard) to build up the front wheel. Is it worthwhile to use the old rim or could I get a better performing front wheel for less from ebay or such?

urbanknight

The Vector Comp rim is for paired spokes, right? In that case, you might actually be better off with a 36h hub than an 18.

Enthusiast

Yeah, the vector comp rim has paired spokes. So I need to look for a specific type of 18h front hub for this rim? A modern one built for radial spokes wont cut it? I've looked online for rolf hubs but haven't found much.

urbanknight

A regular hub will probably work just fine, but the spokes will be spaced out so they don't go perfectly straight to the rim, more like a V. With the 36 hole hub, you're using holes that are closer in relation to to each other so there's less of a V. Either one will work, but I was just pointing out that the 36h hub might even work out better.

The next issue is for you to determine the correct spoke length with the odd patterns.

waterrockets 

Yeah, that rim is pretty bombproof (and heavy). I'd keep it. Get a 36h Tiagra front hub for $25.

You can make this build work. Just go radial and you won't need to worry about any complex spoke length calculations.

auk

+10

Enthusiast

Thank you for the replies. Since this would be part of my "performance" wheelset, I'm thinking about butted or bladed spokes and a higher quality hub. What concerns me are the spoke holes in the rim. They are ~3/16" diameter(dont recall what gauge that is). Did vector comps from the late 90s use a funky nipple? Right now the nipples I've access to can either drop right through the holes or sit with very lip overhang.

waterrockets 

Regarding the hub, there's no such thing as higher quality than a Shimano or Campy loose-ball hub. The Tiagra is just teensy bit heavier than an Ultegra hub. There are lighter hubs, but none that will roll smoother.

Bladed spokes would be more aero. Nothing wrong with that, I just thought you were going for economy here.

Spoke holes... hmm. I'm not familiar with that difference. Can you see if the old nipples fit on a standard spoke? Do you have the old nipples?

A quick search online, and it looks like the Vector Comp used standard nipples. I don't have a pair around to examine.

auk

Get a bag of nipple washers to use between the nipple and the rim. Double them up and you will be fine. BTDT

abeyance

I have a set of rolf pros and the nipples are very odd indeed. They are very long. I'm pretty sure you could find them somewhere. I have 9 extra , so it would be no help to you.