Are Fiamme Red Label rims robust enough for a 205 lb. rider?
10-25-23, 06:37 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Are Fiamme Red Label rims robust enough for a 205 lb. rider?
I am getting ready to order spokes and build some wheels with parts I have on hand. Hubs are Campy Record High Flange and I have a choice of rims - I have a pair of Super Champion Gentleman rims in nice shape but I also have a pair of NOS Fiamme Red Label tubular rims still wrapped in paper. The rims take different length spokes so I need to decide in advance what I'm going to do. : For someone of my weight (205 lbs) is there any point in building the Fiamme wheels?
10-25-23, 07:32 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 20,305
Mentioned: 130 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3464 Post(s)
Liked 2,831 Times
in
1,997 Posts
If you “ride light” avoid disruptions, lift your weight off the saddle at drive way aprons, All the Time, sure, 28-30 tires.
if not, the Gentleman rims and still the same tire with rec.
if not, the Gentleman rims and still the same tire with rec.
10-25-23, 07:52 PM
#3
Newbie
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: CT
Posts: 15
Bikes: Raleigh Gran Sports, 1979 Puch, first gen Dura Ace, 1980 Gios Torino, 1983 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport, 1991 Specialized Stumpjumper Comp rescued from curbside trash pickup
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Liked 11 Times
in
8 Posts
I have red label Fiamme rims that came with my Puch in 1979. I have been riding on them the last two years with 24 mm Tufos at 225 pounds without a problem. I'm very likely a more careful rider today than I was when I weighed 175 in the eighties.
I thought the even lighter gold label Fiamme rims were the concern, not the red.
I thought the even lighter gold label Fiamme rims were the concern, not the red.
Likes For jalwlb:
10-25-23, 07:54 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,906
Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4806 Post(s)
Liked 3,932 Times
in
2,557 Posts
Good news is that when you hit something, they will just bend, not break. Rims like these are why every shop had a rim puller and the mechanics knew how to use it.
Lace the wheels with the lightest butted spokes you can get away with. Not too tight. Big tires. Plenty of pressure. Accept that they won't last forever; that at some point they've exceeded your standards of true, wobble free and smooth brake track performance and you will have to replace them. 'Til then, enjoy!
I race trained on 330 gm Arc en Ciels in New England. I got not much over a season (5000 miles) out of each rim, riding them hard as a 150 pounder but I never worried about safety. They were funky by season's end but perfectly safe another season but they were in production and available, so why?
Lace the wheels with the lightest butted spokes you can get away with. Not too tight. Big tires. Plenty of pressure. Accept that they won't last forever; that at some point they've exceeded your standards of true, wobble free and smooth brake track performance and you will have to replace them. 'Til then, enjoy!
I race trained on 330 gm Arc en Ciels in New England. I got not much over a season (5000 miles) out of each rim, riding them hard as a 150 pounder but I never worried about safety. They were funky by season's end but perfectly safe another season but they were in production and available, so why?
Likes For 79pmooney:
10-26-23, 03:47 AM
#5
Freewheel Medic
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: An Island on the Coast of GA!
Posts: 12,885
Bikes: Snazzy* Schwinns, Classy Cannondales & a Super Pro Aero Lotus (* Ed.)
Mentioned: 140 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1453 Post(s)
Liked 2,196 Times
in
963 Posts
I've been riding my Faimme Red Label tubular rims (HiE small flange hubs) with 27mm Schwalbe Ones since 2015 and I have never had an issue. In fact, I've never needed to true the wheels.
I purchased the wheelset on ebay, so I am uncertain as to their age or previous use. During this time period I've weighed as low as 210 and as much as 300. They have taken me safely over NH frost-heaved and cracked roads, many hundreds of miles of dirt road and path riding, and now across the seams, cracks, and uneven expansion joints on a concrete bike path. This past March, I did a 50-mile ride on rural chip-seal and dirt TX roads.
The Faimme RL rims have served me very well and I imagine my example is a better analogy than a race-training one. The picture below is shortly after I began riding this wheelset and they remain above ground with plenty of life left.
At a NH cemetery.
I purchased the wheelset on ebay, so I am uncertain as to their age or previous use. During this time period I've weighed as low as 210 and as much as 300. They have taken me safely over NH frost-heaved and cracked roads, many hundreds of miles of dirt road and path riding, and now across the seams, cracks, and uneven expansion joints on a concrete bike path. This past March, I did a 50-mile ride on rural chip-seal and dirt TX roads.
The Faimme RL rims have served me very well and I imagine my example is a better analogy than a race-training one. The picture below is shortly after I began riding this wheelset and they remain above ground with plenty of life left.
At a NH cemetery.
__________________
Bob
Enjoying the GA coast all year long!
Thanks for visiting my website: www.freewheelspa.com
Bob
Enjoying the GA coast all year long!
Thanks for visiting my website: www.freewheelspa.com
Likes For pastorbobnlnh:
10-26-23, 04:52 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Fredericksburg, Va
Posts: 9,579
Bikes: '65 Frejus TDF, '73 Bottecchia Giro d'Italia, '83 Colnago Superissimo, '84 Trek 610, '84 Trek 760, '88 Pinarello Veneto, '88 De Rosa Pro, '89 Pinarello Montello, '94 Burley Duet, 97 Specialized RockHopper, 2010 Langster, Tern Link D8
Mentioned: 73 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1609 Post(s)
Liked 2,216 Times
in
1,103 Posts
I have ridden Mavic GL330s @ 225lbs without any problems. So confident I started collecting them along with a couple of others.
P1060047 on Flickr
Currently these at about 200
IMG_20200219_122706 on Flickr
P1060047 on FlickrCurrently these at about 200
IMG_20200219_122706 on Flickr
__________________
Bikes don't stand alone. They are two tired.
Bikes don't stand alone. They are two tired.
Last edited by SJX426; 10-26-23 at 04:56 AM.
10-26-23, 06:26 AM
#7
aged to perfection
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: PacNW
Posts: 1,817
Bikes: Dinucci Allez 2.0, Richard Sachs, Alex Singer, Serotta, Masi GC, Raleigh Pro Mk.1, Hetchins, etc
Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 839 Post(s)
Liked 1,258 Times
in
663 Posts
repechage nailed it above. The proper answer to this question is more about your riding style and maybe road conditions.
in best possible conditions then sure the RL rims are OK for a rider of your weight.
wider section tires properly inflated (but not OVER inflated) will give you a bit of a safety margin as well
I'm of the opinion that a taller rider will place more loads on the rear wheel so a heavier rim is good practice in the back.
most of my bikes are set up this way, a light rim on the front for zippy feel and handling, and a heavier rim on the rear for a bit more robustness.
/markp
in best possible conditions then sure the RL rims are OK for a rider of your weight.
wider section tires properly inflated (but not OVER inflated) will give you a bit of a safety margin as well
I'm of the opinion that a taller rider will place more loads on the rear wheel so a heavier rim is good practice in the back.
most of my bikes are set up this way, a light rim on the front for zippy feel and handling, and a heavier rim on the rear for a bit more robustness.
/markp
Likes For mpetry912:
10-26-23, 07:43 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 589
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 192 Post(s)
Liked 566 Times
in
197 Posts
There are a couple of points that have not yet been mentioned. As the the weight of the rider gets above 160 lbs. or so….and the further beyond the more important…..More spokes is definitely better than fewer. 36 spokes are very well suited for lighter rims….32 requires much more care and best of luck with 28 or less. Rear spacing is also an issue. From the hubs mentioned, I will assume 120 or 126 mm rear spacing. The dishing required for these widths is not any real problem with lighter rims. If you go to modern 130 mm spacing, the dish is simply too severe for anything much less than a 400 g rim (tubular….less for a clincher). By the time you get adequate tension on the non drive side to prevent spoke loosening or premature spoke failure from lack of tension, the drive side will have more tension than the rim can withstand and you will develop cracking at the spoke holes in relatively short order. Of course both of these points represent other ways to kill a light rim than hitting something while riding…
Likes For El Chaba:
10-26-23, 10:05 AM
#9
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Hubs are 36 hole, 120 OLD
10-26-23, 10:09 AM
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I've been riding my Faimme Red Label tubular rims (HiE small flange hubs) with 27mm Schwalbe Ones since 2015 and I have never had an issue. In fact, I've never needed to true the wheels.
I purchased the wheelset on ebay, so I am uncertain as to their age or previous use. During this time period I've weighed as low as 210 and as much as 300. They have taken me safely over NH frost-heaved and cracked roads, many hundreds of miles of dirt road and path riding, and now across the seams, cracks, and uneven expansion joints on a concrete bike path. This past March, I did a 50-mile ride on rural chip-seal and dirt TX roads.
The Faimme RL rims have served me very well and I imagine my example is a better analogy than a race-training one. The picture below is shortly after I began riding this wheelset and they remain above ground with plenty of life left.
At a NH cemetery.
I purchased the wheelset on ebay, so I am uncertain as to their age or previous use. During this time period I've weighed as low as 210 and as much as 300. They have taken me safely over NH frost-heaved and cracked roads, many hundreds of miles of dirt road and path riding, and now across the seams, cracks, and uneven expansion joints on a concrete bike path. This past March, I did a 50-mile ride on rural chip-seal and dirt TX roads.
The Faimme RL rims have served me very well and I imagine my example is a better analogy than a race-training one. The picture below is shortly after I began riding this wheelset and they remain above ground with plenty of life left.
At a NH cemetery.
Real- world experience is about as empirical as it gets. Thanks for your post. Great Halloween photo, by the way......
10-26-23, 11:35 PM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Berkeley, CA
Posts: 7,244
Bikes: '72 Cilo Pacer, '72 Gitane Gran Tourisme, '72 Peugeot PX10, '73 Speedwell Ti, '74 Peugeot UE-8, '75 Peugeot PR-10L, '80 Colnago Super, '85 De Rosa Pro, '86 Look Equipe 753, '86 Look KG86, '89 Parkpre Team, '90 Parkpre Team MTB, '90 Merlin
Mentioned: 87 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 834 Post(s)
Liked 2,128 Times
in
555 Posts
I'd give you the green light.
Comparable weight on my end. My weight fluctuates but typically around 210 (+/- 10).
I've got a couple pairs of Fiamme Red wheels that I rotate around a few bikes. One with 27mm road tires, campy lo-flange, and another with 32mm cross tires (Dugast Pipistrello ftw), campy high-flange. Go with 36H rims if an option, esp. for rear.
I don't shy from rough roads, but do agree with repechage on the importance of "riding light."
Even loaded
Are the newer Fiamme Red with the rectangular decals from the 80s much different in terms of construction vs. earlier versions?
Comparable weight on my end. My weight fluctuates but typically around 210 (+/- 10).
I've got a couple pairs of Fiamme Red wheels that I rotate around a few bikes. One with 27mm road tires, campy lo-flange, and another with 32mm cross tires (Dugast Pipistrello ftw), campy high-flange. Go with 36H rims if an option, esp. for rear.
I don't shy from rough roads, but do agree with repechage on the importance of "riding light."
Even loaded
Are the newer Fiamme Red with the rectangular decals from the 80s much different in terms of construction vs. earlier versions?
Likes For gaucho777:
