Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2002 09:47:04 -0700 (PDT) From: Tom Dalton <tom_s_dalton@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [CR]Wheel weight To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Remember, even in their day Ergals had a well-deserved reputation for brittle failures on the inner face, around the ferrules. They were not well suited for sub-36 hole use or for dish beyond 120mm 5-speed.
<snip>
Well..... That doesn't mirror my experience with Ergals.
I have been riding on 24- and 28-spoke Ergals on the road for decades, 126mm-spaced. I weigh 155-165 pounds, and ride 175mm cranks. From what I've personally experienced and have been told by others, Ergals generally fail by having a ferrule pull out after many thousands of miles. Additionally, because they are made from 7000 series (Ergal) alloy, they don't go out of true or flat spot like GEL280s do - the GELs (which are more like 300-310 grams, whereas the Ergals are 280-290) are made from the much more common (for rims) 6000 series alloy. Like crank arms, there are usually warning signs before Ergal rims fail (cracks around the ferrule). Unless it's a 24-spoker, you can usually carefully ride it home minus one spoke by slightly loosening the two neighboring spokes of the blown-out one.
No, wait, I just remembered - Ergals are junk! Never mind....
Greg "please keep sending me your NOS Ergals" Parker A2 MI USA
P.S. Just weighed a set of 28-spoke Ergal road wheels, Campy (N)Record hubs with OEM skewers, DT 15-gauge spokes. 1750 grams for the set. About $300 NOS, ready to go. Versus those $8000, 1200-gram wheels, I'd call that a bit of a bargain!