Kurt Sperry wrote:
> I built up a set of wheels for one of my OT bikes perhaps eight years
> ago using MA2s in the unusual 26" size, and while the back eventually
> got "potato chipped", the front is still going strong after, probably
> thousands of miles of hard use on and off road. A really good, light,
> inexpensive non anodised rim. Pity they are no longer being made.
>
> Kurt Sperry
> Bellingham WA
>
Yes, it really is a pity that they are no longer being made. Their discontinuation says a lot about where the bicycle industry is going--in the direction of slick-looking hardware with instant appeal to twentysomethings, and away from classic, elegant design, which takes some taste to appreciate.
I started using these rims because I needed a simple, high-quality, box-channel rim without a machined braking surface that would go well with a classic bike. They certainly meet that requirement.
Brandt's reasons for liking them, if I remember correctly, were the following:
1. No machined braking surface, which he viewed as unnecessary;
2. No anodizing, which can lead to cracking around spoke holes;
3. Unwelded seam, another unnecessary expense (but necessary if the braking surfaces are machined);
4. Spoke bushings anchored on the insides of both the inner and outer layers of the rim metal.
It would seem that these simple requirements would be easy to satisfy, but it's surprisingly difficult to find such rims these days in 700C clinchers. Or, for that matter, anything that looks appropriate for classic bikes. Sigh.
Steve Maas
Long Beach, CA