At the time of these Mavics, I not sure anything was really hard, that is, heat treated. The Fiamme yellow label tubulars were a harder strong alloy, probably a 7075 type. As to the Wolber 58's, they are a great rim, but heavy. In one sense anyone can make a strong rim at 550g or more. Hell, make an elegant stainless steel rim like Dunlop. Or a Wienmann concave, or a Sun Rhino! I think the Mavic Mod E2 was quite a breakthrough. It also was stronger than the copycat Wolber Gentleman and left the soft and less well designed (narrow profile) Rigidas in the dust.
For those that don't know, aluminium rims are made from extrusions. The extrusion dies are expensive and wear. In particular, they wear a lot when you extrude a harder aluminium alloy. So there is a great tempataion to use soft alloys to make the rims.
Joe Bender-Zanoni Great Notch, NJ
Chuck Schmidt wrote:
>Mike Kone wrote:
>
>
>>For what my opinion is worth today - (I've already had to pause and exchange the foot in my mouth once today)...
>>
>>The Wolber Super Champion 58 for whatever reasons has an almost cult-like following for dependability. If I remember right, the Mavic Mod 3 was kinda like a wide Mod E (is that right?).
>>
>>The Mavic rims of those days were good but not great. Still kinda soft if I recall.
>>
>>
>
>
>Close enough Mike, from July 1981 catalog:
>Mod. E - 19.8mm - single eyelet - 410g - polished
>Mod. E2 - 19.8mm - double eyelet - 430g - polished
>Mod. E2
> Argent - 19.8mm - double eyelet - 430g - silver anodized
>G 40 - 19.8mm - double eyelet - 430g - dk. gray anodized
>Mod. 3 - 22.0mm - single eyelet - 510g - polished
>
>At the time I didn't think they were soft. I thought they were "normal"
>(I bent a few).
>
>Chuck Schmidt
>South Pasadena, Southern California
>
>.