Tom,
These rims are anything but fragile. They have the full socketed eyelet, tying the inner and outer wall together, which makes for a very strong rim.
A question for Bob Hanson:
What tires would you recommend for this rim?
Jay Sexton Sebastopol, CA
Bob Hanson wrote:
I've had the same favorable experience as Kim with these rims. I bought a number of pairs of the 27" version a few years back when a Chicago area retailer decided to finally begin clearing tons of ancient treasures out of his catacombs.
As I recall, the weight is around 460 gms, which is between a modern Mavic Open Pro and a MA-3 rim. And, although they are pinned and not welded, they have proven very strong in daily use over my city and country roads - possibly because they are double walled and even have full eyelets (like better quality old tubular tire rims). Mavic made thier first alloy wheels in the 1920s, and they were used in the Tour de France by 1930. So, they definitely know their business.
I've worn out many sets of tires on one of the wheelsets I'd built up with these. And, like Tom mentioned, they're still oooh so pretty. That highly polished alloy cleans and brightens up again nicely with an occasional application of some automotive alloy wheel polish. So, I'm never afraid to ride them in the winter in spite of the nasty road grime.
Think you may be surprised how sturdy these really are. I now have one set with 30,000+ miles on them now, and they had been subjected to far too many potholes, dirt roads, sewer grates and railroad crossings than I like to remember. A good careful initial wheel build goes far toward keeping the entire wheel functioning as one solid unit - which will always increase the longevity of all the individual parts.
Mavic made thier first alloy wheels in the 1920s, and they were used in the Tour de France by 1930. So, they definitely know their business.
I believe that when these were last mentioned On List someone had placed the original manufacture date c.1975... and the "E" in the model name apparently referred to the early lightweight Michelin "Elan" clincher tires for which these rims were designed. I am still reminded of 1960s-70s Mavic tubular rims every time I look down at these. ~ Enjoy!
Bob Hanson, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Tom Sanders wrote:
At the advice of a friend I bought a pair of Mavic Module E Rims. I have them all cleaned up and gleaming now and am a bit amazed at how beautiful they are. They sure do take a shine! They sure are light weight, though. Am I correct in assuming that they might be a bit fragile? Are they on topic? I have no idea when they were made...I would assume before the vaunted MA 2s. I see that they came in both 27" and 700c also, which seems pretty cool.
Tom Sanders
Lansing, Mi