Advice on replacing rims please

The difference in cost once you've sent them off and had them replaced means you save next to nothing. Its harsh that that's the way they do it but because their wheels at that level are so advanced, the techniques used to replace parts is equally so, thus leaving you with no other option but to have them do it. There is a saving there if you take out the logistical side of things but its not a great deal..

You'd be better advised to try tapping up your LBS for a discount (if you know them well) on a new pair of wheels or get a custom build with whatever you want. You can save a fortune over time by just changing the rim every time it wears out but compatible rim types will have to be readily available in order to achieve this.

I will speak to Mavic on Monday to get exact figures for you if you like.

Cheers Spesh. What is the cost like?! Would I be better buying a new set?!

If you send them to a Mavic service centre via an authorised Mavic dealer then they will re-build them for you but that's the only way it can be done. If the wheel has been pranged you can bet they'll say no. They generally only carry out rim replacements on those particular wheels (and a few others) when they're worn out but in otherwise good condition. Timescale not that great but usually within a couple of weeks to a month..

How about changing rims on Mavic R Sys? Mine are getting a bit concave and 'thin'. Anyone know a cost or even if the rims are gettable?

No worries pal, glad to help. Just a pity that it wasn't quite the answer you were hoping for. When you're in the market for a new set, you'd win quite easily with some Mavic's or Shimano's. Great wheels and spares are always available without anything too unique or tricky to replace. The benefit to keeping design simple is that you can mix and match brands to get a truly unique wheel exactly how you want it. As an added bonus, when your rim wears out, there'll be another brand that you can retro-fit to it so if the direct replacement is discontinued, you're not stuck. I've done numerous jobs like this where a rim has been written off and i've gone for another totally different rim as a replacement. Your wallet and your mechanic will thank you. Fulcrum's and American Classic also do great wheels with readily available/interchangeable parts so happy shopping..

I've wondered about the economics of maintaining some of these very specialised wheels with all proprietary parts, this story partly confirms my suspicions. Definitely something to be said for wheels built from standard components.

It appears my supplier quoted me trade but here is the response I got from Campy.

Hello George

Thanks for your email, forwarded to us by our colleagues in Italy as the main UK Campag Service Centre.

We can rebuild your Zondas for you.

This is not a job we generally recommend that end-users try to complete themselves as even experienced wheel builders sometimes struggle with G3 wheels and it is quite possible to irretrievably damage the rim in the build process if mistakes are made. In the same way, although we train Campagnolo ProShops in the method and technique, as they do not build these wheels with great frequency, many of them ship the wheels back to us in any case.

If we can re-use the same spokes, needing only rims and nipples, the cost for a pair (depending on the year of your wheels and whether you want 2-way-fit or not, if available for your model year) would be approximately £420.00 - so close to the cost of a new pair of 2 way fit wheels.

Let me know if you wouls like to go ahead and we can calculate an exact cost based on the model year and variation of rim that you have.

I can order the rims in my shop. Ther are available with Campag but are specially ordered in from Italy via my supplier so can take up to 6 weeks to get them here. Rough price quoted at £90ish per rim.

Hope this helps,

George

Hi there,

Not sure if you still need an answer on this but I can help you out. Are they the standard Zonda's, the 2-way fit's or the copertoncino's?