# New wheels with a classic look?



## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

Looking for some wheels for a classic-ish bike build. I am looking for the best of both worlds. Light, modern, strong but still somewhat old school. My initial thoughts were White Industries T-11 silver hubs with silver spokes and some sort of 25mm carbon rim like Enve 25 with no stickers. Those are obviously on the high side budget wise, but I don't have any dedicated climbing wheels and figure I cold use them on my more modern bikes.

The real reason to consider a carbon 25mm rim over aluminum is pure convenience. My other bikes and wife's bike have carbon wheels and it sure would be simple to swap any wheel without worrying about changing brake shoes. 

Wondering what sort of other ideas you all might have.

The bike will be a Corsa Extra merckx. I have an extra set of Campy Eurus currently, but not thinking the black spokes and G3 rear will give the retro look I am after.


----------



## ergott (Feb 26, 2006)

Not much to add. That would be a beautiful set of "Classics". The 25mm Enve builds up real well.


----------



## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

I have a hard time with "classic" and "carbon" being in the same post but then "classic" to me goes back decades and not weeks & months.


----------



## ergott (Feb 26, 2006)

Hence the "classic-ish" post. He's not trying to recreate the past;-)


----------



## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

ergott said:


> Hence the "classic-ish" post. He's not trying to recreate the past;-)


In two sentences, I flounder.


----------



## changingleaf (Aug 20, 2009)

The T11 hubs are excellent and you can't go wrong with the Enve rims.


----------



## joeyb1000 (Feb 15, 2011)

I used 32 hole Campy hubs, Sapim Race spokes 3x, 23mm carbon rims special ordered from Carbon Speed Cycle on Ebay. And I put a small Campy decal accross from the valve stem. There is no extra cost for the special drilling -- you just have to wait an extra week or two.


----------



## farva (Jun 24, 2005)

not carbon, but modern w/classic colors - 

Polished Velocity Aileron or A23 23mm wide rims
WI silver hubs
Silver double butted spokes

Would look great on a "classic" frame IMO

You could also go with kinlin xr200 rim if lighter weight is desired


----------



## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

Mike T. said:


> I have a hard time with "classic" and "carbon" being in the same post but then "classic" to me goes back decades and not weeks & months.


I really have to agree with that. I redid a 1996 Corsa 01 with silver Campy Athena and custom wheels with silver White Industry T11 hubs, silver cxray spokes and silver Kinlin 270 rims (now you'd want the wider 279 Kinlins). Kind of looked like the old Campy Shamal wheels if you remember those. Not quite as deep dish. They look awesome on the bike. They ride really nicely too. Ran about $800 with shipping and weighed in around 1550 grams. They're better wheels than any $800 pre-built I could think of.


----------



## cooskull (Nov 30, 2013)

At one time Pacenti was talking about making a silver version of their SL23 rim. Not sure if that did or will ever happen, but that would look very sharp with the WI hubs. At 24mm wide you could probably swap wheels without having to adjust the brakes.


----------



## farva (Jun 24, 2005)

cooskull said:


> At 24mm wide you could probably swap wheels without having to adjust the brakes.


I think he was leaning towards carbon to avoid swapping pads.


----------



## cooskull (Nov 30, 2013)

farva said:


> I think he was leaning towards carbon to avoid swapping pads.


My bad, missed that detail. Still there are pads available which are compatible with both rim types, though I admittedly have no idea how effective they are.


----------



## Zen Cyclery (Mar 10, 2009)

cooskull said:


> At one time Pacenti was talking about making a silver version of their SL23 rim. Not sure if that did or will ever happen, but that would look very sharp with the WI hubs. At 24mm wide you could probably swap wheels without having to adjust the brakes.


Was just thinking this but I haven't heard any word on the release of the silver version. You could do the Archetype in the polished silver too. That rimset matches the polished T11s very well and for a classic look that'd be hard to beat.


----------



## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

farva said:


> I think he was leaning towards carbon to avoid swapping pads.


 I'd just get the aluminum wheels and forget about swapping wheels. How often do you do that anyway? Its not like the bike is super light weight or aero. It's just an incredibly comfortable, classic frame. Keep it metallic.


----------



## Notvintage (May 19, 2013)

I wonder why Enve made it only 22mm wide? Seems most manufacturers are going 23-25mm wide.


----------



## farva (Jun 24, 2005)

pmf said:


> I'd just get the aluminum wheels and forget about swapping wheels. How often do you do that anyway? Its not like the bike is super light weight or aero. It's just an incredibly comfortable, classic frame. Keep it metallic.


completely agree. That was just the OP's reason


----------



## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

Thanks all for the input and ideas. 

I have been giving this a lot of thought and it is very hard to justify the cost of the Enve 25s. I was sort of working backwards to fit the Mercks. The wife and I have a few carbon bikes and I'm working hard to spend the least amount of time "wrenching" and more time riding. I'm super busy work wise. I figured if all my bikes were 11speed and carbon rims then I could put any wheel on any bike, no swapping cassettes or pads/shoes. Since I did not have a light weight climbing wheel I figured I'd probably use the WI/Enve 25 combo more on the other bikes but have a more "classic-ISH" look when I do ride the Mercks. I am not after a 100% authentic 1988/89 Corsa bike.

Heck it is 7-Eleven paint and there is no way I am putting 7400 Dura-Ace on it. I am a life long Campy man after 30+ years of riding campy - that won't change.

That said I am starting to come to grips with the fact that the Merckx will be unique and I don't see me integrating it with my others. I don't really need a set of climbing wheels anyway. Current wheels are more than enough for me, I'd be better off training more or dropping more pounds than spending $2K on another set of carbon hoops.

So now I have some other ideas to bounce off of you all. Mercks Corsa Extra 7-Eleven paint, campy alloy parts.....and....red anodized Velocity A23 with T-11 silver hubs (dare I go with green t-11 hubs) and silver spokes. I like the idea of an A23 OS in the rear for no other reason than something I don't have.

I remember the Mavic Open Pro rims in blue and red back in the day and on the right bike they really looked nice.

I had a Mercks back in 89 to 94 raced the crap out of it and loved it. Never should have sold it. I'm looking at this new (to me) one the same way you see some of the classic Corvettes/Camaros/57 Chevys lightly moded today. With mostly unmolested bodies but disc brakes all around, A/C in the cabin and an engine from the last few years and 20+ inch wheels. The old look with the new creature comforts.

I'm for sure going to check out the 279 Kinlins.

Flame proof underwear on; tell me what you honestly think about Red Anodized Velocity A23s.

Over in the Colnago forum they give me a hard time about how I dressed up my C-40. I get that some like it a more traditional. I can take it if you don't agree with me, but even I am not sold yet on the red rims. Hard to take that leap sight unseen.


----------



## changingleaf (Aug 20, 2009)

There's nothing wrong with Red Ano rims as long as you like them.


----------



## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

I'd be careful about trying to match red rims with the red in your frame. If it matches just right, it looks awesome. If it doesn't match, it looks awful. Green hubs -- you're asking for it. Plus, don't they cost like 2-3 times as much? You can't go wrong with silver on a frame like that. The only concession I'd make (I assume you're going Campy Athena) is to get Chorus shift/brake levers. They're much better shifters (different system). They only come in black carbon though. 

I've built two Merckx bikes up over the last couple of years, both with Athena and silver wheels (one for me, one for my wife), and they turned out great. If I could figure out how to post a picture here, I'd show you.


----------



## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

as I've been contemplating this build I've heard from more than one person to go chorus for the shifters I'm wondering now if maybe I should stick with 10 speed and source some chorus all alloy.


----------



## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

rplace13 said:


> as I've been contemplating this build I've heard from more than one person to go chorus for the shifters I'm wondering now if maybe I should stick with 10 speed and source some chorus all alloy.


Chorus 10-speed came in alloy? I've never seen it. You want to go 11-speed. Only the lower end Campy stuff is still 10-speed. When I built up my Merckx, it was the first year Campy brought back Athena. The shifters were basically rebadged Chorus shifters, came in black only and were Ultra-shift. I got the group in alloy and it looked great. The next year, Campy Athena came with the lower end Power-shift shifters (same as Centaur and below). I built my wife a Merckx frame up a year later and upgraded the shifters to Chorus on her bike. They really are nice shifters, and the upgrade is minimal (maybe $80). Its nice to be able to go up or down several gears at a time with one shift. I don't think the black shifters take that much away from the look of the bike. The rest of the group is nice looking -- especially the cranks.


----------



## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

I've not seen the Chorus 10s alloy in person but they seem to be a hot topic for retro rebuilds. Totally agree on shifting multiple gears in any direction. I had one set of Centaur 10S and hated it. Not just the multi gear thing but also the feel in general. All my other bikes are 10/11s chorus/record from 2008 or later. So for sure will avoid the power-shift. Thanks for pointing that out to me. I was thinking it was just a bushing/bearing thing not the actual shifting mechanism overall. Time to read a bit more.

Chorus 10s:


----------



## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

Those are nice looking. Campy really made some beautiful stuff. I bought a pair of older Super Record skewers for my Merckx -- it has horizontal drop outs and you have to really crank the rear wheel on tight. Most modern skewers have external rather than internal cams and aren't as strong. I broke the Salsa skewers that I originally put on the bike after a few months. Vertical drop outs are definitely an improvement.


----------



## sandiegosteve (Mar 29, 2004)

Zen Cyclery said:


> ... You could do the Archetype in the polished silver too...


Archtypes in polished silver, Pewter King hubs. Modern design, very classic-ish look. This is a 28f and I did 32r.


----------



## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

Little update, but I doubt you all care. Still any photos of bike stuff is good. I took some advice and ignored others. Went with the A23 from Velocity. Silver hubs and spokes but opted for a bit of bling with red anodized rims and green ally nipples. They just showed up at work. Hoping to get out a bit early and mount them up and go for a spin.

Interested to see how the offset rear works out.

What ya think? Also including a before pic of the Merckx for your viewing pleasure.


----------



## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

So, 5 days later and no "after" pic? Come on man!



farva said:


> not carbon, but modern w/classic colors -
> 
> Polished Velocity Aileron or A23 23mm wide rims
> WI silver hubs
> ...


I had this same idea a year or so ago when outfitting my classic frame. But I couldn't find the A23's or, for that matter any low spoke, wide rim in polished silver. Won't claim they weren't out there, just that I couldn't find them in both low spoke, wide rim, and fairly light.

So I got "silver" A23 rims w/ polished hubs and silver DB spokes. Do Velocity actually make a polished silver rim vs. the dull silver finish of mine? 

Can I polish my rims or are they anodized, I wonder?


----------



## farva (Jun 24, 2005)

Camilo said:


> So, 5 days later and no "after" pic? Come on man!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Most silver finishes on aluminum are actually clear ano which doesn't tarnish. If you strip that away for a higher luster polish then you'll have to keep doing it periodically as it will oxidize & dull over time. Polishing is also a super messy job. I wouldn't recommend it


----------



## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

farva said:


> Most silver finishes on aluminum are actually clear ano which doesn't tarnish. If you strip that away for a higher luster polish then you'll have to keep doing it periodically as it will oxidize & dull over time. Polishing is also a super messy job. I wouldn't recommend it


Thanks, that's what I thought. What do the polished silver rims (from the factory) have on them?


----------



## farva (Jun 24, 2005)

Most are clear anodized
Provides a longer lasting more durable finish than tumble & polish
Some ano processes more matted, others higher luster depending on what the manufacturer specs


----------



## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

*Silver*

Here are mine on a Merckx. Red tires are what I had lying around in 25c. WI H3 on the rear, WI Tracker Ti up front, both with Pacenti SLs. DT and Sapim spokes, 2x, both 28H.

The Kalavinka has Open Pro's w/2006 Centaur hubs, 32H and 3x.

So one set has black rims and the other set is all silver.


----------



## seely (Feb 13, 2007)

farva said:


> Most silver finishes on aluminum are actually clear ano which doesn't tarnish. If you strip that away for a higher luster polish then you'll have to keep doing it periodically as it will oxidize & dull over time. Polishing is also a super messy job. I wouldn't recommend it



Our polished rims do not seem to require any maintenance other than the occasional wipe down, even riding through Michigan winters. To polish an anodized rim would be quite a messy undertaking, though.


----------



## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

Camilo said:


> So, 5 days later and no "after" pic? Come on man!


I know I am slacking. Had some real flat problems with the new wheels, could not get a single mile on them for about 2 weeks. Here is the updated look. I'm pretty happy with the blend of new and old. Rides like a dream, super quiet.


----------



## podilato1 (Aug 24, 2010)

I am sort of in the same boat. Just built a Pegoretti stainless steel frame with Super Record. I have a set of Eurus. Looking for what you are but $$$$$$$$$$$$$


----------



## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

podilato1 said:


> I am sort of in the same boat. Just built a Pegoretti stainless steel frame with Super Record. I have a set of Eurus. Looking for what you are but $$$$$$$$$$$$$


Let's see this frame! Pegoretti in stainless? Man, I bet it's nice!


----------



## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

Here's the bike and wheels I was referring to in post #26


----------



## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

Camilo, very nice. I like the balance of blue, silver and white. Well done.


----------



## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

Thanks. I was originally going to set it up with Campy, but had most of the Shimano parts, and it was so much easier setting it up 9 speed with Shimano SIS shifters than finding a downtube set up that I'd like as well with Campy - plus I just want all my wheels to be Shimano. It really, really works very well with the DA 9 speed components including the SIS shifters and is really fun to ride. I'm pretty happy with it and have quit obsessing over "Italian" at least for this season 

I am seriously thinking of stripping the anodizing off the large chain wheel and polishing it. I'd consider getting a new silver chainwheel, but the thing just shifts so perfectly I want to keep whatever design features the chainwheels have that work so well with each other and the derailleur and shifters. I have an older crank that is not pinned and ramped, and it works fine, but not as perfectly as this one. Downside is I ruin the chainwheel, which wouldn't be the most expensive learning experience I've ever had, if you know what I mean.


----------

