# mavic a719 (36H) vs. open pros (32H)



## bjm (Feb 21, 2005)

From browsing throught the forums I noticed that the bigger riders are very happy with the strength and durability of the open pros. I'm in the market for a shimano 9 speed compatable rear wheel and have it narrrowed down to these two wheels. I like the reputation of the open pros but I also like the higher spoke count of the a719's. I haven't been able to find much about the a719's.

Will a higher spoke count naturally make for a stronger wheel? ( I need to get my wheels trued way too much) Has anyone had a negative experience with either?

thanks


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## TurboTurtle (Feb 4, 2004)

bjm said:


> From browsing throught the forums I noticed that the bigger riders are very happy with the strength and durability of the open pros. I'm in the market for a shimano 9 speed compatable rear wheel and have it narrrowed down to these two wheels. I like the reputation of the open pros but I also like the higher spoke count of the a719's. I haven't been able to find much about the a719's.
> 
> Will a higher spoke count naturally make for a stronger wheel? ( I need to get my wheels trued way too much) Has anyone had a negative experience with either?
> 
> thanks


The A-719 is a touring rim that is stronger, heavier and made to take a wider tire. Some guys in the city use them because of all the pot holes. The OPs are excellent for normal riding. The OP rims have up to 36 spoke holes - more than that would be a special use like heavy touring or a tandem.

"I need to get my wheels trued way too much" - This is a result of a poorly built wheel. A well built 32 hole, 3x wheel will stand up to anything that does not physically damage the rim.

TF


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Or plan C*

IME, the Velocity Aerohead is at least as good a rim as the OpenPro, without a lot of the reported problems. Particularly for the rear wheel, the OC rim allows for a great build. I've built 5 Aerohead wheels and had great luck with them. You don't list your weight, riding conditions, or other relevant information, so whether you need 28, 32, 36, or 40 spoke wheels is not obvious. As noted by TurboTurtle, requiring frequent wheel truing most often suggests a poor build, though if you are very heavy it could be inadequate wheel strength.


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## bjm (Feb 21, 2005)

*more input*

Thanks for the input from everyone. The excessive wheel truing comes from my excessive body weight. I go about 6'4/260/15% bf. I ride a mix of city and country riding. Mostly old converted railiroad paths. Most of which are in O.K. condition. 
I race olympic and half ironman races with this bike. Based on my size, wheel weight is not a factor. Also an aero wheel isn't too important either  . I'm more concerned with durability. 
I moved up to a wider tire after my first season of riding due to the number of pinch flats I was getting especially around bridges. That seemed to help tremendously when combined with tuffy tape. 
My current set up is a set of 32 spoke 3 cross sun rims on a Principia RSL w/105 components. At my last race, the rear rim cracked just at one of the nipples and really bent up the wheel nicely. So much that the side wall of the tire shreaded from contact with the brake about 400 yards from where I hit a hole at. 
I was looking on Performance's website and noticed they only offer the open pro w/105 in a 32 hole. If I can find it in a 36 I think I'll go for it. I believe I'm riding 23mm wide tires wouldn't go any bigger.


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## Lifelover (Jul 8, 2004)

*Whole new thread!*



bjm said:


> I go about 6'4/260...........I believe I'm riding 23mm wide tires wouldn't go any bigger.


Once you decide on a rim you may want to start a new thread about tire sizes?


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

*Fork clearance may limit your tire size.*

I am a big guy and I use Salsa Delgado rims on my commuter since I ride a mix of road, dirt, and MUT. I use a 28mm tire on the rear and a 25mm on the front. I have a steel fork designed for clearance with long reach brakes and fenders. I can get a 25mm tire on my race bike with it's Mizuno fork, but I can't go bigger than that. My merckx has a reynolds fork that won't take a 25mm. The tires I use for training and commuting are gatorskins and armadillos, both tend to run big. You can get vredensteins in 25mm that are very race worthy and would probably lessen your wheel problems. I never liked the open pros, but I like the CPX33 rims. A well built wheel using those rims would probably work for you even in 32H. The velocity rims are quality as well. Get your wheelset built "big guy" style by using 3 cross, 14g in the rear and 14/15g DB in the front.


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