Rolling Old School!
That's right, I will be sporting some Mavic GP-4 hoops, 24 front, 28 rear. I found these brand new rims covered under some cobwebs in the back corner of my LBS and had my man Billy build them up for me. All you retro-grouches out there: get a nice shade of envious green!
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At Tour de Georgia, I left a note for our mechanic. For Brasstown Bald I wanted a GEL 280 on the front and a GL330 on the rear.
If you know what I'm talking about, then you are as cool as you and I think you are. Otherwise, I have been mislead.
Mavic GEL 280 1984 36H 280gram tubular, dark grey, red label
Mavic GEL 280 1984 700C, 32H. 303 gram tubular.
Mavic GL330 red label 1990 700C, 32H. 330gram tubular.
Nice wheels! Did your mechanic get 'em for the Brasstown Bald stage?
Ha ha, those rims are only found in cobwebbed basements now I'm afraid. We rolled Shimano shallow carbons, which are some really sweet wheels.
I do long for the old rims though. My 280 was a 28 hole with a Sampson titanium hub. Rear was 32 hole Dura-Ace.
I always laughed when everyone bought the Mavic Heliums. Sure the hub was a new design but the rims were basically the same old thing, painted red. Light wheels had been around for decades. Marketing genius.
I run 330s on my cross bike. My buddy (who is under the age of 30) uses 330s to ride around town and train on.
Everyone needs to quit acting like they are so cool cause we know old Mavic shit.
Of course a 24H GP4 is pretty damn cool...
If we're not cool, then we're just old. Not ready to admit it yet
GP4! Those are heavy and crack easy. Get some SSC Bleus if your gonna go tank. Super Champion Arc en Ciels were the ultimate crit rim, reasonably light (330 gm) yet strong enough to eat potholes and not let you down. A skinny runt like you could easily do Medal D'or's for crits if you weren't so damn clumsy. Better yet, dig out the shot peened HI-E rims and run Robergel 15/17 long butted 24 radial front, 28 rear 2x, radial. Hi/Lo hub rear, hi flange front.
Super Champion rims were light and unlike Mavic, not brittle. They would dent without breaking which means you could eat potholes and jump curbs and still finish the race instead of breaking like a Mavic, Ambrosio, or even worse, a NISI. (probably the worst rim ever made)
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