Mavic m231/Araya TM-820

[Bobbzilla]

My question is kinda more about opinion than value but:

I have two wheelsets and will likely let one go, but I'm unsure which. The main use will be medium XC riding but nothing super crazy, it'll be on a very old bike. Another consideration is that I might try hydro v brakes if I get a good deal on them and I've heard strong rims are recommended.

Mavic m231 w/ Suntour MD8 hubs
or
Araya TM-820 w/ STX RC8 hubs

If the differences between the two are negligible, I will most likely sell the more expensive one to fund my future build plans.

Any interesting info on any of these components is also appreciated, especially the Suntour MD8/suntour xc pro group!

 

[hamster]

I've run 231s on my tourer for 25 years with Magura HS77 hydros. Good rims, although the braking track is a bit narrow.

 

[jimo746]

With the Suntour hubs, do you not also need to use a Suntour cassette (I could be wrong, it's been a few years since I had a Suntour wheel set but I remember it being a bit awkward finding a Suntour cassette).
Personally I'd go for the Mavic M231/STX wheels, they're pretty strong, easily enough for xc riding, and I've used M231 rims with Magura hydraulic rim brakes for years.

 

[FluffyChicken]

TM820 are ace rims, matched with them hubs will last ages, better than the M231s.
Have a set going on and on on my commuted, abused etc.
Also have plenty of M231 setups, but the Araya are just better for a general bike.

That Suntour Microdrive, needs a Suntour 8speed MD shifting setup to go with it. Comp or Pro?

That will probably make your choice.

 

[FluffyChicken]

None of these would suit very old bike, just your normal old bikes, 1992/3 for the Suntour+Mavic, the STX+Araya will be newer, say 1994/5
Very old bikes use rod brakes and sturmey archer.....

 

[Bobbzilla]

TM820 are ace rims, matched with them hubs will last ages, better than the M231s.
Have a set going on and on on my commuted, abused etc.
Also have plenty of M231 setups, but the Araya are just better for a general bike.

That Suntour Microdrive, needs a Suntour 8speed MD shifting setup to go with it. Comp or Pro?

That will probably make your choice.

Sorry for no reply, the Mavic and XC PRO groupset came off of a Cadex CFM 2 I got for 150$. I ended up doing a bit of bike part musical chairs with my bikes and now the Cadex has an LX rear derailleur so I can use a different mavic disc brake wheelset I got with a Shimano cassette.

The XC Pro stuff and Mavic rims will be sold after my move to a new apartment, which is a shame because I like the idea of running the Suntour stuff. It not being another shimano shifter is appealing to me, but alas.

Another quick question though, I have some real old disc brakes (Magura louise - 1st gen 90's model?) and the rear caliper is direct-mount to 50mm IS. The caliper is a bit too fat to fit on my mount and has made me scratch my head a little as to how they were supposed to fit on any other bike. I've attached a photo of how they look, I cant find any pictures of something like this on an actual bike on google.