Where are the rims at???

[emersungold]

Hello all - I have a number of XTR M950 hubs I'd like to build up and I'd love some period correct Mavic rims (217, 517, 717) but I've had a hard time sourcing any.

Does anyone know of a good source for 90's mtb 26" rims in North America?

Alternatively, are there any new rims on the market that are comparable to what was available in the 90's?

Also, just daydreaming here, but wouldn't it be great if Mavic reissued some rims from the past? Seems like a missed opportunity given the continued interest in riding and restoring vintage mountain bikes. Panaracer seems to have noticed this by opting to continue manufacturing the Smoke & Dart.

Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions it'd be appreciated!

 

[CrossFred1978]

Hello all - I have a number of XTR M950 hubs I'd like to build up and I'd love some period correct Mavic rims (217, 517, 717) but I've had a hard time sourcing any.

Does anyone know of a good source for 26" rims in North America?

Alternatively, are there any new rims on the market that are comparable what was available in the 90's?

Also, just daydreaming here, but wouldn't it be great if Mavic reissued some rims from the past? Seems like a missed opportunity given the continued interest in riding and restoring vintage mountain bikes. Panaracer seems to have noticed this by opting to continue manufacturing the Smoke & Dart.

Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions it'd be appreciated!

Hi, totally agree with you about Mavic reissuing rims. Recently when needing some new rims for an early '90s build I came across a brand called Exal which from what I can make out are Belgium and are the remnants of the old Alesa rims company.
Not sure if Alesa was common in the USA?
Anyway I ended up with Exal LX 17 rims for £16 each and are very retro looking and come in silver or black finish with double eyelets.
https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m20b0s116p5179/EXAL-LX17-26-inch-(559)-Rim

Maybe these are available your side of the pond?

 

[emersungold]

Hi, totally agree with you about Mavic reissuing rims. Recently when needing some new rims for an early '90s build I came across a brand called Exal which from what I can make out are Belgium and are the remnants of the old Alesa rims company.
Not sure if Alesa was common in the USA?
Anyway I ended up with Exal LX 17 rims for £16 each and are very retro looking and come in silver or black finish with double eyelets.
https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m20b0s116p5179/EXAL-LX17-26-inch-(559)-Rim

Maybe these are available your side of the pond?

thanks for the suggestion @CrossFred1978 ! i'll look into Exal and search for suppliers here in NA - price seems very reasonable. cheers