Submitted by
Bird
a Weekend Warrior
from Las Pinas, Philippines
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2003
Strengths: -very strong
Bottom Line:
very good value for my money. rims arear very strong. I use it for all around riding. I just put on narrow tires for XC riding . and wide tires for DH. I do a lot of 2 1/3-foot drops to flat on cement and 3-foot drops on soil, and these rims still is true as the day I had had them laced. And to think I bought them second hand.
Strengths: good strong nice and wide, also its not american made, YEEAAH! Its european made (by people who arnt up their own asses and actaully make good products instaed of just bragging that they do) like crappy suns or something. I've run these rims for over 5 year now and they're still going strong, even if they do need attention with a spoke key evey now and then. Also its a mavic, and there's a reason most of the worlds pro (road and mtb)rider's ride mavic, enough said.
Weaknesses: warrenty sucks also they dent fairly easily compared to more recent maxtal mavic rims, and go out of true more easily, but they always go back staright and never seem to lose streingth because of it.
Bottom Line:
a good solid rim, sahme its not mad eany more, but then the d521 is even better :-D
Strengths: Its so strong that I can do anything that anyone can do! Put me to the test and it will hold. I doesn't bend or get flat spots easily!! Its great!
Weaknesses: NUTTIN IT ROCKS
Bottom Line:
I've only had it for a week or so but I have beaten the crap outta it you cant do anything to it!!! I am a cross country/Downhiller so this rim is perfect for it. I am a teenager and I weigh 150 and this is meant for 250 pound people (lil under that weight huh) and that will be hard to bend even if you were 250. Get this rim. Anyone who says it sucks is B/s everyone they dont know anything!!
Similar Products Used: Some stupid sun rim that sucked
Bike Setup: Cannondale f400, THIS RIM! Bontrager cranks, and more....
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Matt Berg
a Cross Country Rider
from Madison, WI (MADTOWN)
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2000
Strengths: -Eyelets that start one the inside walls which better distributes the stress induced by the spokes via the nipples(the mavic 521,newer design, has eyelets that are only on the inside wall and I've seen them pull through). Mavic no longer produces this rim unfutunately.
-relatively thick braking surface(i.e. brake pads will not wear through rim wall easily.)
-relatively wide rim cross section(with the low pressures, (30-35 psi)I run my rigid single speed I some times have problems with the tire folding over in the tecky stuff with slimmer rims.
Weaknesses: -I can't say the weight of the rim because they are designed to be bomber.
-Mavic's waranty Departmen is well...not so cool. They don't stand behind their products. I have had no problems with this rim, but working in a bike shop, I've seen Mavic on many occasions turn down waranty rims were eyelets have pulled through. When a eyelet pulls through the rim, no questions asked it should be replaced. That's wack! A customer of mine (weight ~155lbf) had a pair of crossmax which had one eylet pull through. The warranty department at Mavic said that he was most likely a heavy rider, and their crossmax wheels were not designed to take the punishment. Again I'll say that is wack!
-Produced on the other side of the pond(that's the Alantic for all you jokers that have blood shot eyes and are smoking rocks). Frenchy stuff BOOOOO... American stuff YEAHHHHHHHH!!!
Bottom Line:
Tough rim in combination with a dishless hub(most rims are tough). The eyelets seem to be good. Becareful about buying wheels over the internet, most of them are of them are machine built. Go to your local bike shop and have them build your wheels, you will have better results with a hand built wheel set, and knowing the hands that built them.
Learn how to true your own wheels if you have a high zoot bike...work on your own stuff!!!!! LEARN!!!!! For the love of Good ,sit down with a bottle of gin(as I'm now HE HE;)) and learn!!!!!! It is waack if you don't know how adjust your own bike, and the guys and gals down at your local bike shop will be happy to inpart you with any info on how to adjust your bike.
About the rim Matt says, "ok value @ $50...poor warranty if problems araise..good rim."
Similar Products Used: Rihno lites 32 and 36 hole Mavic 517, 217, 221 ( all 32 hole)
Bike Setup: Single speed wheel, Paul Word hub(Paul word hub builds a dishless wheel, which is bomber man!)Alloy nipples with 14 gauge D.T.s, four cross pattern
This rim is a real shame. I use it on the front of my mid-weight FS rig, and folded it the first time I landed on it. It's laced to a massive hub with some large spokes. I've had cheapo XC rims that have done better. If you don't plan to leave the ground when riding, it's fine, but otherwise it's worthless.
Submitted by
Gump
a Cross-Country Rider
from Boulder,CO
Date Reviewed: August 21, 1999
Strengths: Strong,long-lasting,available in 36-hole version
Weaknesses: A bit heavy for XC
Bottom Line:
I weigh approx 160-170lbs and love the rough stuff and speed. Had a problem bending/warping/tacoing front rims. As a result, I built a 121/36hole/LXhub (14g straight spokes, 3cross?) for the front. Noticeably heavy, but noticebly perfectly round and in true (without adjustments) after a year's worth of hard riding. I've done both XC and downhill trails (rough ones) and found that I could finally count on a wheel to hold up. Sometimes I wonder if the lighter rims would work if they came in 36hole? I've had to work on the rear wheel (mustang) 2 or three times since I added the 121 front. Sure, I don't like the extra weight, but I think it's light in proportion to it's strength.
Bike Setup: i ahve them on my campus/play bike. built on xt hubs with straight gauge 2.0 spokes 3 cross. i doubt i'll trash these wheels
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
rob
a weekend warrior
from Sheffield, UK
Date Reviewed: February 8, 1999
Bottom Line:
Like most of the people here I would agree the 121 is a damn fine rim, especially if like me you weigh 14stone (thats 196lb, in american) and ride a hardtail, hard. I've used bontrager bcx and also had a 217 on the back, both of which were quickly taco'd. The 121 has been one the rear wheel, laced to a 7 speed stx-rc hub with plain guage spokes for 2 years now and I've hardly had to touch it wit a spoke spanner (wrench). It does weigh quite a bit though, but that just means a better workout for my thighs on the ups and a more stable line on the downs. I'll keep th 217 up front though.
Me, my brother and my father all have the mavic 121 ceramics on our bikes. We really like this rim because it's not to heavy, but it's very strong. Because of the ceramic side walls they brake very good and they don't ware out soon, you can brake with them for more than a year.
Submitted by
Nedeljko Zoric
a weekend warrior
from Croatia,Zagreb
Date Reviewed: September 9, 1998
Bottom Line:
I have this rim for a 3 month, it is a 121/XT-32holes/DT on a rear wheel and they do worth the money!!! Great rim, no question about it, little bit havier then usual cross-country rim but rim did not been tuned since I purchased it. I got now another set of XT-36holes hub set and collecting the money for a new set of thesse rims for my bike(Cannondale M2000 full rigid :)) I bought another set of hubs(36 holes) because I am a big,heavy WEEKEND WARRIOR. :) Probably I will not be able to find thesse 121 rims because the new model is 521, but it should be the same. There is no doubt about the rating...5 chillies
The Mavic 121 rims are a quality set of rims for hard riders. Their very strong for DH and for any other use. I personelly use them for trials riding which I have had for 10 months and are hardly out of true. Their light weight and are durable for £40 English money. Very good!
Submitted by
Chris
a downhiller
from Vienna/Austria/Europe
Date Reviewed: June 11, 1998
Bottom Line:
My first front-121 broke on my second DH. Heavy crash, but nthing much happened to me. I bought anotjher one which holded nearly one year. No I changed to disc-brake and so now I've the 121 ceramic on fornt (I know, that's luxury, but I hdn't to pay anything). On rear I have my 121 since last year. And although I had no rear-suspension last year they are like new. Additionally they are the only DH rims you get in Austria (no Sun's). I see no reason to change to the new D521.
Submitted by
seth
a weekend warrior
from Lancaster CA
Date Reviewed: June 3, 1998
Bottom Line:
Very, strong. A little heavy but I don't race. I know I have a rim/wheelset that can, and has taken major abuse! I have 36 hole version with 14G spokes and brass nipples. The wheels were built by Colorado Cyclist for about $200. After one year of use they have never gone out of true. I weigh close to 200lbs and ride rocky, rough, trails. One local trail would throw my old rear Sun CR17A out of true every ride. Switched to the 121's and never had another problem. Adds 1/2 inch width to any tire you put on because it's so wide. Most likely overkill for lighter guys, a must for heavier riders!Hint for V-brake users: Reverse the pad spacers for these really wide rims.
