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Submitted by
Daniel Johnson
a Weekend Warrior
from Richardson, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: March 1, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Lake Grapevine | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Strengths: | -Strong
-Light weight | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | Alex Rims | | Bike Setup: | Raleigh M40, XT crankset, LX Hydraulic Disc brakes, Mavic 217's with XT hubs | | Bottom Line: | These wheels have been great. No problems whatsoever. I dont ride super hard... so I cant really say I have abused them or seriously put them to the test. But for around the town and the occasional ride down mountains in Colorado... these wheels have been fabulous. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mtdewd
a Cross Country Rider
from Pasadena, California
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$55.00 | | Purchased At: | South County Cyclery, SJC, CA | | Strengths: | Light weight, starts out round. | | Weaknesses: | Kind of flimsy.
Rims started to crack from the inside after consistent commuting.
High cost. | | Similar Products Used: | Velocity Aeroheat | | Bike Setup: | GT Zaskar, full XT, Rockshoks Judy SL, Speed Springs, Gem | | Bottom Line: | I think these were part of a component package that GT used to build a really light weight bike. When I bought the bike (1995), 24 pounds for a hard tail was pretty good. It had Richey Logic spokes, which were again, light weight, but did not keep the wheels true for very long; even moderate hits would cause wobbles in the rim.
I stopped riding this bike off road when I got my LTS. Then 5 years ago, I started to commute regularly with the Zaskar. This consists of 17 miles round trip, with about 700 feet total climb, all on pavement. I would take mountainous routes home about once a week, which is like an additional 1500 feet climb and 8 more miles. I do not take jumps, so I thought I was being pretty gentle to the wheels.
But the rim on the back wheel started to fail after about a year of commuting in a most unusual way: Cracks developed around the valve stem hole on the INSIDE wall of the rim, going toward the nearby spoke hole. Everything appeared fine on the outside, but when I applied the rear brakes, it would thump at one spot. It turned out to be the cracked rim being pushed out by tire pressure.
I saw a reviewer of the 217SUP rim ( what's the difference anyway?) having a similar problem, except on his rim, the crack went around the whole circle before he noticed it. This is the only other case I've seen of a damage similar to mine, but I'm sure he was doing much harder riding than I was.
I went through 2 more like this, again all from mostly road riding, so I thought there might be a pattern going on with this model. Funny thing is, I also went through two Velocity Aeroheat rims as well, cracking them in the same places, so maybe it was something I was doing?. At least those rims were much cheaper. So on average, each rim lasted about a year.
I'm giving these rims 2 chilis for value due to their cost, and 3 for overall because they were light weight and worked pretty well when they were working.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
M Snow
a Cross Country Rider
from Mesa
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Inexpensive, came with the bike. | | Weaknesses: | flimsy, folds up easy, | | Similar Products Used: | Velocity VXC Disc specific, Velocity Aero Heat, Mavic 223, | | Bike Setup: | Titus xt/xtr etc... | | Bottom Line: | These are cheap flimsy wheels to put on your bike when your selling it. Keep the good wheels for your new ride. I am not a young, heavy nor hard rider and I tacoed these with very little effort in a soft corner. It should have washed out the tire instead of folding up the rim. It also doesn't add any value since its made in France. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Erik
a
from Marblehead, MA
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Weaknesses: | Let me add my name to the list of those who say these suck. I'm a mid-level freerider and they bend left and right. I've replaced both front and back twice and have had them trued countless times. Don't waste your money on them (if you can still find them). | | Bottom Line: | Suck | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Lee
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco, Ca.
Date Reviewed: February 25, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Mt. Tam | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | Big Swigin Cyclery | | Strengths: | Tubeless | | Weaknesses: | To much flex. Very soft feel. | | Similar Products Used: | Bontrager offset spoke wheelset. | | Bike Setup: | Klien Adept Comp. All XTR components. XT cranks and bottom bracket. | | Bottom Line: | These wheels can't hold up to much punishment. They are way to flexy. These wheels start to rub my rear stays after 2 rides. I can't keep these wheel true. I have broken 3 spokes in the past 3 months. Throw these in the recycle bin after 2 rides. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Markus
a Weekend Warrior
from Dresden, Germany
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Borsberg | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Stock on my Giant Super Sierra '95 | | Strengths: | Lightweight, strong | | Weaknesses: | Tends to wear quickly, esp. using Shimano V-Brakes w/orig. Pads. Had bad squealing action as well | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic X-517, X-138, 221 | | Bike Setup: | Giant Cadex, Jett Race, all XT --> light setup for road and trails (I prefer to ride fast rather than hard) | | Bottom Line: | I prefer the 217's over the 517 for two reasons:
The ores are fitted better (they go thru both layers).
The alloy does not break as easy. I had two 517's split around the diameter after 10-15'000 km. If you ride much, take the extra weight and use 217's.
217's are perfect for rear wheel. For front I recommend 517's. Bottom line: 5 years-15'000 km and still going strong--that's got to be at least 5 of the chilis!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
your worst nightmare
a Cross Country Rider
from or
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | anything with big drops | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | they are round....seem to work for those hardcore road mountain bikers (you know who you are) | | Weaknesses: | they are about as strong as a wet noodle. I have had three of these (cheers to mavic's customer service!)and have finally broken out of the cycle. | | Similar Products Used: | cane creek (wonderful), weinnman zac (not so good) | | Bike Setup: | GT Zaskar, psylo race, crap rims (for now), xtr, race face, etc... | | Bottom Line: | these rims suck, if you want some rims that have the "right name" to ride around town on and impress your friends buy these. if you plan on riding off road dont buy these. if you plan on jumping more than 2-3 inches, dont buy these. Mavic, get a grip and make better rims! I would suggest cane creek's to anyone who wants an excelletn wheel/rim combo, and for the budget minded rhyno lite's. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nathan
a
from Ft. Thomas
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | tower park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$43.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Light... kind of | | Weaknesses: | Sidewall wear, far too narrow, FLexY, weak | | Similar Products Used: | None worth mentioning | | Bike Setup: | Schwinn Mesa(score!!!)Marzzocchi Z2 BAM Soon to have LX/Sun Rhino Lite wheels... | | Bottom Line: | I had for 2 months and the sidewalls are paper thin. THat is a problem. That's all I got to say right now cause I'm tired. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daryl
a Cross Country Rider
from Mountain View, CA
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$260.00 | | Purchased At: | RBMSports (Northern Cal.) | | Strengths: | Wheelset runs smooth on the steepest of climbs. Good value (back in 1998 when I bought them). More than enough rim for your lightweight, light riding weekend warrior/commuter. | | Weaknesses: | Braking surface degrades easily. Brake fading is a problem, a short term fix for which is rubbing a scouring pad [those rough green things used to scrub pots and pans] lightly across the surface to remove brakedust/dirt/grime. | | Similar Products Used: | These are my first and only off-road specific wheelset. | | Bike Setup: | Specialized S-Works hardtail. Custom built to my desires. Wheelset: Mavic 217 SUP f/r in rainbow color. LX V-Brakes [upgraded to XTR V-Brakes and braking performance did not improve much cuz sidewalls are so out of shape]. STOUT front w/skraxle radial laced 32hole, and Shimano XT rear stdQR 2x laced 32hole. | | Bottom Line: | These rims are no longer in production and have been replaced by the X517 XC series. If you find these for cheap, don't get them! There are better wheelsets/rims available these days. Mavic has greatly improved on their design since the 217 design rim.
I've had these for over three years only because I don't plan to upgrade to disc. They'll suffice for the XC/street riding I perform daily. Not the sturdiest on rough terrain, but can easily handle any uphill ascent you dare to climb.
They've been re-trued 4 times and have had two spokes replace on the rear wheel (I basically threw a cone wrench at it. *TWANG* two bent spokes.) I learned that keeping your spokes properly tensioned is s-u-p-e-r-i-m-p-o-r-t-a-n-t. Check them after a few rides, and especially if you hear spoke noise coming from your wheels. Fix it immediately. This will extend the life of your wheels. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a
from Bellingham, WA
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | light | | Weaknesses: | weak | | Similar Products Used: | rhino lite | | Bike Setup: | 01 enduro. hayes | | Bottom Line: | Good for XC riding. I have messed my rear one up pretty good, but I ride hard on it. I'm planning on upgrading to the Rhyno Lite once I taco this one. Not a terrible rim, but I just need a burlier one. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rebel .
a Downhiller
from Mill Valley, CA
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | O.R.G. | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Bryceco (?) | | Strengths: | Strong, stiff, light, fast...all the high points of a rim. I used to run the weaker SUP rims (I can't remember what they're called) and they stayed quite true, and these haven't bent yet! | | Weaknesses: | None...well sometimes they're a bit flimsy under heavy abuse. | | Similar Products Used: | Sun Rhynolite, CR18, 0° Lite, etc. | | Bike Setup: | '98 FSR Elite w/MRP 6.2" upgrade, '98 Boxxer Pro 6", Hope rear Magura front discs, XTR rear derailleur, XT shifter, MRP chainguide, Raceface Turbine LPs, Tioga and WTB tires...oh yeah, and a 217 SUP front rim...Rhynolite rear. | | Bottom Line: | Get these rims. They haven't given me any trouble yet. I use them for downhill, most often. They're straighter than my Rhynolite, if that tells you anything. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nicolai Grøndahl
a Cross Country Rider
from Kongsvinger
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | light. it's mavic! (oh yeah!)(uh) looks cool | | Weaknesses: | weak - i mean really weak. expensive -u have to by new ones every month if u want to have true rims all the time. the spokes get loose after two weeks of riding | | Similar Products Used: | mavic 138 | | Bike Setup: | cyclepro (unknown but very good)alu frame really stiff, xt/lx, rockshox judy xc | | Bottom Line: | Because too many riders demand lighter stuff, things worn out quicker. I want stronger stuff that lasts, but it seems that everyone wants bad sucky worn-me-out-quick-let's-buy-a-new-one-tomorrow-i-don't-care stuff. This makes me sick. Another problem with 217's is that they come on many new bikes, if u want some other ones, u have to buy them later. So I recommend hard-core xc bikers to stay away from 217 and buy some stronger rims. If u don't want to ride rocky and difficult trails go for them, they are light and nice to look at. Next time I buy rims I will buy the 121's. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
MATT MULLEN
a Cross Country Rider
from SHEFFIELD IN UK
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | LIGHT WEIGHT | | Weaknesses: | WEARS OUT QUICKER THAN EXPECTED | | Similar Products Used: | MAVIC 221 | | Bike Setup: | HARDTAIL | | Bottom Line: | I BOUGHT A MAVIC 217 WITH SHIMANO XT HUBS FOR £110 WHICH WASNT A BAD PRICE BACK IN OCT 97. THE FRONT RIM IS STILL GOING ALTHOUGH ITS QUITE WORN, SOON TO BE REPLACED WITH MY NEW 517 WITH PACE HUB (LUVERLY). THE REAR 217 SPLIT AFTER THE SIDEWALLS WERE WORN OUT WHILST OUT ON A RIDE (RIM HELD TOGETHER JUST ENOUGH FOR ME TO GET BACK HOME). THE SHEFFIELD MUD WEARS RIMS OUT LIKE A GRINDER ESPECIALLY WITH V BRAKES. THE REAR WAS REPLACED IN APR 99 WITH A SYNCROS XLR (SEE MY ASSESMENT OF THAT PRODUCT). ANYWAY, TO SUMMARISE THE FRONT HAS LASTED WELL BUT IS OUT OF TRUE (4CHILLIS), THE REAR WORE OUT AFTER 18 MONTHS & HAD TO BE TRUED A FEW MORE TIMES THAN I EXPECTED (3CHILLIS). SO OVERALL 3.5 CHILLIS. YOU CANT DO HALF CHILI RATINGS SO I GAVE IT A 4 CHILI BURSTING SCORE. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, Australia
Date Reviewed: February 9, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Blue Moountains | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | Sidewalls ware and crack, or rim fractures around eyelets. | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic 517 | | Bike Setup: | 98 Specialized M2 S-Works, King Headset, Marzochi Z2 forks. | | Bottom Line: | The bike came with 217 rims and I wore the rear rim out in 9 months. The sidewall wore thin then split. I replaced it with another 217 and 12 months later the same thing happened. I replaced that with a x517 and it broke this time with a fracture between the eyelets and valve hole. They look good and come higly recomended but are simply not up the punishment of 4 day a week riding. I have just replaced it with a D521. Hopefully this will last a little longer. If your a weekend warrior there probably fine, anything more than that, look for something a little more robust. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from California
Date Reviewed: December 31, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
All singletrack | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
they roll | | Weaknesses: |
these rims do not stay true,brake surface wears quickly,rims cracks at eyelets. | | Similar Products Used: |
221 and bontrager mustangs | | Bike Setup: |
Rocky Element with z-1 bam all xt | | Bottom Line: | These rims are not good for agressive riding in rock gardens.Mavic 217s might better suit X/c racers or paved bike path riders. No stars. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Owen
a Weekend Warrior
from Sibu , Sarawak , Malaysia
Date Reviewed: December 25, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
local | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Solid-aerospacy looking.
Durable.
Professional. | | Weaknesses: |
Dirt on it can't be scrubbed off. | | Similar Products Used: |
Araya RM 17 Super Hard | | Bike Setup: |
GT Avalanche LE frame.
Manitou SX-Ti 97
SHIMANO XT group set. | | Bottom Line: | Worth the buy. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alvin
a Weekend Warrior
from Concord, CA
Date Reviewed: September 27, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Briones Canyon | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Name Brand, looks | | Weaknesses: |
None | | Similar Products Used: |
Mavic 238, Weinmann, Araya, Concept | | Bike Setup: |
Dean Oscar Custom, XT/XTR mix, SDG Seat, Race Face cranks, Answer Hyperlite/Hyperends, Ame grips, Time ATAC Carbon pedals, Dean Stem/post, Mavic 217/GT CNC wheels, Bontrager Revolt SS tire pair, Sachs PC-51 chain, SID XC | | Bottom Line: | These are great rims. I got the gold anno color, DT laced to GT CNC hubs. They contrast well with my SID blue frame and fork. No complaints. Please see my other review under the setup section. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hunter
a Cross-Country Rider
from Orlando, Fl
Date Reviewed: September 14, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Ocala Hard Rock | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
Durability and affordability for a novice rider. | | Weaknesses: |
When riding gets hard core, this rim cannot hang. | | Similar Products Used: |
Original garbage which initilally came with bike, Mavic 138's. | | Bike Setup: |
Schwinn Moab, Marzocchi Jr.T (Don't criticize DH shock setup on a hardtail until you see my riding style...punk) :-) | | Bottom Line: | These rims gave a novice rider nearly two years of dependable service. If you are a mid grade rider looking to upgrade reasonably, the 217's are a good choice. Also, these rims held up respectably when my urban assault riding got crazy (jumping) and my cross coutry became more demanding (rocky decents @ Hard Rock and Bellevue). Therfore, they will hold up in your improvement stage as long as you keep them trued by a MASTER WHEEL TECH. That is until you ride enough to earn a try on the high end stuff! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mtnbike001
a Cross-Country Rider
from San Leandro, Ca.
Date Reviewed: September 6, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
none!! | | Weaknesses: |
no eyelets on the rim. I pulled the spokes thru on the rims and each spoke hole was starting to develope cracks | | Similar Products Used: |
Now ride WTB PowerBeam rims with titanium spokes and XTR hubs. Awesome setup!! | | Bike Setup: |
Merlin titanium bike with a Manitou fork | | Bottom Line: | Never again will I purchase a Mavic rim - either for my road bike or mountain bike.... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rat man
a Weekend Warrior
from England
Date Reviewed: September 3, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Ermmm... light. | | Weaknesses: |
Sidewalls. Stickers come off. colors fade. | | Similar Products Used: |
most rims. | | Bike Setup: |
F/s with v's | | Bottom Line: | I didnt have them long. The kept on folding with the sidewalls. Steer clear if you are moderately heavy on wheels. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chaz
a Cross-Country Rider
from amherst
Date Reviewed: August 29, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
mt lincoln | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
um... | | Weaknesses: |
they suck | | Similar Products Used: |
matrix swami | | Bottom Line: | these rims suck. i have to true them after every couple rides. the first pair i got, about a year ago, was shit after like 2 months. i was up at mt. snow for the NORBA race, so i took it to the mavic tent and they said it was just a bad rim of the bunch, so they replaced it for free. that one held up fine for awhile, then got all shitty on me, but since mavic is a cool company and knows that their rims suck, the replaced it again. if it weren't for the fact that i keep getting free rims, i'd ditch them. i think though that i'll soon build me up some new wheels with either King or Real hubs, laced to some Bonty's. giddyup! 2 stars because i get free rims | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
LG
a Cross-Country Rider
from NY
Date Reviewed: August 23, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Bike Setup: |
1. GF ZO XT,XTR,KING,TIME,AZONIC,
217S/XTR
2. SANTACRUZ HECKLER
XTR,KING,MONKEYLIGHTS,KORE,TIME,517S/XTR. | | Bottom Line: | I dont understand I had a pr silver 217s w/xt strung by wheelsmith and they sucked, similiar to all the responses below. Then My LBS built me an anodized pair w/xtr? I'm a 200 lb guy who beats the crap out of wheels. Theres bairly a wobble in them maybe 2 minor truings! 14 g double butted w/ alu. nipples. I dont get it why all these complaints! I rode these wheels 3 days a week for three years they're fine!?!?!? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Trick
a Cross-Country Rider
from Marietta, Ga
Date Reviewed: August 23, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Chicopee Woods | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Bombproof, light, SUP machined Surface | | Weaknesses: |
Eyelets rip out of older 217 - like pre '95 when they were single eyelet style. Newer ones are double eyelet and don't suffer from this. | | Similar Products Used: |
Sun Chinook, Trek Matrix, Bontrager | | Bike Setup: |
99 McMahon Moonshot, White Bros. SC90AT, XTR, blah, blah, blah... | | Bottom Line: | Sorry people, but all you folks that complain about your rims coming out of true all the time suffer from the same problem. Whoever built your wheels did a sh*tty job at it. Just because some snot-nosed punk at your local bike shop hand built them using a barnetts manual doesn't mean that he knows what the hell he's doing. There's only a few people out there that really know how to build a strong wheel. I got 3.5 years and over 5000 miles out of a set of old, single eyelet 217's on XTR hubs - and I'm a 210lb. sport class racer. It's not the rim or the spokes or the hubs... It's the BUILDER!!! Look at a set of Crosslink wheels. Compare the rim to a 217. Same technology, same materials, same mfg. process. If you want a set of bombproof wheels that you aren't gong to have to true every ride, get 'em made by someone like Kovachi Wheels, or another reputable shop. 217's are a great choice for XC riding and racing. Now, that said, if you freeride or downhill on these babies, you're a dumbass - they're not made for it, so stop complaining and research your wheels before you buy them. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gump
a Cross-Country Rider
from Boulder,CO
Date Reviewed: August 23, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
techy/rough singletrack | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
When new, they are round | | Weaknesses: |
Just plain weak | | Similar Products Used: |
Mav-121;Matrix-Swami+voodoo;Bont-Maverick | | Bike Setup: |
TrekY50; | | Bottom Line: | I tried these rims twice because, at the time, many locals (Texas) were smilin' at 'em. I couldn't understand why they kept changing shape so much. Yes, they were built well. I like riding the rough stuff, but these would warp (out of true) on the easy stuff. One also started rattling early on. Mavic needs to let the clay harden more on these noodles. Won't ever use 'em again. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Craig
a Racer
from halifax
Date Reviewed: July 4, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Bottom Line: | These are the worst rims you can bye for the price. The eyelits pull out of the rim. This happend on 3 cosecutive rims. Bye Sun,Bontreger,or a complete mavic wheel like cross max or cross link. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex
a Racer
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: June 16, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
it's black? | | Weaknesses: |
cookie cutter.... | | Similar Products Used: |
Stock rim, and Rhyno Lites | | Bike Setup: |
Giant ATX860 frame
99xvertR, etc..
a D/S rig | | Bottom Line: | These are a piece of $h1t. I bought one for the rear from a friend of mine who works at the LBS. 14 straight gauge, GT sealed hub, ridden only few times (and he is easy rider), sounded like good rim.
ErrrrrT! wrong!. Rode em for a while round the city, don't some little drops (3ft or less) as I wanted this one to last till I got my Rhyno's..
Got em trued by a good mechanic, straight as arrow. Went riding ONCE offroad doing some easy ST and $h1t. RIM WAY OUTTA WACK! 2 spokes being pulled right outta the eyelets.
WTF is that? I just let em die.
Took couple of weeks of light riding (for me) for this rim to become a example of what a rim is NOT supposed to look like. Buy Rhyno's. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
C-Dale Man
a Cross-Country Rider
from CA
Date Reviewed: June 7, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
too many | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
good affordable rims | | Weaknesses: |
not the best out there | | Bike Setup: |
Super V 700 | | Bottom Line: | The 217 are pretty nice rims. My XTR's on them results in very good braking power. But, this isn't the best rim out there. They are kinda heavy, and is it me or do they attract dirt like crazy!? Anyway, i suppose as affordable, decent rims they are just perfect, but overall I have to give them 3 chillies. good rims. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross-Country Rider
from Virginia
Date Reviewed: May 30, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Wakefield | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Machined sidewall | | Weaknesses: |
seam brace
price
quality
contacting mavic
warranty | | Similar Products Used: |
Bontrager Mustang
Bontrager Maverick
Mavic 221 | | Bike Setup: |
Specialized Stumpjumper,XTR,Judy SL | | Bottom Line: | For the price these things suck. Five rides on my 36h 217 and the seam brace came loose and clanks around like it is new years. Rode it until it was trashed and then replaced it with a another 217. First ride out and the same thing happened. At $50 a pop these should hold up a little better. One chili for quality and warranty. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
point-G
a Racer
from Washington
Date Reviewed: May 29, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Pretty light.
Not terribly expensive. | | Weaknesses: |
Nipple ports are WAAY to thin. I came down off a 4ft wall onto a gravel driveway with a slackly tuned Bomber and punched 4 spokes through my tire. | | Similar Products Used: |
Mavic 517
WTB powerbeams
Bontrager Maveric | | Bike Setup: |
I was on a Easton Aluminum hardtail with a A-bomb and Nuke proof bombshells, DT competition DB spokes and brass nipples. | | Bottom Line: | Probobly too light for their own good. However they did last a whole year of hard riding -
I would not buy these again. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Abe Taylor
a Weekend Warrior
from Auburn Cali.
Date Reviewed: May 24, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
any that goes downhill | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
what strengths? | | Weaknesses: |
They collapse if you look at them crosseyed. | | Similar Products Used: |
Sun CR18's, Sun TR18's, Sun Rhino Lite's | | Bike Setup: |
'98 Cannondale f1000, Fatty headshok, XT comps. | | Bottom Line: | They wobble and handle like a road bike on sand | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Manfred
a Cross-Country Rider
from Amsterdam
Date Reviewed: May 21, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Low weight
Stiffness
Ease of trueing | | Weaknesses: |
Not bombproof
Takes a lot of polishing when dirty | | Similar Products Used: |
Campagnolo Thorr
Wolber AT 20 | | Bike Setup: |
Shimano shit
The bike is an all rigid carbon/alloy Koga Miyata, this is the Dutch word for heavy weight bomb bike | | Bottom Line: | Best rims I have ever ridden. I use the rims for as long as the are available in the shops. NO Problems. They accelerate fast and stay reasonably true (for my nitpicker measures).
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James Burke
a Cross-Country Rider
from Miami, FL
Date Reviewed: May 17, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Markham Patrk, Oleta, Hardrock | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
Strong, very light | | Weaknesses: |
None, in my experience | | Bike Setup: |
CDale Beast o East w/ XTR | | Bottom Line: | I'm amazed to find that so many people have had problems with these wheels. Mine are Wheelsmith-built with XT hubs. They have been absolutely maintenance-free, and after two years of racing and what I consider some fairly hard riding, they are in excellent shape -- they've never even come out of true! I have been astounded by the performance I've gotten out of these wheels, and would highly recommend them. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross-Country Rider
from Bothell, WA
Date Reviewed: May 15, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
No way I am tellin ya! | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
This wheel is light but wears out far too fast. I have bought four rims in the last 2 years. | | Weaknesses: |
It seems many peolpe including myself are having problems with premature wearing out of the sidewalls. Mine developed cracks and structural failure resulted FOR THE FORTH TIME!!!
The last time my rim was sent back to Mavic and they clamed it was due to normal wear and tear. I wish they would make the sidewalls a bit more durable. | | Bike Setup: |
Gt RTS-3, Bomber Z1 up fornt. | | Bottom Line: | This is the forth Mavic I have had in two years. I am switching brands. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mental MIke
a Weekend Warrior
from Reading, England
Date Reviewed: May 11, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
The Gap, Brecon, Wales | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
This rim is light and pretty cool looking. | | Weaknesses: |
The material it's made from is not strong enough. | | Similar Products Used: |
Bontrager BCX
Orange (made by FIR)
Mavic 230 BSP
Araya | | Bike Setup: |
Rim laced to a rear XT hub with single butted 13/14 gauge DT spokes,in
a rigid True Temper frame. | | Bottom Line: | I built up this wheel myself over three years ago and it has stayed very true throughout that time. However cracks have started to appear from some of the spoke eyelets on the drive side, which is pretty dissapointing considering there's loads of wear left on the side walls. Not Good. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JB
a Cross-Country Rider
from PA
Date Reviewed: May 4, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
These rims are light and stay true if built correctly | | Weaknesses: |
The rim cracked and eyelet pulled through after about 6 months of hard riding. | | Similar Products Used: |
SUN and Mustangs | | Bike Setup: |
Cannondale hardtail (Noleen Elite) and San Andreas (Statos Helix Pro and White Bros. DC-118) | | Bottom Line: | Eventhough these rims were great on my hardtail for XC-racing, but they were trashed when used on my Mountain Cycle for more extreme stuff. Still a better rim than most on the market. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Downhiller
from St. Louise
Date Reviewed: April 28, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Bottom Line: | I agree with Bowis this rim really does not hold up that well to hard riding. Just about every week the wheel would come way out of true. Ever since I got this rim its been nothing but a pain in the ass. Even with my brakes toed out, after a hard ride the rim would be almost touching the pads. Finaly I just sold the rim to my friend, and got a Sun Rino Lite rim, which is much stronger than this rim. Two chilies for always coming out of true, and never holding up to anything. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bowis
a Cross-Country Rider
from Boston
Date Reviewed: April 28, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
They're the industry standard and they're lightweight. Great for smooth x-country. | | Weaknesses: |
Can't hold up to any hard riding. I've gone through two of these in two years, and I've had enough. All it takes is one missed bunnyhop, or a hidden root to fold this rim right up. I've tried higher tire pressure and nothing seems to help. Only get this if you're going to be riding smooth singletrack or you have a soft-tail. | | Similar Products Used: |
Mavic 221, Ritchey Vantage Pro | | Bike Setup: |
DBR WCF 6.0 carbon fiber w/ RS Judy XC (hardtail) | | Bottom Line: | If you can afford new rims every year and you love to true your wheels after each ride, this is a good choice. Otherwise, get a beefier rim and spend more time riding than truing. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Crazy Mike
a Cross-Country Rider
from Tampa, FL
Date Reviewed: April 18, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Morris Bridge, Hardrock | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Indestructible if you know how to ride and have someone who knows how to build wheels build them up for you. | | Weaknesses: |
People that don't know how to ride get sloppy and fold them. They're french but I can excuse that since they work so well. | | Similar Products Used: |
Ritchey Rock rims. WTB Speedmasters. Velocity Aero rims. Low end Mavic(can't remember model) | | Bike Setup: |
Syncros Hub up front and a WTB Paradigm hub in the rear. | | Bottom Line: | This is very strong and light rim that is very hard to fold unless you can't handle or finesse your bike around. My 1st blue label 217 that I had mounted on my wtb rear hub lasted me over 3years and I way a solid 260. I have to admit I did get sloppy with my last 217 on an urban assault night ride and I dinged it pretty badly but I was able to true it up and it will be fine until I can get my next wheel built up. Other than that I haven't had any problems and anyone that is complaining about these rims just doesn't know how to ride with finesse. If Hans Rey can drop off of at least a 3 yard drop and not fold his wheels then obviously it doesn't matter what kind of rim you ride as long as you know how to land. Ride hard and keep the rubber side down. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chaz
a Cross-Country Rider
from Amherst, Mass
Date Reviewed: April 9, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Bottom Line: | man, f*uck mavic. they suck. i got a 217 last july, and it was WAY out of true after 3 rides. i let that slide, cuz rims need a little break in period. i gave it to my shop(competitive edge, if you're in the area), which builds great wheels. they retrued it very nicely, but it still got bent up pretty quick. i got it trued again, and again it got bent. so i said f*uck it, i'll ride with a somewhat out of true wheel. then, at the Mt. Snow race, the mavic reps trued it the day before my race, and after the race it was out of true. i was like, what the dilly with this?!?!?!?! well, so i rode with a bad rear wheel for awhile, and then i got new ones. LX hubs, dt double butted 14/15 spokes, and 217's, cuz i got the entire wheelset for 90$. i think my first wheel was just a bad build, making it mavic's fault for sending out a bad rim. but still dude, these new rims havent been holding up all that great. they're better than the first 217's i had, but they still ain't all that great. from what i hear, bonty's seem to be great. i've never ridden them. acually, my bike came with Matrix rims, and those held up great. i liked 'em alot. the first 217 i got is a 1, the next set is a 3, making it a 2. dont get mavics. we got to stop giving the french more power in the mtb world anyway. they already whoop our ass in the races. go america!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross-Country Rider
from Zurich
Date Reviewed: March 31, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Bottom Line: | I have never had a problem with them, they stayed true just as I expected, though I would take again 517 next time (my LBS was out and I was in a hurry). Supposedly, according to some German university test, they are among the rims (with the 517) that break the easiest. supposedly they took a dozen rims and had them on some kind of simulator and all broke after 200 - 650 Km. I only read an article about the tests and not the test reports themselves (if anyone has some more info I would be pleased to get it) . this would indicate that those who had their rims blow did not have bad set-ups but that the other ones were lucky. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Super V Jim
a weekend warrior
from Misawa, Japan
Date Reviewed: February 26, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I don't know where everyone had their 217's built up, but I got mine from Colorado Cyclist the fall of '96. XTR hubs with 14ga DT spokes. This wheelset is bulletproof. I weigh in at 200+, ride the trails almost every weekend (including the winter)and have NEVER had a need to true them! Bottom line: it comes down to who hand-builds your wheels, machine-built just doesn't cut it! I'm already planning to buy a set of LX/517s as spares. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
william moritz
a racer
from houston, texas
Date Reviewed: February 17, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
i just bought a set of cross-max, and i hope they hold up better than mavics 217 rims! i got tired of buying a new back rim every 4 months! i had XTR hubs, dt spokes, brass nipples and 217 rims. the damn nipples would pull through the rim on the drive side, after four months or so. LBS and mavic would not replace! after four rear rims & lots of $$$$, i decided to go w/the c-max....we will see...... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Derek
a cross-country rider
from Minnesnowta
Date Reviewed: February 12, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I have one of these mated to a Shimano XT laced with DT 14/15 spokes, weigh about 2 bills, and catch lots of curb-air at about 20 mph with 65psi in the tire on my commutes to and from campus (about 4.5 miles one-way). I have never had to do anything but true them a little. At least up until I got mad and threw the bike, partially ovalizing the rear rim :0 Oh well. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rob
a weekend warrior
from Sheffield, UK
Date Reviewed: February 8, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I had a 217 on the back which didn't last long, always needed trueing, and eventually pulled a spoke nipple through the eyelet during one ride. Prior to that I'd had one which split on the braking surface (rear wheel also). They tend to ding easily, which ruins braking and means that when you bend the ding out with a spanner, you weaken the rim. having said that, i've had one on the front for a good while and hardly had to touch it. i weigh 14 stone and ride a hardtail. Horses for courses. 217s for racing snakes and front wheels. 121s for rear wheels and lardarses who prefer riding to straightening bent wheels. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
gui
a weekend warrior
from france
Date Reviewed: January 18, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Really good product. I use them with sachs quarzhubs and mach1 spokes and i did not notice any problem at all. And if you have a problem, just ask the customer service they are great, they help and care about you. I broke one, yhey change it for free!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wiler
a weekend warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: January 8, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Had my 217s with DT spokes and LX hubs. Not bad for the first 3 months of riding so far.However, it must be noted that my rear rim tends to squek when braking in wet weather.this doesn't happen on the front rim. Wonder any of you have this problem? But it has nice colours though, and pretty strong rim too! 3.5 ratings for the squeking. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Trigger
a cross-country rider
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: January 3, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
My 217 are built up with DT spokes and Shimano XT hubs. Initially these rims needed to be trued after every other ride. I ride cross country, fast with rocky sections, but not bombing downhill rides or big dropoffs. I weigh about 150lbs. I had to true these rims 4 times during the first month. But after the 5th time truing them, they have held well for 500 miles. Perhaps there was an initial settling in period, I'm not sure, but now they remain true despite the same fast riding that in the beginning sent them out of true. Braking power is ok with Shimano XT v-brakes nd XT levers. I have tried a number of different braking pads with this rim with varying results. The best results being good. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
john
a cross-country rider
from buffalo, new york
Date Reviewed: January 2, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
geez, i dunno. i bought a 217 prebuilt by performance on a LX hub with DT 14/15 spokes as a rear wheel and it hasn't budged in the 4 months i've been riding on it. and that included racing, jumping, commuting and recreational riding. i guess i have to give the product four chilis as so many others seem to be having unfavourable experiences. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sherman
a weekend warrior
from British Columbia, Canada
Date Reviewed: December 31, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have been running these for about 2 years laced with 14g spokes and XT hubs. I think they are pretty good rims. They stay in true pretty well and they are easy to true when needed. Nice and light too. From a wheelbuilders point of view I am not so happy with them because of the space in between the hole for the nipple and the part where the rim strip goes. If you look at the picture above you will know what I mean. This makes it real easy for you to lose nipples when building these wheels. So to prevent this you have to use a spoke with the nipple threaded on reverse to put it in straight. This slows the process considerably.The part where the rim joins together there is a piece of metal in there and it tends to rattle. At least this is true on the 96 model rims. I do not find that to be a problem on the 97 models. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rollingbones
a weekend warrior
from Fair Oaks, CA
Date Reviewed: December 31, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The plus of these now outdated rims is the machined braking surface which works extremely well with my XT-Vee's. They're also very light. (Perhaps too light for my 200+ pound maderatza.) I've had a harder time with truing these than the Specialized, Matrix or Zach's I have on other wheelsets. The major downside is that when truing the rims one absolutly must be very, very careful to watch one's spoke tension so as to not pull the nipples through the rims as what I did (Hey, what can I say..I'm only a self trained garage bike mechanic!!) The cure for that is to have them done by your LBS (so if they rip them apart, they can replace them). At any rate, for their weakness I can only give them 2 limp chilies!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a
from Ann Arbor, MI
Date Reviewed: December 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Okay, my experience with these rims has been much different. I am a fairly light rider (155), but I ride about 4 or 5 hard miles per day. I guess I lucked out since I got a late production model on closeout from the LBS with XT hubs and DT spokes. I got hit by a car and they got a little out of true, but the LBS mechanic trued and tensioned them to be sweeter than ever! Haven't had any problems with bits braking off or pinch flats, but I keep 'em pumped to 65 psi to avoid that and I'm not a wuss. The machined braking surfaces are nice they prevent early wheel lockup but the squeal is annoying. Time for Koolstop pads I guess... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ned
a cross-country rider
from minneapolis, mn
Date Reviewed: December 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
i have had problems with not only this rim, but also the old 231's. anyone else out there blown out a huge section of braking surface while on an epic ride? i have twice; once on the 217 and once on the 231. forget the french, buy wtb. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tom thumb
a weekend warrior
from Delta B.C.
Date Reviewed: December 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Last year I purchased a brand new Specialized Stump Jumper equiped with Mavic 217 rims in the front and rear. After purchassing it I decided to take it out for a ride through the delta watershed wich is very tame ridding. When I arrived home I saw that the rear rim already needed truing. Over the past year I have had nothing but problems with the rear rim. It needs to trued about every 3 rides and just recently I managed to warp the rim. I was going off a fairly tame jump and after landing it I heard a rubbing sound comming from the rear. What had happend was that the rear rim had warped upon impact and was now rubbing against the rear brake pad. Before this bike I used to have a raleigh and the rims on this bike have lasted longer and treat me better than the 217's. These rims are great if all you do is look at them, but if you want something that is ridable I recomend something else. I would give these rims 0 chiles if I could. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason Cotrell
a racer
from Boulder, CO
Date Reviewed: December 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I rode this rim for 2 years on the rear last to an XTR hub. It was built by a very experianced wheel builder. After two years of moderate riding an eylet pulled out. I know the spokes weren't over tensioned. They have single eyelets and are prone to this problem. Buy something more durable. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
REM
a racer
from Ont.
Date Reviewed: December 3, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I am not too impressed with 217's. I have had good luck with 231's, but with the 217s i have had the eyelets pull out of two rear rims. The wheels were built by someone who does a pretty good job, although I have had trouble with the drive side spoke tension loosening. I think that this has happened as the eyelets start to pull out of the rim. So maybe the tension was too high(?). In any case, two rims, both lasting less than a year is not too good, especially when the failures were rim related, unlike most of the complaints here that are really just citing poorly built wheels. So no more mavic for me.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Patrice Denis
a cross-country rider
from Longueuil , Quebec
Date Reviewed: November 25, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Cool color.Bad rim. After 3 mounth, the rear rim has bad wear on brake sidewall and bent after only a small lateral touch. Up front it work well and has a great breaking surface but after the first muddy ride the machined sidewall was gone.The mavic is drilled for shrader valve and went you put a light weigh presta tube, the valve don't stay true and cause a broked valve in the middle of the trail.Buy sun cr17, it's cheap, presta drilled only and really hard to bent. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Garen
a cross-country rider
from Wayne, PA
Date Reviewed: November 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
About three years ago, the name Mavic was synonymous with quality. I'm not sure what happened to this once great company, but they are no longer producing decent wheels. My Kestrel CSX came with a pair Mavic 217 Rims, built by Wheelsmith using DT spokes, and by the second ride, the seams on both rims came apart. I couldn't tell what was wrong with the rims for the longest time, but at slow speeds, the rims would produce a ticking noise which was incredibly annoying. Of course, with the seams gone, the integrity of the whole wheel is compromised. My spokes keep breaking off at random moments, even when the bike is just hanging in my garage. I'm trying to raise some cabbage to buy myself some new wheels. They won't be Mavics. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay
a cross-country rider
from nc
Date Reviewed: November 10, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These rims are laughable. And I would be laughing except for the fact that my rear 217 fell apart after four months. I might have even giggled a little, but the stinking pin started clicking from day one. What's up with that?! If I wanted the noise I could have paid much less money and stuck some cards in my spokes. Never again will I buy Mavic. I would rather stick myself in the eye with a rusty icepick. I wish I could give this rim negative five chilies. Do yourself a favor and don't believe the hype/b.s. that Mavic is trying to push. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Don
a racer
from Carlisle, PA
Date Reviewed: November 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Got a set of 217 dark anodized rims laced with butted Wheelsmith spokes to XT rear hub and White Industries Tracker front hub - Wheelsmith built the wheels. I ride in extremely rocky eastern Pennsylvania and these rims have been absolutely bomb-proof. Rarely need truing, even with the whimpy spokes, and the braking surface has far outlasted any other rim I've used. Light, strong, durable. I use this wheelset for racing and every day riding, so a bargain as well. Just use wide rim tape as 217s can cause pinch flats with narrow tape. 5 flamers. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Danny boy
a weekend warrior
from England
Date Reviewed: November 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have mixed feelings about these rims, i bought a set from a top mail order outlet, and after days of doing nothing the rear had gone out of true, it kept doing this for weeks until i got bored of re truing it and just left it. The front has been faultless, and is as straight as a dye. Now 8 months after purchase, the rear is shagged, with several spokes either lossened right of or done up to breaking point to maintian a vaugely straight wheel. I think I will buy 521's next as my mate has had no problems with them. I therefore give them an average 3/5 rating. they do look v.nice however | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben
a cross-country rider
from Wisconsin
Date Reviewed: October 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought a 28 spoke rim to replace the Bonty Valiant that I wore out (lasted 1 year and never went out of true and it was radially laced!). I rebuilt the wheel so far and have abused it around town. I'm using it for my winter wheels (don't want to ruin my Crono's!). So far so good. I haven't had any problems with them. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
G
a cross-country rider
from PortTownsend, WA
Date Reviewed: October 27, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I run these laced to NukeProof hubs, and have no complaints. The welds are strong, and have a good dual purpose design.
The only difference between these and the 517's is 10 grams. But the 222's are pinned insead of welded, so aren't nearly as strong. This is not say that any of them aren't any good. Keep it up mavic!5 flaming dead horses arcross the board! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
S John
a weekend warrior
from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: October 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
After trashing the original sun ryno lites, I put my used 217's on my new free ride beast.After 5 months and several bails they are still true and need only minor tweaking.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mark
a cross-country rider
from victoria, bc
Date Reviewed: October 25, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
i was riding the mavic 217's in front of my place about 15 minutes ago. all i was doing was practicing my endo hops, and i brought the rear end down a bit hard, but nothing to explain why the tire now touches the frame. i just bought them about 2 weeks ago for my s-works, and had a local bike shop do them. they seemed fine when they left the shop, so inclined to think these are second class rims. gonna get em checked and trued, and ride on em again, but i'm disappointed. i've had cheaper rims last me ages more than these guys. i mean 2 weeks! anybody else have these kind of problems? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Henry
a cross-country rider
from PAsadena
Date Reviewed: October 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The 217 sup hard anodized rim that I need to replace was a disappointment. First, the thing made a crunchy/creaky sound at the nipples. I had the wheel rebuilt, thinking it might be a tension thing, but it started creaking again as soon as the spokeprep wore away. Secondly, the xtr canti pads I installed new with the new rim lasted longer than the rim -- the pads wore through the rim's sidewall really quickly. I have rode mavic 221's for 5 times as many miles with no trouble. Next time Bonti-asyms ... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a racer
from AZ
Date Reviewed: October 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've abused these rims for over a year crashing, racing, and even doing trials. They have been very strong although I have two dents in the rear one. They stay true pretty well but are no match for the set of Cane Creek Chrono's that I have. Why is it that all back wheels suck? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dennis
a racer
from netherlands
Date Reviewed: September 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The new 217 is a improvement on the already perfect 517. The rim is very rigid and stiff. The colors are nice but not too inportend. the great disadvantage is the ceramic brake surfaces so if you want to buy these tims buy the X217 CD.The rim is a very light wieght and very solid. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian Buell
a cross-country rider
from Ft. Worth, Texas
Date Reviewed: September 11, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I loved this rim, that is before my sis ran over it with her car, then it was replaced with the same rim, a few months later... my tire blew and LITERALLY blew the rim apart cuz the tube didn't go inbetween the tire and rim it just blew inside the tire!! it happened to my 217, my 237, AND my 221!!!!! now I got an X222 and well I hope it doesn't happen again till I get new wheels but, otehr than them blowing apart, tehre GREAT rims | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
morgan
a cross-country rider
from maryland
Date Reviewed: September 10, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
got a pair of these with xt hubs. i seem to be rough on rear wheels, but ithought these would hold up. just 7 months after picking them up and between 500-700 miles (?) the rear brake surface is completely concave. i would have expected a longer lifetime outa these. oh well, next up? maybe some bonty asyms. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
B.A.
a cross-country rider
from Crown Point
Date Reviewed: August 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've been using these rims for awhile now and have had a lot of trueing problems. The front has held up pretty well but the rear has not held up to my 200lbs at all. The last straw just happened yesterday when one of the spoke nipples (an aluminum one at that) ripped right out of the rim. I'm switching to Bonti Mustangs.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff
a cross-country rider
from Brooklyn, NY
Date Reviewed: August 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I’ve had a pair of Mavic 217 rims (silver, with ’97 XTR hubs) for 16 months or so. My dealer built the wheelsets. As for spokes and nipples, I just said use good ones. I trust him.For just over a year they were on a ’93 Marin Pine Mountain Frame. Two months ago, they found a new home on a Rhygin Juke SS Moutain frame! Both had the same ’97 XTR V-BrakesI ride hard, and often and these things show NO signs of going out of true. And they stop! Wet or Dry.If you want a good, strong, moderately priced set of rims… look no further.5 Chilis! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael Carney
a cross-country rider
from St. Petersburg, FL
Date Reviewed: August 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I purchased a pa0ir of the 217's 36 hole and built them up with White Industries hubs, DT 2.0 spokes, and DT brass nipples(talk about a strong wheelset). I weigh 250 lbs and haven't has all the problems other people have had with the rim. Of course, I only have about 200 miles on them. I built them myself (being the great wheelbuilder I am) and they have held up great. Only time will tell wether I will have the pin clicking problems or crackage at the eyelets. I will repost after getting 500 miles on these rims but for now, 4 feiry hot chilies. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a cross-country rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: July 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
My 217 rear wheel last about 1600km before I noticed 8 locations on the rim (eyelets) where cracking was occuring. These cracks became visually noticable after 40km. The spokes still had ample room for higher tension. The wheel was built by a local bike shop. I way ~210lbs and found loose spokes on way too many rides. The wheel was never properly built to begin with. Needless to say, I returned the wheel to the same bic shop for warranty which appears to have been granted. Now I have a 517 so we will see how it holds up. I believe the inital problem may have been from improper wheel building and non-unifrom spoke tensioning. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luke Hooper
a cross-country rider
from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I LOVE MY 217!!! It's held out against everything!!! Did not go out of true until my older bro decided to go riding on it with a flat tire!!! I only have the back one and WANT DESPERATELY THE FRONT ONE!! I WILL DO ANYTHING!! If anyone can help, please call at:519-576-3288!! I can find a similar rim but I want the exact same one!! Mavic 217 sunset!! I want the front!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
john carter
a weekend warrior
from Limerick Ireland
Date Reviewed: July 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have a set 217's 36 hole on a pair of sachs quarts for about a now (handbuild)
I'v xtr v's.Here in Ireland its raining more often than not which results in muddy conditions.these rims always stop me in time which is all you can ask for realy.about 3 months ago i got side swiped by a car and the rear was badly buckled( 5cms out of true ) i brought it back to the lbs who fixed it and i'm still riding it | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Thomas
a cross-country rider
from Germany
Date Reviewed: July 10, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Those rims are just great. I went over some serious obstacles with those and they didn't bent at all. And I only have a rigid bike. Braking is fantastic too on the CD version if you use the yellow Kool Stop pads. (about average in rain).
A little pricy but worth the money. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Q-bert
a cross-country rider
from Africa
Date Reviewed: July 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Braking problems?? Maybe you're braking poorly because YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE YOUR BRAKING SYSTEM. 217's are fantastic rims that allow for lots of air. 217's are fantastic rims that allow for lots of air. 217's are fantastic rims that allow for great speeds down singletrack. 217's are fantastic rims that only experienced riders should have. Crappy week-end riders should ride a heavier rim. Mavic 217's ARE FANTASTIC RIMS BIULT FOR FANTASTIC RIDERS. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bruce
a cross-country rider
from Ferndale, CA
Date Reviewed: June 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have used 2 sets of 217s and also 238s. Mavic makes a quality rim. It is not necessary to buy the ceramic rims because they wear out. The 217's rim makes clicking sounds because the piece that holds the rim while they weld it together comes loose. End the noise by restaking the device. Use a pin punch and dent the inside of the rim where the original dents are adjacent to the weld. Make sure your support the other side of the rim with a piece of wood. A perfect wheel would have the following attributes: lightweight, sidewalls that would not wear out, no clicking, stainless steel eyelets, and high lateral rigidity (alias resistant to flat spotting).The key to making these or any rims hold up is to make sure the wheel is build with as much tension as the spokes can handle. I build my own wheels. Most wheels are built with too little spoke tension. You can never have too much. Oh and make sure you use high quality spokes and nipples, DT. I use 28 spoke rims up front with 15/18 gauge spokes and alloy nipples. I weigh 155 lbs. and have never bent a front rim. I have flat spotted a rear. I have been riding and racing Mtn. bikes for 12 years. I have learned a lot. I currently own a 21.5 lb. Litespeed Ocoee. I have learned what works and what hasn't.Wheel longevity has more to do with the lacing and tension of the wheel than the rim manufacturer. Although I am not a big fan of Sun rims or Bontrager, they are soft.Keep the rubber side down, and be courteous on the trail. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pierre Bourgault
a cross-country rider
from Sherbrooke, Quebec
Date Reviewed: June 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These rims SUCKS!!! I bought 2 rims and after two ride the ceramic on my front rim started flaking and a week after my rear rim became all white because all the ceramic was gone. The only good point about those rims is that Mavic gave me two brand new 517 and they rocks. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tim
a cross-country rider
from Adelaide SA
Date Reviewed: June 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These rims suck, DON'T BUY THEM!!! I have been on five rides since I had the rear wheel rebuilt with a new rim, after the last one stuffed up after three months. I had to take it back to get it trued after one ride..ok nothing out of the ordinary. Now it's totally rooted after five rides, and they weren't very rough tracks. I can't believe someone would put out such a crappy disposable product.
By comparison I have some Rithchey rims on my old 93 GT and they are still perfect. This bike has been thrashed senseless, and the wheels only require a little trueing now and again.
I was going to crack a spaz at the local bike shop for their crappy rebuild, but after reading other peoples reviews I realise it's just a crap product. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Craig
a cross-country rider
from Australia
Date Reviewed: June 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Awful is the word to describe Mavic's 217 Rims. Since I first bought a set, I have gone through three rear rims, all of which were (thankfully) replaced at no cost. The problems I experienced included the rim fracturing and splitting apart or the ceramic coating flaking off the rim within a couple of weeks.Some people have no problems with these rims, whereas I seem to be cursed, as every manufacturing defect known ends up as my rear wheel. To be fair however
Mavic have provided good support and have replaced the faulty rim without any fuss each time a problem occurred.In contrast, the 517 Mavic gave me as a replacement has been fantastic. Read: don't buy 217s, get 517s instead!So for a questionable product which has the benefit of good company support - I'll give the rims a 3 out of 5. 517s get a solid 5 out of 5. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay
a cross-country rider
from Vancouver, Washington
Date Reviewed: May 31, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a good, strong racing wheel; however, for trail riding I would look
elsewhere. Why? The sidewalls are thin, therefore, they wear through quickly--especially using V brakes. I would recommend an old Mavic 238 or
whatever the 98 238 is called. I don't keep up on Mavic rims. By the way, the Bontrager Mavericks look promising: nice tall sidewall for brake setup, inexpensive, and seemingly strong. Most important IMHO suggestions for you! Get a great wheelbuilder to build your wheels--or learn how to do it yourself under a pro's tootledge. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg Katz
a cross-country rider
from Billerica, MA
Date Reviewed: May 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I purchased a pair of 217's with XTR hubs laced with DT 14/15 GA. spokes and aluminum nipples in September of 1997 from Colorado Cyclist. Because I weigh 190lb and have had rear wheel problems in the past, I speced 36 spokes for the rear wheel. So far I have experienced none of the problems described in the other reviews. I found that the 4 additional spokes on the rear wheel make for a vast improvement in stiffness and maintenance (trued once since purchased), and it only adds about 30 grams to the wheel! I can't vouch for sidewall durability as I have not had the wheels long enough. I run conti tires with 45 psi and have not experienced any flats. There are plenty of roots and rocks up here in New England and plenty of opportunity to wipe out wheels, but these seem to hold up well. The importance of build quality can not be understated and many problems begin there. I have purchased three wheels from Colorado Cyclist and I am 100% satisfied with the quality of their product. I will give these wheels four chilis only because I have not had them long enough to evaluate their long term durability. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jonas Westman
a cross-country rider
from Sandviken, Sweden
Date Reviewed: May 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I am totally, fu***ng happy and satisfied with my pair of Mavic 117.(I know this was ment for 217). These rims are so strong that I will recomend these to anyone that can afford it. I have SUP,CD. XT hubs and dt-spokes with alu-nipples.
BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Doug
a racer
from Arl Hts
Date Reviewed: May 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I give these rims and any other upper end rims 5 stars. I know everyone has heard this a million times but it is true. If you build up an upper end rim properly and you ride within reason or even hard, (not I'm a 300 lb lard ass and my rim broke when I jumped of my second story roof onto my concrete patio, so I am going to enter my IQ of 1 star) any good rim will last. 217's are as good as any. Of course there will be some manufacturing defects but do you think Mavic honestly got to where they are today by producing a bad product? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John B.
a weekend warrior
from Urbana, Il
Date Reviewed: May 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I built a set of 217's with DT revolution spokes on LX hubs. The braking is far superior, I use XT v-brakes, then my old Mavic 231's. I've only rode them about 300 miles so far and I have no complaints. They do not seem to come out of true any more or less than any other rim I have ridden. So far, there is no signs of wear or cracking around the eyelets. Since they are no longer made and the 517's are out, I think that would be the way to go. I like them but time will tell. Unless they start to deteriorate soon I would buy the 517's when they do wear out to replace them. Maybe I'm not as hard on my equipement as some of these other guys or maybe some people are expecting more fom a product than it can deliver, but guys, its five chilis. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Bull
a cross-country rider
from North Bay,ON
Date Reviewed: May 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I started buying 217's on the local rep's advice as I have troub;e with side wall wear. I must say I am extremely disappointed. Both my wife and I have been going through these rims like hot knives through butter. They are breaking my bank account. My wife just scrapped another one today with only a thousand km on it. What a rip off. If anyone has had good luck with a rim, no matter what the weight, please let me know. If you ride a lot and you are not loaded, don't buy these. ONE CHILI | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
HTmaniac
a cross-country rider
from Taiwan
Date Reviewed: April 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Just got my hands on a pair of old 217 sup cd ceramic wheels, purely in terms of stopping power under dry condition I rate them similar than any other rims with the side walls machined, however the bonus from the ceramic seems to be better modulation and constant breaking power...did not try them on the wet and cannot comment now on the life time...However just for the brake feel I would give them a five at the moment | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
john
a weekend warrior
from ca
Date Reviewed: April 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
got a pair of 217 cd ceramics. do ceramics help stop in wet conditions? yes
do ceramics wear off? yes and fast. my ceramic coating wore off within two months. how well does it stop me now? i couldn't stop without giving myself at least 5ft leadtime, and that's not even at high speeds. if you like wheels that have an anti-lock brake feature that takes too much time to stop these are the wheels for you. my friend also has a pair and his wore out faster than mine. i used to laugh at him because his ceramics didn't work, but now we both look at each other wondering why we spent all that extra cash on these wheels for. other than this the rims stay pretty true, but stopping power rates very high on the expectation list. don't get ceramics unless you don't value your life. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ADam
a weekend warrior
from Who cares..
Date Reviewed: April 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Mavics kick ass!! I am riding 217 SUps with XT hubs and DT Spokes.. They are light strong and they can handle the thrashing.. What the heck do you guys think?? Wheels are gonna hold up if you are 220lbs and you are slamming down a mountain! Of course you gotta true them once in awhile.. You guys complain too much, wheels need truing every once in while.. Live with it!! I did.. I give them a 5 because they are really good.. If you are under 200lbs I suggest them!! If you are over, maybe you should consider something else.. the 121s per hapse.. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel H
a weekend warrior
from Gothenburg, Sweden
Date Reviewed: April 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These Rims Sucks in the summer -97, i broke three of these Mavic 217, one sunset and two with silver color. I can say that i hate this rims. A rim that is realy god is SUN Rhyno Lite it is a little bit hevyer but it is worth that. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a
from cross-country rider
Date Reviewed: April 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I submitted the floowing review on October 9th and would like to update it, here is the original review:I've had a set of 217 Ceramics for a year now, and I'm pretty disapointed with them. The front rim rattles perpetually, as others here
have reported. Then, earlier today, I dented in the rear rim sidewall, and took a 3/4 inch long section of ceramic coating off in the
process. I weigh about 175 pounds and sometimes ride fairly hard, but I could not have nailed anything that badly considering my rear
tube is still fully intact, not even leaking. Also, ceramic compound pads are very expensive and seem to wear out faster than standard
Shimano XT pads. I miss my old Ritchey vantage comp rims; they were light, much less expensive than 217s and seemed virtually
indestructible after over three years of hard riding. My top priority when buying 217 ceramics was long-term durability. I just can't
believe how these rims, with their highly-touted reputations and stratospheric price tags, failed to live up to their reputation, and from
the looks of several reviews here, I'm not the only one. Since the two denting/chipping incidents with the rear wheel, I've been running higher tipre pressure (like 50psi) and haven't had a problem with them yet, they are even still in true. This suprised me a bit, considering that the rear rim has two sidewall dents and a spoke eyelet thats partially pulled out. It also has a crack forming at the weld seam. Why they seemed so easily damaged early on and then held up quite well is something of a mystery to me. I'm upping my rating from two chilis to four, since the rims a giving a srton showing now. I'm still irritated by that damn clicking in the front rim, and by the knowledge that my rear rim is probably in danger of collapse. I think this is the best front rim ever created, my front wheel has never needed trueing and the braking is great, even in really nasty conditions, but it just doen't seem to have the strength for rear duty.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Cuylle
a cross-country rider
from Toronto, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I upgraded to a 217 on the rear wheel of my bike last fall. I'm a big (185 lbs) guys and ride fairly hard and haven't even had to get these trued at all. Theyt came as a recommendation from my local bike shop and I'm very satisfied with their performance so far. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris
a
from vancouver canada
Date Reviewed: March 25, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
look nice, ride nice, light too! they're a great rim if you want to go through one a week. over the past 6 months i've gone through 4, most of the time they're out of true, or have flat spots. don't buy em...and if they come on a bike you're gonna buy, switch them. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom Presswod
a racer
from Austin,Tx.
Date Reviewed: March 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These rims are Very inadequate because the eyelets pull through the rim in a relatively short period of time.
Combine the short life with a rediculous price & I`d say you have a loosing combination!!
My oldest set of wheels are Sun`s w/o any eyelets at all & they are still functional & were Much less exspensive!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rider
a cross-country rider
from USA
Date Reviewed: March 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
rolling crap !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!!
!!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!!
!!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!!
!!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!!
!!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!!
!!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!!
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kilroi
a weekend warrior
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: March 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I purchased my 217's in 96 when I had to replace my bike (stolen) There the 36 spoke variety ( I weigh 220 ) and they've been great. Some minor trueing, to be expected. I've ridin Moab with them, raced Chemaguen (sp?), and bombed Winter Parks downhill singletrack in Colorado with them. Make sure you have someone build them who knows what their doing, and ride with lots of tire pressure, and these wheels rock!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jacques Fredrick
a weekend warrior
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: March 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
One of the best I have ever used, and for the price they are unbeatable. I had a pair of 221's and these far outclass them. I thought those were good at the time, but these exceeded all expectations. I just spent a weekend in the mountains, and no problems, strong and good for fast breaking. I would recommend these to anyone. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg Godsey
a racer
from College Station, TX
Date Reviewed: March 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This is the BEST, STRONGEST rim set on the market today. If you have the money there is no other rim even close to the 217. If you REALLY have the money, go for the MAVIC CROSSLANDS, they are basically a 217 rim, built by MAVIC w/ their new HUB SET. I POUND my crosslands every weekend at a race somewhere in Texas, and BOTH of my rims are still strait like an arrow, after 2 season's of racing. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a cross-country rider
from MO
Date Reviewed: March 11, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These rims have been excellent for staying true for me considering I weigh 225Lb. BUT THE PIN IN THE RIM DID COME LOOSE AFTER A 50 MILES THE NOISE IS ENOUGH TO DRIVE YA NUTS. This is enough to not recomend this rim to anyone considering how much money they yank ya for! | | Overall Rating: |
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