What's the best retro Mavic MTB rims?

[crconsulting]

Any opinions on what the best retro Mavic mtb rims are? i.e. MA40's, M231's etc

One of my favorite setups is
M261CD's in the Rear M231CD's in the front. Tough rims, maybe not as light as MA40's but much stronger and stiffer. Best compromise between strength and weight IMHO. The silver 231's and 261's were pretty tough too. I think the design of the rim was good enough to withstand pretty significant abuse whereas with the MA2/MA40's minimalist design, the hard anodizing/alloy changes actually brought a measurable improvement in rim strength to the table.


MA40's are light but not as strong as the 231/261 combination. They also give a different tire wrap. Depending on the tire, thats good or bad. Also bead diameters tend to vary more on MA40/MA2's.
Some tires tend to fit loose some fit tight and this can vary from rim to rim. Their weight and that "tire wrap" can be an advantage depending on what you like and how much you abuse your wheels. I like them too though. Just depends on the period of the bike, tire combo I plan on using.

Never liked the MA2's much as they were too soft for off road use, they just didn't seem to take the abuse the MA40's did. Contrary to the opinion of some, the hard anno seems to help in toughness of the rims and supposedly Mavic used a different alloy on the MA40's.

On drum brake wheel set's I like M5's or M6's. The rim sidewall (braking surface) on the M5's is a little small and depending on the pads can be a pain to adjust. Thats why I feel they are better suited for drum brakes, but its short sidewall also makes it very tough to dent. The extra width of the M5 also changes the tire profile and makes it flatter.
They make for a tough but heavy wheel though. Kind of the equivalent of today's DH rims.

As far as braking surface issues and anodizing goes a couple of good mud rides took care of that. You could also run a set of high abrasion brake pads such as the all red WTB pads till you wore the surface off. Usually the issues tend to come from "flexible" brake setups. You tend to have very few problems on roller cam or u brakes but cantilevers would be the usual culprits.

To me, anything AFTER 231's 261's is not vintage/retro

 

[terryhfs]

When do the M7CD rims date to?

I just bought a 1990 Fisher CR-7, the only thing that isn't stock are the rims, evidently replaced/upgraded at some point.

They look super tough just looking at them.

I bought mine in 1989 - still going strong, though the braking surface has gone shiny - it hasn't worn through, it seems to have gone work hardened.

My rear U-brake still works fine with them, but I had to replace the front canto with a V-brake to retain sufficient stopping power.