ceramic rims

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mig
Posts: 2701
Joined: 19 Oct 2011, 9:39pm

ceramic rims

Post by mig »

i've blundered onto a pair 8) .

are special blocks a necessity? :( or do they work okay with the usual ? :)
Brucey
Posts: 44516
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: ceramic rims

Post by Brucey »

often; special blocks to start with, then once the rims are worn smooth, ordinary ones can work OK.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
mig
Posts: 2701
Joined: 19 Oct 2011, 9:39pm

Re: ceramic rims

Post by mig »

darn it.... :lol:
Des49
Posts: 799
Joined: 2 Dec 2014, 11:45am

Re: ceramic rims

Post by Des49 »

Just do take care in the wet until you are sure you know how they react.

My Mavic Ceramic rims are lethal in the extreme wet, like thunderstorms, gutters or even wet grass. They never dry off basically.

I found that specific pads or not this behaviour remained the same. In the dry or slight wet braking was great.

I ended up using them on the rear only, saved wearing out rims and kept things a lot cleaner. I have worn out one rim, and another on a different bike should be retired shortly. Can't even remember when we had them, may even be 20 years ago.
pwa
Posts: 17366
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: ceramic rims

Post by pwa »

Are they ceramic (Mavic?) or CSS Tungsten Carbide impregnated? My Mavic Open Pro ceramics work best with Koolstop Salmon pads. I also use those with my CSS Tungsten Carbide rims, though they do squeal a little. I've not found the ceramic specific blocks any use. Koolstops work just as well at stopping, possibly better, and don't wear down too quickly.
TrekMad
Posts: 373
Joined: 2 Jun 2015, 10:17am

Re: ceramic rims

Post by TrekMad »

They do last a VERY long time. I've got a pair of Mavic ceramics from 1986. Been pressed into action every winter since, nearly 30 years.
mig
Posts: 2701
Joined: 19 Oct 2011, 9:39pm

Re: ceramic rims

Post by mig »

they're mavic T217 36H rims. seems to have never been laced. just wondering what to do with them and therefore which blocks (if any) i'd need to get on that bike. they do look very similar to their CD finish but, from what i read, the surface should last longer.
i'm intrigued as to why they'd be worse in extreme wet weather. do they hold water to the surface?
pwa
Posts: 17366
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: ceramic rims

Post by pwa »

Try Koolstop salmons with them. They can also be a bit grabby when new, so exercise a bit of caution until you get to know them. But barring mishaps they last for years. My Open Pros are so old I'm not sure when I got them, and they are unmarked.
guglielmo
Posts: 1
Joined: 13 Jul 2020, 7:47am

Re: ceramic rims

Post by guglielmo »

mig wrote:they're mavic T217 36H rims. seems to have never been laced. just wondering what to do with them and therefore which blocks (if any) i'd need to get on that bike. they do look very similar to their CD finish but, from what i read, the surface should last longer.
i'm intrigued as to why they'd be worse in extreme wet weather. do they hold water to the surface?


Hey mig, I know this is like 5 years ago but do you still have your T217 Ceramics? I’m actually looking for a pair if you want to sell them? Cheers :)
mig
Posts: 2701
Joined: 19 Oct 2011, 9:39pm

Re: ceramic rims

Post by mig »

guglielmo wrote:
mig wrote:they're mavic T217 36H rims. seems to have never been laced. just wondering what to do with them and therefore which blocks (if any) i'd need to get on that bike. they do look very similar to their CD finish but, from what i read, the surface should last longer.
i'm intrigued as to why they'd be worse in extreme wet weather. do they hold water to the surface?


Hey mig, I know this is like 5 years ago but do you still have your T217 Ceramics? I’m actually looking for a pair if you want to sell them? Cheers :)

they've just been built into wheels during the lockdown period and are in use now sorry. sometimes the do appear for sale though.
mercalia
Posts: 14630
Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: ceramic rims

Post by mercalia »

I have found that shimano S70c brake blocks work well with my Exal SP19 ceramic rims. no noise ( in the dry) and they even work reasonable in the wet after the rain has been removed from the rims. hint once it starts to rain start doing preparatory braking to stop water build up.

Ceramic rims dont work well in the rain as they are super smooth with no roughness that ordinary alloy rims wont have as they will sooner or later acquire a rough surface? If alloy was as hard as ceramic you would have the same problem - didnt steel rims have the same problem, poor wet stopping power, in their case due to a chromium coating over the nickel plating, some tried to get around this with lots of dimples on the surfaces?
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