I am needing to have a front wheel built and found a stellar deal on these rims. Are they worth buying. It will be built on an AC 20mm hub.
Thanks for the input.
Thanks for the input.
Mavic 521 Rim?
- Thread starter Frankenschwinn
- Start date
depends on intended use 
should you still use 3.0 Gazzas and/or weigh over 250 lbs then skip the deal and get something else.
for most other uses they are great rims
should you still use 3.0 Gazzas and/or weigh over 250 lbs then skip the deal and get something else.
for most other uses they are great rims
They are great rims, however they were not designed to be used with disc brakes. However many people are using them with discs and never had an issue, including me. Mavic WILL NOT warranty them for ripped out eyelets FYI.
Ok set me straight on this. I've got two pairs of these. One older set on my freeride bike and a newer set on my jump bike. The newer ones just say 521 and have a rim brake surface. The older ones say D521 but also look like they could take rim brakes. Aren't the older ones made for discs?Brian HCM#1 said:
kidwoo said:
A rim "designed for discs" is just a rim without sideways. They might move some material from the sidewall to the eyelet, but the amount of force actually exerted on an eyelet from braking isn't enough to cause the rim to fail. I wouldn't worry about it.
buildyourown said:
I'm not worried about it, I've been using the d521s for over 3 years now, northstar on a dh rig included for two of them. I was just curious because I find it strange mavic would make a big deal out of using them with discs. They've held up at the eyelets and everywhere else better than some of my friend's mag 30s which are "made for discs". It just seems silly that a rim that burly wouldn't be under the same warranty standards as a 321/721.
They were designed for rim brakes, and thats how it still is today. I've never seen any issues with the eyelets ripping out. The reason Mavic warns against it is because its a single eyelet opposed to the double in the 321/729. So I'm guessing with the disc braking forces its had a tendency to rip out the single ones where the double is connected to the outer and inner portion of the rim.kidwoo said:
521s are the favorite rim of a lot of us on the board. Really light, really strong, and no one I know has ever had a problem with disc brakes, even though Mavic calls them rim-brake specific.
Only reason not to get them is the width, if you require something wider. I've run a Micchie 2.8 on mine for a year with no problems.
MD
Only reason not to get them is the width, if you require something wider. I've run a Micchie 2.8 on mine for a year with no problems.
MD
I run a 521 on the front laced to an AC 20mm hub and haven't had any problems nor do I expect any.
How do you feel about the AC Hub?
Haven't had any problems. The model I have is the Air Cooler which is designed to allow air flow to cool the hub from disc break heat. Not sure if I buy the whole concept of the hub, but I bought it used and not because it is air cooled. The only thing I don't like is that in order to mount my Hayes Disc to my Monster T fork I had to put an adapter on the hub. The spacing between the brake caliper and the rotor mount was too far off.
The guy who said not to run these if you weigh over 250 is way off. I am a clyde and have been running 36h 521's on my DH and FR bikes for 4 years and cant say enough good things about them. For a big guy who rides aggressive terrain, having wheels that you dont have to true/tension but once or twice a year is very rare. But with 521's that has been the case, at least for me. I have had them set up with disc brakes 3 of those years without problems. They are fairly light, super burly and affordable. GET THEM!
Isnt the new 721 the same rim as the 521 and isnt the reason why they didnt change the design because the brake surface makes it much stronger then normal disc only rims?
Very strong due to design of the chambers too.
Im running 521's on my 4x bike and Im definitly getting 721's for my downhill rig for next season.
Very strong due to design of the chambers too.
Im running 521's on my 4x bike and Im definitly getting 721's for my downhill rig for next season.