HUBSET:
MAVIC 550 RD - quick release hubs - small flange design - forged 2014 aluminum alloy bodies with Clear anodized finish - 2030 aluminum alloy axles with anodized finish - post 1981 with channel inset "MAVIC" logo along the centerline of the hub barrels - pre 1991 without White on Black "MAVIC" logo with model designation band on non-drive side of the hub bodies - non drive side bearing end caps marked with date code "9007A" for July 1990 - annular sealed bearings / outboard mounted bearing on drive side of the rear hub - 28h front hub (100 mm spacing) - 28h rear hub (126 mm spacing) - 1.370" x 24 TPI English freewheel thread - model 550 RD : MAVIC 500/550 RD (Duralumin) - curved handle quick release mechanisms - Clear anodized aluminum alloy end caps and knurled adjusters - stainless steel skewer rods ... [A variation on the model 500 RD hubset, the first edition of which debuted in 1976, the improved 550 RD appeared in 1982 coincident to introduction of the second edition 500 RD and was a modification begot of feedback derived from MAVIC’s unique relationship with professional riders in the European pro peloton. While it is true that the 550 RD does have a protective anodized surface finish on both its hub body and axle unlike its predecessor, perhaps more importantly with respect to its being able to better withstand the rigors of racing, it also has an outboard bearing on the freewheel side of its rear hub absent the end cap found on the corresponding model 500 RD. By virtue of placing the drive side bearing such, this version of the MAVIC rear sealed bearing hub allows for a wider distance between load bearing points with particular emphasis on the amount of outboard axle overhang on the freewheel side, thereby minimizing the opportunity for bending said axle under extreme duress such as when a powerful rider is sprinting or climbing hard out of the saddle. This feature was later incorporated into both the 501 and 531 freewheel threading road hubs which succeeded the 500 RD and 550 RD models in 1991. It should also be noted that those 500 RD and 550 RD hubs dating from 1977 to 1990 and 1982 to 1990 respectively were made available with quick release mechanisms having a choice of either chrome plated steel end caps or lighter weight aluminum alloy versions as seen here.]
RIMS:
MAVIC Argent 12 SSC - heat treated aluminum alloy with double eyelets - Clear anodized "Argent" or "Silver" finish - 20 mm section - box profile - smooth / non-machined braking surfaces - 700c tubular - drilled for Presta valves - 28h front / 28h rear - primary foil label having stylized diamond shaped "MAVIC" logo in Red and Gold above the words "MADE IN FRANCE" located at the seam - additional markings include Gold background rectangular foil label having squared corners reading "SPECIAL SERVICE des COURSES" in Black letters, and individual "M" "A" "V" "I" "C" letters in Black located opposite the seam - model Argent 12 SSC ... [MAVIC debuted their distinctive Blue anodized "Bleu SSC" tubular rims back in late 1971 for the impending 1972 racing season, at which point they were essentially available only to sponsored professional riders. By the year 1975, however, MAVIC had opted to commercialize their original "Bleu SSC" rims (...and would two years later offer to the public at large a more traditional in appearance Silver "Argent 12 SSC" rim) following the 1974 introduction of their "Grise SSC" type Paris-Roubaix rims which featured a wider 21.5 mm cross section as well as a revolutionary durable hard-anodized Grey finish - a product which itself was to subsequently become commercialized for public consumption some five years later in 1979. Weighing in at a stout 395 grams per rim (...or 400 grams for the robust Paris-Roubaix edition), MAVIC SSC offerings were by no means "lightweights" (...MAVIC’s own Extra-Legere OR 7 rims tipped the scales at a mere 260 grams). But for what amounted to a nominal increase in weight, each of the various SSC labeled version of rims provided in return a race proven and truly unassailable reputation for being nearly bulletproof, which meant that you could often go about building up a set of wheels using fewer spokes than would perhaps be prudent with respect to other contemporary rim choices, thereby effectively negating some of that supposed weight penalty. And while they may not be the most suitable selection for pure hill climbing, most knowledgeable folks (...myself included, although I may or may not qualify for such approbation) would argue that the SSC was a superlative all-around rim - the most durable and desirable of its type from that era as available to absolutely anyone at any price.]
SPOKES:
DT Swiss - CFT butted X12 CrNi 18/10 stainless steel - double cold forged - 14 / 15 gauge or 2.0 / 1.8 / 2.0 mm - rolled threads - model DT Competition : DT nickel plated brass nipples - 2.0 x 14 mm - model DT Pro Head ... [Decidedly modern and unoriginal components.]
TIRES:
Wolber Record Route 18 SP1 - 700c x 18 mm - 330 TPI high density cotton casing - Black with Gum sidewalls - tubular design - natural rubber compound / latex inner tubes - dual tread pattern (linear ribbed center section with diamond figured flanks) - exclusive polyurethane protection system (SP1) consisting of a 20 gram polyurethane band placed between the tire casing and the tube - model Record Route 18 SP1 ... [These are reasonably nice, respectably lightweight (...220 grams) yet durable, and somewhat narrow (...only 18 mm), genuine handmade French tires originally intended for road and time trials competition and which happen to date from the mid 1980’s through early 1990’s.]
