Jan,
I believe that you missed my point....
I was decidedly NOT commenting upon the quality of the physical rims themselves (...weather that be with respect to the MA / MA2 in particular or MAVIC's broader product line or even its historical offerings in general). Rather, that brief editorial lead-in found within the opening paragraph of my previous post was made SPECIFICALLY in consideration of branding and labeling "issues" - AND NOTHING ELSE.
I invite you to carefully re-read said passage as well as its companion paragraph which follows immediately thereafter. And when you do so, please note that those personal observations I offered regarding quality control issues were ALL confined STRICTLY to the realm of labeling.
Of course, you are entitled to your own opinion regarding the relative merits, or lack thereof, when it comes to MAVIC's actual MA and/or MA2 rims - and I have absolutely no intention of debating or even passing commentary upon them in this forum at this time.
Regards,
Robert "say what you mean and mean what you say" Broderick ..the "Frozen Flatlands" of South Dakota Sioux Falls, USA
-----Original Message-----
From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org
[mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Jan Heine
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 8:55 AM
To: M-gineering
Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR] Mavic MA VS. MA2?
>R.S. Broderick wrote:
>>..let us just say that when it came to branding, labeling, and such,
>>quality control in the vintage era was decidedly not MAVIC's forte.
>>
It depends what vintage era...
In the 1930s, it was Mavic who introduced the first aluminum rims that found widespread acceptance. In the 1940s and 1950s, the best bikes were equipped with Mavic, because their rims were the best.
By the 1990s, the Mavic MA-2 indeed were not the best. Considering their hefty weight, they should build up better than they do. But by that point, they were the only traditional silver box-section rims that were easily available, and they gave good service once built.
Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.bikequarterly.com