Tubeless compatability and other Qs about Maddux RD2.0 wheels as fitted to the Cannondale Caad13..

[wafter]

I'm looking for a second wheelset for my CdF so I can swap between slicks and knobblies. I'm tight and happy with the OEM wheels (Jalco 240D, 19c, 32h, TLR) but can't find any of these.

I have found a pair of Maddux RD2.0s (which I believe come from the same company and are fitted as standard to the lower-end Cannondale Caad13) .These also appear to be 19c but are are 28h and I'm not sure if they're tubeless compatable or not - can anyone confirm either way please?

They appear to be a more road-centric tyre (are fitted with 25mm as standard despite their apparant width and have a lower spoke count than the Jalcos) - do people reckon they'll be OK on a gravel bike? They have a fairly deep section and look pretty sturdy...

 

[si_c]

Probably not, they're not a particularly high end wheel and in that budget range they usually say TLR or Tubeless Ready on the rim if they are.

 

[wafter]

Probably not, they're not a particularly high end wheel and in that budget range they usually say TLR or Tubeless Ready on the rim if they are.

Thanks - I guess that would be the assumption since it's not stated anywhere. That said the Jalcos on my CdF are touted as tubeless ready by Genesis but this isn't identified anywhere on the rim.. tbh I'm not even sure what qualifies a wheel as "tubeless ready"..

 

[wafter]

Looks like this idea is going in the bin; I've tried contacting Cannondale (who appear to have gone out of their way to make this impossible) and Maddux (filled the enquiry form on their site and it then repeatedly denied my submission by rejecting the anti-spam captcha despite this being correct ).

Not that it would have benefitted either company with a sale in this case, but this is clearly pretty shonky on both counts. Looks like it's bollocks to the whole idea of these bloody rims then, tbh.

 

[Pale Rider]

I'm not even sure what qualifies a wheel as "tubeless ready"..

The rim profile will have more of a ledge on each edge to encourage the tyre bead to seal.

Different companies have slightly different designs, and it may be possible to set up any wheel as tubeless, which is a so-called 'ghetto' installation.

The spoke bed itself will be much the same.

Sealing there is accomplished - or not - by tubeless rim tape.

 

[wafter]

The rim profile will have more of a ledge on each edge to encourage the tyre bead to seal.

Different companies have slightly different designs, and it may be possible to set up any wheel as tubeless, which is a so-called 'ghetto' installation.

The spoke bed itself will be much the same.

Sealing there is accomplished - or not - by tubeless rim tape.

Thanks

I've looked at a few "ghetto tubeless" setups and while I can appreciate the desire to try this if you have non-TLR rims already.

I guess the quest continues..

 

[Pale Rider]

I guess the quest continues..

Aren't you making heavy weather of this?

Just buy a pair of budget wheels from Rose, Superstar, Spa, or whoever.

The difference in price will likely not be that great so is hardly worth bothering about.

 

[wafter]

Aren't you making heavy weather of this?

Just buy a pair of budget wheels from Rose, Superstar, Spa, or whoever.

The difference in price will likely not be that great so is hardly worth bothering about.

Situation normal, then...

I like to know what I'm getting before I dive in and there are myriad options from the suppliers you mention, while they all appear to be significantly more expensive than the circa £100 I could potentially score some used wheels for (which, if I could find some the same as those already fitted would also be a known quanitity).

Whatever I might buy I'm looking at another ton on top for a pair of discs and rear cassette, plus probably £50 plus for tyres once the WTBs have worn out, and suddenly I'm getting close to the cost of a complete alternative bike..

 

[si_c]

Situation normal, then...

I like to know what I'm getting before I dive in and there are myriad options from the suppliers you mention, while they all appear to be significantly more expensive than the circa £100 I could potentially score some used wheels for (which, if I could find some the same as those already fitted would also be a known quanitity).

Whatever I might buy I'm looking at another ton on top for a pair of discs and rear cassette, plus probably £50 plus for tyres once the WTBs have worn out, and suddenly I'm getting close to the cost of a complete alternative bike..

Possibly, however wheels will stay in your stable for longer than you think - especially disc braked wheels, I've got a pair which have outlasted my last bike, which had done ~20k mi when the frame broke.

 

[wafter]

Possibly, however wheels will stay in your stable for longer than you think - especially disc braked wheels, I've got a pair which have outlasted my last bike, which had done ~20k mi when the frame broke.

Maybe, maybe not. Either way since I'm happy with the cheapies I'm currently running I'm not falling over myself to spend 2-3 times their value on alternatives that are at best difficult to research objectively. I'm not in a position to spend a lot of money and tbh don't see higher-end wheels as a particularly value-driven purchase.

I guess if nowt turns up and I get desperate I might have to re-think things, however for the moment I'm happy to sit on my hands and see if anything worth having turns up used.

 

[wafter]

All that said I'm tempted to give the above wheels a punt now I've seen a similar set described elsewhere as tubeless ready..

 

[Gunk]

I’ve been down this road, about three years ago I bought a good used Mavic Crossmax SLR wheelset with a 10 speed cassette and fitted a pair of Schwalbe City Jets. The idea was to give me the option to make my MTB more road biased when needed. Anyway, I fitted them for a couple of months, took them off when we went to the woods and they’ve been in the shed covered in cobwebs ever since.

 

[wafter]

I’ve been down this road, about three years ago I bought a good used Mavic Crossmax SLR wheelset with a 10 speed cassette and fitted a pair of Schwalbe City Jets. The idea was to give me the option to make my MTB more road biased when needed. Anyway, I fitted them for a couple of months, took them off when we went to the woods and they’ve been in the shed covered in cobwebs ever since.

Thanks - I think after 2.5k miles I have a pretty solid case though; the slicks have been fine on every surface I've wished to ride on during the dry summer but are becoming unuseable off road now things have got wet.

I removed the original knobbly WTBs as they'd become maybe half worn over a couple of hundred miles and I'd expect them to have more rolling resistance than the slicks, so the ability swap between either on an approximately seasonal basis (without the need to physically change tyres) seems appealing..

 

[figbat]

I have a pair of the Maddux RD2.0 on my gravel build - as you say they are Cannondale OEM fit and often come up used as people upgrade them. I run mine with tubes but am considering converting to tubeless. Pretty sure they are not specifically tubeless compliant but I was ready to have a go at a ghetto conversion.

In terms of their solidity, for road wheels they have put up with some very lumpy gravel terrain with no issues so far.