Another day working on wheels (and so on).
A customer left me with the rear wheel from a Rovalé
Alpinist CL1.
The official model name is Alpinist CL,
but since a CL2 model came out later
with a tubeless-ready rim replacing the
original tubeless-incompatible rim,
I'm writing it that way to distinguish them.
In the case of the company's CLX50 and CL50,
the cost-cutting points on the cheaper model are:
・The rim is the same except for labeling
・The hub body is basically identical,
only the spoke hole shape on the rear hub
differs slightly
・Spokes are Competrace rather than Aero Lite
・Hub bearings are steel bearings
rather than Ceramic Speed's
ceramic bearings
However, with this Alpinist,
both the CLX and CL use the same spokes — all Aero Lite —
and the difference is that the hub is
a generic Rovalé-branded DT350 grade hub
with equal spoke counts on both sides.
But honestly, a standard 24H hub with equal spoke counts
is a far better wheel than the dumb XI-build 2:1 21H,
probably even off the shelf,
and the CL has more room for improvement
when being rebuilt.
If I were buying an Alpinist from that era,
I'd choose the CL over the CLX,
and even if someone offered me either for free,
I'd take the CL because it's the cheaper one.
This is true whether using it as-is
or looking at it as a rebuilding material—
the answer doesn't change.
Anyone with a bit of wheel knowledge
or poisoned by this blog
would pick the CL if they had the chance
to buy or get just the rim from an Alpinist CLX or CL,
because it's an extremely light rim with generic rim holes,
giving you more freedom in choosing the hub.
Rebuilt it.
Went with a black CX Sprint on the freewheel side.
I'll do the lacing later,
but it should be pretty tasty even as-is.
A customer left me with the rear wheel from a Rovalé
Alpinist CL1.
The official model name is Alpinist CL,
but since a CL2 model came out later
with a tubeless-ready rim replacing the
original tubeless-incompatible rim,
I'm writing it that way to distinguish them.
In the case of the company's CLX50 and CL50,
the cost-cutting points on the cheaper model are:
・The rim is the same except for labeling
・The hub body is basically identical,
only the spoke hole shape on the rear hub
differs slightly
・Spokes are Competrace rather than Aero Lite
・Hub bearings are steel bearings
rather than Ceramic Speed's
ceramic bearings
However, with this Alpinist,
both the CLX and CL use the same spokes — all Aero Lite —
and the difference is that the hub is
a generic Rovalé-branded DT350 grade hub
with equal spoke counts on both sides.
But honestly, a standard 24H hub with equal spoke counts
is a far better wheel than the dumb XI-build 2:1 21H,
probably even off the shelf,
and the CL has more room for improvement
when being rebuilt.
If I were buying an Alpinist from that era,
I'd choose the CL over the CLX,
and even if someone offered me either for free,
I'd take the CL because it's the cheaper one.
This is true whether using it as-is
or looking at it as a rebuilding material—
the answer doesn't change.
Anyone with a bit of wheel knowledge
would pick the CL if they had the chance
to buy or get just the rim from an Alpinist CLX or CL,
because it's an extremely light rim with generic rim holes,
giving you more freedom in choosing the hub.
Rebuilt it.
Went with a black CX Sprint on the freewheel side.
I'll do the lacing later,
but it should be pretty tasty even as-is.