Good vintage hubs usually outlast the rims and spokes they came with, which is why so many Campagnolo and Shimano hubs turn up on eBay as bare hubs or tired wheels. Rebuilding them onto a Mavic rim is a straightforward project if you get four things right: the hub's spacing and thread, the spoke count and lacing, the rim's effective diameter, and the rim type. This guide covers each one, plus what to check on used hubs and rims before you buy.
Hubs: flange, spacing and thread
Campagnolo's Record road hubs came as the high-flange 1035 and the low-flange 1034. According to Velobase, both use the same bearings (7/32-inch balls in the front, 1/4-inch in the rear), were drilled from 24 to 40 holes, and came with 120 mm or 126 mm rear spacing. A large flange shortens the spokes for a given cross pattern. The difference in how the wheel rides is small and argued about endlessly, so choose the high-flange Record hubs for the look or because that's what the bike had.
Three things to confirm on any Campagnolo freewheel hub:
- Thread. Velobase lists Record hubs in English/ISO, French and Italian freewheel threads. Sheldon Brown notes that English/ISO and Italian share the same pitch and will generally interchange, though strong riders are better off not mixing them. French is a different pitch. Never force a freewheel that binds.
- Spacing. Sheldon Brown gives 120 mm for 5-speed, 126 mm for 6- and 7-speed road and 130 mm for 8-speed and later. A steel frame can usually be sprung one size. Larger changes call for cold-setting, which is never done on aluminium or carbon frames.
- Date. Quick-release levers were straight before 1978 and curved after, and locknuts are often year-stamped. Our dating guide has the details.
The Dura-Ace 7400 hubs are a different design: a cassette freehub rather than a threaded freewheel. Up to 1996, Dura-Ace freehub bodies thread into the hub shell. They swap among Dura-Ace 6-, 7- and 8-speed bodies but not with other Shimano hubs. Match the body to the cassette, and the spacing (126 or 130 mm) to the frame. Cross-brand questions are covered in our compatibility guide.
Spoke count and lacing
For a vintage road wheel, 32 or 36 spokes laced three-cross is the conventional choice. Sheldon Brown's wheelbuilding article gives the usual pairings: 36 spokes three- or four-cross, 32 spokes three-cross, 28 or 24 spokes two-cross, and 40 spokes four-cross. Only the outermost crossing of each spoke is interlaced. The hub and rim must have the same number of holes. Avoid radial lacing on old hubs that weren't designed for it, because the article describes a hub flange cracking under radial spokes.
Use stainless spokes. Double-butted spokes are a good default, and the article explains why some builders use thicker spokes on the drive side of a dished rear wheel. Brass nipples are the safe choice. Aluminium nipples should only go on rims whose eyelets are not aluminium, because aluminium-on-aluminium contact can seize.
Measuring ERD
Spoke length depends on the rim's effective diameter (ERD, the diameter at which the nipple heads sit) and on the hub's flange diameter, spoke-hole size and flange offsets. Published figures are useful for cross-checking, but measure your own parts, especially a used rim that may have been bent and re-trued. Sheldon Brown's method:
- Measure the rim's diameter, or its circumference divided by pi.
- Subtract twice the depth from that surface to the spoke-hole seat.
- For an empty rim, add twice the nipple head height, about 4 mm in total.
- Measure the hub's spoke-hole circle and the distance of each flange from the centreline.
- Run the numbers through a spoke-length calculator, building the first wheel slowly enough to catch an error.
Choosing the rim
The GP4 is a tubular (sew-up) rim. Velobase lists 700c versions with a hard-anodized finish and double eyelets, drilled from 24 to 40 holes, and an earlier red-label version from the 1970s and early 1980s. Mavic's own 1997 web catalog still offered it, describing stainless double eyelets and a hard "CD" finish. It suits a period race bike, as long as you're prepared to live with tubulars.
The MA40 is a clincher introduced in late 1985 for the 1986 season, alongside the MA and MA2, with a hard-anodized grey finish derived from Mavic's earlier SSC rims. Velobase lists 700c and 27-inch versions with 32, 36 and 40 holes. Make sure the size matches your frame and brakes before you bid.
The Open Pro is newer than many buyers assume. It appears in Mavic's 1998 range. The February 1997 version of Mavic's website lists the Open SUP rather than the Open Pro. Mavic described it as a double-eyelet rim in its Maxtal alloy for 19–23 mm tyres. It is a practical clincher choice for a bike you ride often, but it is not period-correct on a 1970s or 1980s build.
Tubular basics
Sheldon Brown's glossary sums up the drawbacks: a tubular that isn't glued properly can roll off and cause a crash, the glue needs to dry overnight, a spare fitted at the roadside can't be glued securely so you ride it gently, and a wet tubular won't stick to a wet rim. If you aren't going to glue your own tyres carefully, choose a clincher rim.
Checking used hubs and rims before you bid
- Hubs: ask whether the axle turns smoothly or feels gritty. Pitted cones can be replaced, but pitted cups in the shell cannot. Look closely for cracks between spoke holes on the flanges, and check the axle is straight.
- Rims: look for a concave, worn brake track, cracks at the eyelets or spoke holes, a misaligned joint, and dents or flat spots. On tubular rims, ask how much old glue is left.
- Built wheels: uneven spoke tension and seized nipples are common. Treat a tired wheel as a source of hubs and plan to rebuild it with new spokes.
The inspection checklist has more on judging bearings and finish from photos. For hubs tied to a particular group, see our guides to Campagnolo Record groups and Shimano 600 and Dura-Ace 7400.
