[creekster]

Last time we were out on our triple we hit a pothole very hard on a fast (very fast) downhill run and put a big dent in the rim. These are Mavic T217 48 hole rims. Very sturdy and durable, but even they can be bent with a Clydesdale and his family all on top of it.

ANyhoo, I go to my local wheel builder (this guy, who owns a shop, is a bit odd, but he builds a great wheel). He tells me Mavic doesn't make this rim anymore and that my options in 48 spoke rims are few. So I am trying to decide if I want to buy two rims so they match or if I will go with the fuggly mis-matched rims. I then ask if he can fix the damaged one and he looks at me like I am a big loser. So I tell him I have a couple of other errands and will think about it and come back afterward.

After thinking, I decide to get two new rims and have him build the wheels. I return to the shop and he tells me that while I was gone he recalled some guy that had come in with a tandem, and had wanted a new wheel set and this guy had built up his new wheels. The tandem owner was going to throw away his old rims and the shop owner grabbed them, as they were essentially new, and threw them in the back. While I was gone he had rummaged around and, guess what, they were incredibly a set of Mavic T217 48 hole rims! He said he would only charge me $45 to build the wheel and he would give me both rims for a 6 pack of beer.

So will it violate the word of wisdom to accept this deal?