Are my Mavic Crosslinks f****ed?

moonlite

Kona Fan
Took a chance on a Marketplace listing for a pair of 1996 Mavic Crosslink wheels. I didn't have high expectations because the price was suspiciously low, and sure enough, although the rims and spokes are good, the hubs -- especially the front -- look really dicy. There's quite extensive corrosion on the front, with the grey finish lifting off in a couple of spots. The rear looks a bit better, but you can see the bubbling effect which means corrosion under the grey coating.

So are these a total bust, or useable on an infrequently-used retro build? And if there are any suggestions for halting the corrosion, that would be great.

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If it was me, i would strip the wheels and give them a copper brush to see how far it goes.

You can dip them in white vinegar and that should eat a lot of the corrosion....just dont go too far! 🤣

Then if they look ok, give them a polish and reassemble.
 
strip them, you'll want to soak the spokes in something to help them out, then strip the paint and clean as Toots says. if there are no obvious cracks, repaint and ride them. they look solid enough, just corroded.
 
If they are still pitted after cleaning up, you can always repaint them. Alluminium primer, then use a high build primer and keep rubbing it back till you have a good flat surface. Then spray as normal.
 
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