Conference noted::bicycle

    I vote for the annodized rims.  Though I am not a metals expert,
    I know that the annodizing protects the aluminum, and somehow increases
    it's life span.
    
    I have annodized rims, and in the next few weeks I will be sending
    out my chain rings and crank arms to be annodized.  From speeaking
    to afew metalurgical engineers that I know, they all feel that
    annodizing is a good idea, expecially if you will putting your bike
    to alot of use in many different weather environments.
    
    	-Nancy

    I have anodized rims on my mountain bike. I have noticed that the
    brake pads have worn off that "annodized" layer. What does annodizing
    rims consist of, and how is that helpful if it just rubs off?
    does it protect the rims more that just at-the-surface? Do mountain
    bikes apply more pressure to the rim than road bikes....i.e. are
    there road bikers who have rubbed off the anodized layer?
    

    
>    there road bikers who have rubbed off the anodized layer?

    Mine did in one day.  I have a pair of anodized Nisi rims with about
    600 miles on them, and no wear from the brake pads.  I raced yesterday
    in the heavy rain. The course had a turn at the bottom of a
    35 mph hill that you had to brake into, and another turn to had
    to brake for.  With all the rain, you really had to crank your brakes 
    for a few second before they caught.  After the 4 lap race, I noticed that
    the anodizing was noticeably worn.  Maybe alot of grit from the puddles
    gets in there?
    
    
    
    

    Re .0: I'm not quite clear about the difference. 
    
    Do you mean that one bike has rims that are grey or black, and the
    other has rims that are shiny metal, or do you mean that one bike has
    alloy rims and the other bike has steel rims? 
    
    If you mean the first, then it doesn't seem worthwhile paying $75 extra
    for. If you mean the second, then alloy rims will give you a real
    advantage over steel, being safer in the wet, but $75 still seems a lot
    extra.
    
    Are you sure the price difference doesn't arise from other variations
    in frame/componentry between the two bikes? 
    
    
    Re .2: Same question; by anodized do you mean that the rims are
    coloured grey or black? If yes, that's something that's becoming
    fashionable these days, and yes, road bikes do wear through the
    coloured layer too - after about the first time the brakes are applied. 
    
    Anodizing consists of artificially increasing the oxide layer on the
    alloy surface, which is a good idea because the oxide layer is tough
    and inert and protects the metal from further corrosion. I would
    imagine any alloy rim has been treated like this. In the fancy looking
    coloured rims, this oxide layer has been dyed: I don't think this
    confers a perfomance advantage. 
    
                                                          
    Rod

	Thanks for all the input so quickly.

	The two bikes that I'm referring to are made by different manufacturers
with different components, different year of manufacture etc.  The reason I am
comparing the bikes at all is that to me they are equivalent except for the one
difference noted, the wheels. Several bike shops I went to showed me bikes with
anodized rims, and it just happened that one of the two bikes I was most
interested in happened to have (grey) anodized rims (whether or not they are
hard anodized [as per note 26.1] I have not yet asked). The other bike had alloy
rims which were not anodized.  Appearance is not a consideration with the
wheels. 

	I was told by several salespeople that anodized rims are more durable
which seems to be supported to some extent by the replies here.  Unfortunately I
have no idea how much wheels cost by themselves and I was wondering if anodized
rims are significantly more durable than non-anodized rims, or enough so to
warrant an extra $75. 

/carl	

    	re: .2
    
    	Probably not more pressure from the mountain bike brakes, but
    	just more dirt. After a couple of mud-rides, and using the
    	brakes ofcourse, the annodized layer (at least the colored
    	stuff) on my rims were literally sanded off by the grit in the
    	mud. Now I have two-tone rims!
    
    								  Mike
    

    You can get get Arc-En-Ciel alloy rims for about $12 apiece,
    Mavic MA40 hard-anodized rims for about $25 each.  For really
    high-end racing rims, you can spend $50 each, but that's the
    stuff you'd see on a $1500+ bike.  
    
    So it seems like $75 is a lot to pay for the difference.  I'd
    ask the other dealer how much he'd charge you to "upgrade" the
    plain alloy wheeled bike, if you really want them.
    
    MATT

    The high end rims are whats called Heat Treated.. They hold true
    much better.. I have been running a set of heat treats for some
    time, jumping railroad tracks and such and have had no problem with
    flat spots or the wheels going out of true...