Author Topic: Ambrosio rims, any good, what the deal with them? (Read 10538 times)

oldschoolace · « **on:** August 03, 2015, 03:46 PM »

I've been offered a tidy blue rim laced to a heliomatic hub. They seem to fetch good money in the states but dont look that great to me $:-\$
Anyone know anything about them, the one i have seen has a large rectangular label with ambrosio bmx written on it

Cheers, Clint

pickle · « **Reply #1 on:** August 03, 2015, 04:30 PM »

Nice rims, i guess it just depends on what floats ya boat

Gnarlyscoots · « **Reply #2 on:** August 03, 2015, 04:57 PM »

I could never understand the 'buzz' about those rims Clint. Some people will pay serious money for them, even though they came on Toy store bikes. I think some sellers just 'bigged them up' and people thought they were super rare, bumping the prices extremely high.

I think the long decal, spaced lettering, is second generation, and the small red decal is first. There should be a Durex decal on them too

oldschoolace · « **Reply #3 on:** August 03, 2015, 05:01 PM »

Cheers Terry, that was pretty much my thought, the seam in the side wall is pretty prominent on these things and my experience of most italian bmx stuff is that its not great.

Think i will give it a miss at 40 posted, would never find a front anyway $:-\$

Gnarlyscoots · « **Reply #4 on:** August 03, 2015, 05:15 PM »

Quote from: oldschoolace on August 03, 2015, 05:01 PM

the seam in the side wall is pretty prominent on these things

Yeah, the seam does look a bit poor quality. The rim is just pinned too, I think, I can't remember now. There was a seller a few months ago trying to sell a NOS set off for stupid amount of money. Not my thing though. I only ever saw them on cheap bikes back in the day, my Sister's Piranha having gold ones, and never saw any rider's over Shoreham donning them on their racer's.

adenough · « **Reply #5 on:** August 03, 2015, 05:58 PM »

And they also sound like a tin of rice pudding....

Church · « **Reply #6 on:** August 03, 2015, 08:13 PM »

Ambrosio rims were used by top rider like Mike Miranda , Greg Hill BITD ... Good stuff here !

Andy68 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 03, 2015, 08:26 PM »

Eric Rupe too

Church · « **Reply #8 on:** August 03, 2015, 08:31 PM »

Quote from: Andy68 on August 03, 2015, 08:26 PM

Eric Rupe too

Yes +1

markyp · « **Reply #9 on:** August 04, 2015, 07:44 PM »

the yanks go mad for ambrosia,seem to be popular on profile builds,think southern andy has them on his zeronine

dinglem · « **Reply #10 on:** August 04, 2015, 08:25 PM »

I've got a couple of pairs of these; rib-sides look nice but the pinned seam is dubious at best. There's an alarming gap. They sell for silly money, although saying that the 3 red ones on the 'Bay have been selling forever....

I picked up some Spencers today - lovely smooth welded seam and oozing quality. And £12.50 each

HUTCHMAN · « **Reply #11 on:** August 04, 2015, 08:44 PM »

i've got a NOS before building, pair of these... BUT they're a mis-matched pair of rims. One is Araya 7B style, one is Araya 7C style (both in blue)... i've no complaints about em tbh.

Church · « **Reply #12 on:** August 04, 2015, 09:36 PM »

Some of the profile team riders used Ambrosio rims during 84 , here ' s the data sheet of Eric Rupe's Bike

For my self , I think it's the same story as the yellow alu flange Skyway tuff wheels that you can find on cheap Raleigh Tuffburner ... Good stuff on low end bikes to make it more attractive ... But the yellow tuff are now very researched to build Fiola replica for example , it 's only why these are more valuable

pickle · « **Reply #13 on:** August 06, 2015, 04:57 PM »

Quote from: oldschoolace on August 03, 2015, 05:01 PM

Cheers Terry, that was pretty much my thought, the seam in the side wall is pretty prominent on these things and my experience of most italian bmx stuff is that its not great.

Think i will give it a miss at 40 posted, would never find a front anyway $:-\$

we're talking about a full set of old school wheels for £40 posted and you're turning them down? someone on here must want them?

oldschoolace · « **Reply #14 on:** August 06, 2015, 05:26 PM »

Just a rear Rob

pickle · « **Reply #15 on:** August 06, 2015, 05:35 PM »

ahhhh fook, i thought it twas a full set $:-\$ shame and yeah not worth bothering with really

Ged · « **Reply #16 on:** October 08, 2015, 09:27 PM »

they were fitted to low end BH bmx in the early eighties ...i know this because i am trying to find a set for my BH X4 build

Mikku · « **Reply #17 on:** October 09, 2015, 09:47 PM »

There's now a nice-looking set in the for sale section! Not mine I might add - I wish!!

sawzall · « **Reply #18 on:** October 10, 2015, 01:34 PM »

i have a nos gold rim,very simular to spencer rims

MartyC · « **Reply #19 on:** October 11, 2015, 04:47 AM »

Ambrosio are an Italian manufacturer of wheel rims that range from low end to high end road and track wheels, they have been around since 1932 and ere favoured by the top road racers of the 50s, 60s and 70s before the emergence of Mavic as a wheel tour de force. They are typically a high quality alloy rim that uses traditional manufacturing techniques that have stood the tests of time, such as pinned jointing.

Here's a good post on the MTBR forum about pinned v welded rims:

http://forums.mtbr.com/wheels-tires/pinned-vs-welded-rim-joints-388043.html

I think Ambrosio rims are excellent rims, they look great, true well and stay true

Ged · « **Reply #20 on:** October 20, 2015, 12:06 AM »

Quote from: Mikku on October 09, 2015, 09:47 PM

There's now a nice-looking set in the for sale section! Not mine I might add - I wish!!

are they still there cant find them

CustardLips · « **Reply #21 on:** October 20, 2015, 08:28 AM »

Quote from: Ged on October 20, 2015, 12:06 AM

Quote from: Mikku on October 09, 2015, 09:47 PM
There's now a nice-looking set in the for sale section! Not mine I might add - I wish!!

are they still there cant find them

Yep still there.

Taipan · « **Reply #22 on:** October 20, 2015, 10:57 AM »

Is this ebayer serious?

I think he's been looking on Rad and reading this thread

his ebay name suits the crap! he's been pushing on ebay for years!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Blue-ambrosio-1980s-bmx-wheels-80s-bmx-old-school-bmx-raleigh-burner-era-/111802246953?hash=item1a07eee729:g:0NMAAOSw~bFWHmK2

sawzall · « **Reply #23 on:** October 20, 2015, 05:32 PM »

i recently paid a tenner for a nos gold wheel,just got to find another one now!

Gnarlyscoots · « **Reply #24 on:** October 20, 2015, 05:58 PM »

Quote from: Taipan on October 20, 2015, 10:57 AM

Is this ebayer serious? I think he's been looking on Rad and reading this thread his ebay name suits the crap! he's been pushing on ebay for years!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Blue-ambrosio-1980s-bmx-wheels-80s-bmx-old-school-bmx-raleigh-burner-era-/111802246953?hash=item1a07eee729:g:0NMAAOSw~bFWHmK2

The thing is, if these were for sale in the US at $170 on Ebay.com, they would have been snapped up a long time ago.

Just looking at the hubs laced to them says the type of market they were aimed at back then.