What are the brands of hoops (rims) you are riding?

[gltapley]

This thread is mostly aimed at the folks who are still riding custom wheels, but others feel free to chime in.

These days with the old school rim makers having died out. I am thinking Super Champion, Fiamme, Martano (that one takes us back...don't it?), Araya, Nisi and Rigida. Just seems that there are fewer and fewer nice alloy rim choices out there.

Mavic and Ambrosio still make some great rims but I mostly would like to hear some input form people who are on Alex, Velocity and Kinlin. A couple of riding buddies are on Kinlin rims and have great things to say about them. Just curious to what the rest of you all are doing..

As for myself. I am still riding on some old Mavic Open 4's. When it comes to prebuilt wheels over the years I have liked Mavic but now am leaning a bit towards Easton.

Mountiain bikers please feel free to chime in too. I know Stan's makes some great porducts...

Gtapley

[Curious George]

I don't build that many, but the last 3 sets were Alex and I was very happy with them.
Sometimes rims just seem to lace up easily and take a minimal amount of tweaking to true - Mavic seem to be like this.
Alex have a good range of shapes, not sure how many are always available though.

[Cookietruck]

can't really comment on alex or velocity.
i've built a few sets of open pros and i think the excellight's i built tensioned up better...were more round.

just got a set of campy wheels with reflex's, need to glue tires on them. after they wear out i have NOS gp4 (new label) and a nice GEL280 to lace up...

[WadePatton]

i'd really like to try troy's new hubs* laced to velocity rims of some flavor. but that's not in this years budget.

so i'm lacing used kings to barely used open pro's with funkelnagelneu** spokes.

*ligero wheels, troy watson--he had a pair with him at nahbs.

** "brand new" auf deutsch

[Too Tall]

Ambrosia Nemesis
Mavic Reflex
Velocity Escape

Current favs. in order. Sad, there really are not more quality alum. tubular rims avail. however the ones that are "out there" are more than worthy.

There are some very very good carbon rims as well. Folks with strong opinions will chime in and my fav. is Edge both because of the quality and customer service.

[themanmonkey]

I'm actually a big fan of the Alex rims and have been running a few different ones for around 5 years. They are a great rim for the money, but don't have any real bling factor if that matters. The Open Pro rims have been my go-to rim for many, many years for when I want a no nonsense rim for friends and family and customers.

[fore]

I've got two pairs of wheels built around DT Swiss RR1.2, they call them something different now, I'm not sure what. Aero-section aluminum clincher. I like them. Heavy, but rock solid.

I've got one pair of wheels built around Sun Ringle ME14A, can't really comment on these yet as the only riding I've done on them is a road race and a crit. So far so good, I guess.

One pair of Sun Ringle 0-degree XC rims on my 29" singlespeed mountain bike. I love these. Everyone I talked to said I was taking chances when I decided to build a 28 hole 29er wheel when I weigh just under 200lbs and have a habit of riding through things rather than around them. They've held up just fine.

One more pair of Sun Ringle 0-degree XC rims built as cyclocross wheels, I just haven't used these ones yet.

One pair of Bontrager Valiant rims (I'm not sure these are even made anymore) on one of my 26" mountain bikes. The only thing these have ever needed is a new spoke after a friend who I lent my bike to crashed head-on into someone on the trail

One pair of Velocity Aeroheads that I used to use for fixed-gear commuting, they need to get rebuilt. A couple Wisconsin winters (combined with copious amounts of road salt) took their toll.

One Bontrager Mustang laced to a White Industries Eccentric hub, this has been a bombproof wheel as well.

I think that's most of them. I've got a stack of rims here waiting to get built, I just need to find some hubs and a reason.

[marten]

This thread is mostly aimed at the folks who are still riding custom wheels, but others feel free to chime in.

These days with the old school rim makers having died out. I am thinking Super Champion, Fiamme, Martano (that one takes us back...don't it?), Araya, Nisi and Rigida. Just seems that there are fewer and fewer nice alloy rim choices out there.

Rigida is still hanging on (and sprouted Exal)
Araya is still there, but the exchange rate is probably not favorable

[Brandon White]

Kinlin Ni 30mm rims (20/24) laced to White Ind. H2 hubs. I love those hubs. So pretty. I want a set of box section tubulars though laced to CK's (if he made a campy compatible hub) or record hubs.

[dcpdpayne]

I've been training and racing on a set of Velocity Escape tubulars laced 32 3x to a set of Suzue Classcia hubs. I can't say a bad word about them. They are my favorite wheelset to date.

[Saab2000]

This week I am overseas on my Croll, which is outfitted with a set of Velocity Aeroheads with offset rear rim. They are very nice, but could be nicer.

I had to true the wheels up after the trip and noticed, as I have in the past, that the spokes come out of the rim perpendicular to the rim, but then have to bend to get to the hubs. I don't know if it really matters or not, but I can say that it looks cheap. If someone is going to go through the trouble to design asymmetrical rims with many different drillings and color options one would think that getting that drilling properly angled wouldn't be so tough. But it is not perfect. Still, they ride nicely.

They are very nice rims, but could be nicer with proper drilling as well as nicer coloring. I think they are powdercoated, not anodized and this looks a bit less premium. They need to make a tubular version of this rim. The offset rear is a totally solid concept and I am surprised that more rim manufacturers haven't done anything with it.

The OP wanted to know about Velocity rims so there you have it. Nice stuff at a nice price. Workaday wheels but no sex appeal.

[edoz]

I've had good experience with Velocity VXCs on a mtb. I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything from Velocity, except in a neon leopard print;)

[echelon_john]

i've built many sets of kinlins by now and they consistently build up very straight and solid; they're among the easiest rims i build with, other than the lack of eyelets slowing the lacing down a bit. they hold up well for their weight.

only complaint with kinlins is that i feel they run REALLY narrow; good for running up to a 23 tire but above that a little narrow IMO.

ambrosio nemeses consistently build up very straight and hold up well.

HED C2 rims build well, are reasonably light for their strength, and i haven't had anything but positive feedback on the ride. These have become my rim of choice; available in drillings up to 32 for big dudes, strong enogh to run in lower spoke counts where applicable.

frankly, mavic has been the most inconsistent lately in terms of ease of building; i've had some CXP-33s that have been all over the place. i'm kind of done with them, after loving them in the past. i just think the rim world has taken a step past them.

YMMV,
jc

[TMB]

I still use "old" stuff

GP 4's
GL 330's

Ambrosio Nemesis or Montreal.

Ambrosio Excellight ssc.

Those right there define my world view.

[maunahaole]

I currently ride 32h Open Pros on old record hubs on one bike. The other has 36h Ambrosio Excellence on a new style chorus rear and record front. Good luck with both and I'm no lightweight. I think the Ambrosios have better braking performance.

[Saab2000]

I bought into the hype on the Ambrosio Nemesis and have no regrets. So far tough as nails. I had them built for me by Tom Kellogg and then after a few hundred miles tweaked them a bit as they settled. and tightened a couple of spokes here and there and they are stiff and lively and do what they are supposed to do, which is to exist and not cause me trouble on a ride.

Are these wheels light? No. Neither am I. Do they give the appearance of being ultra tough and durable? Yup.

If you can get a set of these built up right and have the patience for sewups they are highly recommend. I have a 32 on the rear and a rare 28 on the front. But I was tempted sorely to buy the 36-hole rims Mr. Roman Meal had for sale as those built up a a good set of hubs would probably survive the apocalypse.

Nemesis are good rims. Get some. They're worth it. And they're kind of exotic and nobody else will have them on the ride you go on.

[ergott]

I personally have,
Stan's 29er
Mavic GP4
Edge Composites (soon to be ENVE)
AC 420

-Eric

[boots2000]

DT 465- double eyelet standard clincher
Hed Beligian
Stans Crest

[brad_t]

On 24H Velocity Escapes and have never had any issues, use these mainly on the cyclocross bike when i don't have my Reynolds on. Have a set of DT 240'sto build and these are going to get the Nemesis rim.

[znfdl]

Velocity A23
Mavic Open Pro
Edge
Interloc
HED Belgium