Velocity wheels at Nashbar v. ?

JBAFromNY said:

My old reliable Wolber rim/Suntour hub rear wheel combo is finally
starting to go (a couple of cracks around spoke holes/bearings getting
harder to adjust just right), so I'm looking at getting a new rear
wheel, or possibly a pair, along with some other upgrades.

Nashbar has a Velocity rear wheel for $60

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=131&subcategory=1199&brand=&sku=6238&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

Harris has a pair of Shimano hub/Weinmann rim wheels for $100

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/wheels/622.html

Do you have a cassette or a freewheel? How many cogs do you have on your
current back wheel? What sort of shifter and derailer do you use?

You should get a rear wheel that's compatible with your current gearing
and frame. If you have a freewheel, then you'll have to find another
choice from Harris. The Nashbar wheel can be had in freewheel or
cassette version.

A few points of comparison...

I would expect Harris to do a better job of building the wheel than
Nashbar. This is a very important consideration in the quality of a
wheel. If you're willing and able to "finish" the Nashbar wheel
yourself, then this is a moot point.

From an aesthetic standpoint, I'd like to have the wheels match. If the
Nashbar wheel looks similar to your front wheel, you're golden.
Otherwise, look towards the Harris wheels so you get a matched pair. On
the other hand, I have two bikes with unmatched wheels, and those bikes
work just fine, so... 🙂

I don't know too much about the rims in question; the rims on the Harris
wheels are described as "double-wall.. semi-aero." The Velocity rims are
single wall. I'd lean towards the double wall rims. I can't tell if
either rim has eyelets; eyelets are a good thing.

The Harris wheel has a Shimano hub; Shimano hubs are generally good
products. I can't tell what type of hub is on the Velocity/Nashbar wheels.

This post didn't answer your question outright, it might help guide your
research. Happy hunting.

--
Dave
dvt at psu dot edu

Everyone confesses that exertion which brings out all the powers of body
and mind is the best thing for us; but most people do all they can to
get rid of it, and as a general rule nobody does much more than
circumstances drive them to do. -Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and
novelist (1811-1896)

dvt said:

JBAFromNY said:

My old reliable Wolber rim/Suntour hub rear wheel combo is finally
starting to go (a couple of cracks around spoke holes/bearings getting
harder to adjust just right), so I'm looking at getting a new rear
wheel, or possibly a pair, along with some other upgrades.

Nashbar has a Velocity rear wheel for $60

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=131&subcategory=1199&brand=&sku=6238&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

Harris has a pair of Shimano hub/Weinmann rim wheels for $100

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/wheels/622.html

Quoted message said:

Do you have a cassette or a freewheel? How many cogs do you have on your
current back wheel? What sort of shifter and derailer do you use?

You should get a rear wheel that's compatible with your current gearing
and frame. If you have a freewheel, then you'll have to find another
choice from Harris. The Nashbar wheel can be had in freewheel or
cassette version.

7 speed indexing Suntour freewheel. I'm aware of the compatibility
issues, am considering upgrading the drivetrain to 8-speed Shimano, and
know which components I'd have to replace. I might also just get a
wheel, in which case Velocity is the easiest answer.

Quoted message said:

A few points of comparison...

I would expect Harris to do a better job of building the wheel than
Nashbar. This is a very important consideration in the quality of a
wheel. If you're willing and able to "finish" the Nashbar wheel
yourself, then this is a moot point.

I'm not sure this is an issue -- if I'm interpreting the Harris page
correctly, their wheel set ("36 Spoke Road Wheelsets WE944 $99.95
pair"😉 are OEM items they're re-selling, not wheels they built
themselves, and the Nashbars are built by Velocity. I can squeeze
spokes and true a wheel if I have to.

Quoted message said:

From an aesthetic standpoint, I'd like to have the wheels match. If the
Nashbar wheel looks similar to your front wheel, you're golden.
Otherwise, look towards the Harris wheels so you get a matched pair. On
the other hand, I have two bikes with unmatched wheels, and those bikes
work just fine, so... 🙂

The the ones I have right now don't match, so it's no biggie.

Quoted message said:

I don't know too much about the rims in question; the rims on the Harris
wheels are described as "double-wall.. semi-aero." The Velocity rims are
single wall. I'd lean towards the double wall rims. I can't tell if
either rim has eyelets; eyelets are a good thing.

This is the crux of the matter -- all else equal, how do the rims
compare. I'll buy what's stronger. Sheldon, if you're listening, feel
free to tell me that yours are better. I'm planning on ordering some
bar-cons from you anyway.

Quoted message said:

The Harris wheel has a Shimano hub; Shimano hubs are generally good
products. I can't tell what type of hub is on the Velocity/Nashbar wheels.

Googling around a bit, I get the sense that Velocity hubs are made by
"Formula" and are pretty good. If anyone has any facts here, I'd be
glad to hear them.

Quoted message said:

This post didn't answer your question outright, it might help guide your
research. Happy hunting.

Thanks,
John

dvt said:

JBAFromNY said:

My old reliable Wolber rim/Suntour hub rear wheel combo is finally
starting to go (a couple of cracks around spoke holes/bearings getting
harder to adjust just right), so I'm looking at getting a new rear
wheel, or possibly a pair, along with some other upgrades.

Nashbar has a Velocity rear wheel for $60

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=131&subcategory=1199&brand=&sku=6238&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

Harris has a pair of Shimano hub/Weinmann rim wheels for $100

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/wheels/622.html

Do you have a cassette or a freewheel? How many cogs do you have on your
current back wheel? What sort of shifter and derailer do you use?

You should get a rear wheel that's compatible with your current gearing
and frame. If you have a freewheel, then you'll have to find another
choice from Harris. The Nashbar wheel can be had in freewheel or
cassette version.

A few points of comparison...

I would expect Harris to do a better job of building the wheel than
Nashbar. This is a very important consideration in the quality of a
wheel. If you're willing and able to "finish" the Nashbar wheel
yourself, then this is a moot point.

Re-read the description, the go to Velocity's website. The wheels are
built by Velocity, Velocity handbuilds all their wheels. They build a
lot of them. They are good at building them. These are not your
machine built wheels that need to be 'finished', these are handbuilt
and ready to ride.

Quoted message said:

From an aesthetic standpoint, I'd like to have the wheels match. If the
Nashbar wheel looks similar to your front wheel, you're golden.
Otherwise, look towards the Harris wheels so you get a matched pair. On
the other hand, I have two bikes with unmatched wheels, and those bikes
work just fine, so... 🙂

I don't know too much about the rims in question; the rims on the Harris
wheels are described as "double-wall.. semi-aero." The Velocity rims are
single wall. I'd lean towards the double wall rims. I can't tell if
either rim has eyelets; eyelets are a good thing.

Quoted message said:

The Harris wheel has a Shimano hub; Shimano hubs are generally good
products. I can't tell what type of hub is on the Velocity/Nashbar wheels.

The 2200 is the lowest of the Shimano line. OK, not great. Velocity
has their own cup and cone hub; probably a toss up on the hub issue.

Basically, in the end neither wheel is all that exciting. Both are OK.
My own preference would be to get a good hub (assuming the Suntour hub
he has is really going, and not just in need of a good overhaul), pick
and appropriate rim, and then make or have made a good solid wheel.

- rick

JBAFromNY said:

My old reliable Wolber rim/Suntour hub rear wheel combo is finally
starting to go (a couple of cracks around spoke holes/bearings getting
harder to adjust just right), so I'm looking at getting a new rear
wheel, or possibly a pair, along with some other upgrades.

Nashbar has a Velocity rear wheel for $60

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=131&subcategory=1199&brand=&sku=6238&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

Harris has a pair of Shimano hub/Weinmann rim wheels for $100

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/wheels/622.html

My purpose:
Mostly commuting on an urban MUP (23 miles round trip) with occasional
longer rides. I weigh about 220 Lbs, so strength is more important
than weight to me. Both of these options are 36 spokes, so they should
be pretty strong. Any thoughts on which would be better quality and/or
stronger?

It's not clear what _brand_ hubs are included with Nashbar's wheels.
Ours are _genuine_ Shimano hubs, which I would consider a deal-breaker
unless the Nashbar wheel also has a Shimano hub, which I rather doubt.

DT vs Wheelsmith spokes is a wash.

However the Twin Hollow rims I've seen have been quite a lot crummier
than other Velocity models. We stopped carrying them a while ago when
better rims became available in the 630 mm (27 inch) size. The Weinmann
rims are much better than the Twin Hollow Velocity model.

Sheldon "Good Deal" Brown
+----------------------------------------------+
| If you wish in the world to advance, |
| Your merits you're bound to enhance; |
| You must stir it, and stump it, |
| And blow your own trumpet, |
| Or, trust me, you haven't a chance! |
| --W.S. Gilbert |
+----------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Sheldon Brown said:

JBAFromNY said:

My old reliable Wolber rim/Suntour hub rear wheel combo is finally
starting to go (a couple of cracks around spoke holes/bearings getting
harder to adjust just right), so I'm looking at getting a new rear
wheel, or possibly a pair, along with some other upgrades.

Nashbar has a Velocity rear wheel for $60

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=131&subcategory=1199&brand=&sku=6238&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

Harris has a pair of Shimano hub/Weinmann rim wheels for $100

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/wheels/622.html

My purpose:
Mostly commuting on an urban MUP (23 miles round trip) with occasional
longer rides. I weigh about 220 Lbs, so strength is more important
than weight to me. Both of these options are 36 spokes, so they should
be pretty strong. Any thoughts on which would be better quality and/or
stronger?

It's not clear what _brand_ hubs are included with Nashbar's wheels.
Ours are _genuine_ Shimano hubs, which I would consider a deal-breaker
unless the Nashbar wheel also has a Shimano hub, which I rather doubt.

DT vs Wheelsmith spokes is a wash.

However the Twin Hollow rims I've seen have been quite a lot crummier
than other Velocity models. We stopped carrying them a while ago when
better rims became available in the 630 mm (27 inch) size. The Weinmann
rims are much better than the Twin Hollow Velocity model.

Sheldon "Good Deal" Brown
+----------------------------------------------+
| If you wish in the world to advance, |
| Your merits you're bound to enhance; |
| You must stir it, and stump it, |
| And blow your own trumpet, |
| Or, trust me, you haven't a chance! |
| --W.S. Gilbert |
+----------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Dear Sheldon,

Through the magic of the internet, I asked Nashbar's live tech chat
what brand hub is used in their wheel:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=131&subcategory=1199&brand=&sku=6238&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

It took about three minutes for Gary to reply that it's a Velocity
hub.

I have no idea why or whether a Velocity hub is better, worse, or the
same as a Shimano hub, but the Velocity wheel itself is made in
Australia, so the sockets, if any, may be called pouches.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

[email hidden] wrote:
<snippage of Sheldon's post>>

Quoted message said:

Dear Sheldon,

Through the magic of the internet, I asked Nashbar's live tech chat
what brand hub is used in their wheel:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=131&subcategory=1199&brand=&sku=6238&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

It took about three minutes for Gary to reply that it's a Velocity
hub.

I have no idea why or whether a Velocity hub is better, worse, or the
same as a Shimano hub, but the Velocity wheel itself is made in
Australia, so the sockets, if any, may be called pouches.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Carl -

I believe that the Velocity replacement wheels use hubs made by
Joytech. They are similar in dimension and appearance to the Shimano
Parallax hubs. The quality is acceptable for normal use. They are not
things of beauty and joys forever, but they work.

Velocity now have an American plant, and I believe that the wheels sold
by Nashbar are made in the USA.

Cheers,

Tom

Sheldon Brown said:

JBAFromNY wrote [my query snipped]:

Quoted message said:

However the Twin Hollow rims I've seen have been quite a lot crummier
than other Velocity models. We stopped carrying them a while ago when
better rims became available in the 630 mm (27 inch) size. The Weinmann
rims are much better than the Twin Hollow Velocity model.

Sheldon "Good Deal" Brown
+----------------------------------------------+
| If you wish in the world to advance, |
| Your merits you're bound to enhance; |
| You must stir it, and stump it, |
| And blow your own trumpet, |
| Or, trust me, you haven't a chance! |
| --W.S. Gilbert |
+----------------------------------------------+

Toot toot.

Thanks Sheldon

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] wrote:
<snippage of Sheldon's post>>

Quoted message said:

Dear Sheldon,

Through the magic of the internet, I asked Nashbar's live tech chat
what brand hub is used in their wheel:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=131&subcategory=1199&brand=&sku=6238&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

It took about three minutes for Gary to reply that it's a Velocity
hub.

I have no idea why or whether a Velocity hub is better, worse, or the
same as a Shimano hub, but the Velocity wheel itself is made in
Australia, so the sockets, if any, may be called pouches.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Carl -

I believe that the Velocity replacement wheels use hubs made by
Joytech. They are similar in dimension and appearance to the Shimano
Parallax hubs. The quality is acceptable for normal use. They are not
things of beauty and joys forever, but they work.

Velocity now have an American plant, and I believe that the wheels sold
by Nashbar are made in the USA.

Cheers,

Tom

Dear Tom,

If so, Nashbar hasn't updated their more-info. Click on Nashbar's
more-info link for the rear wheel on this page:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=131&subcategory=1199&brand=&sku=6238&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

weight 1256 g (rear) 930 g (front)
spokes 14 gauge
holes 36
spacing 130 mm
..
made in Australia
rev.6/15/05rt

http://www.nashbar.com/moreinfo.cfm?sku=6238

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

My very dear Carl said:

Through the magic of the internet, I asked Nashbar's live tech chat
what brand hub is used in their wheel:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=131&subcategory=1199&brand=&sku=6238&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

It took about three minutes for Gary to reply that it's a Velocity
hub.

Velocity doesn't actually make hubs. Just because it has their name on
it doesn't mean they made it. .

Quoted message said:

I have no idea why or whether a Velocity hub is better, worse, or the
same as a Shimano hub, but the Velocity wheel itself is made in
Australia, so the sockets, if any, may be called pouches.

All cassette hubs that are not Shimano hubs are worse than Shimano
Freehubs, with the exception of Phil Wood.

Another poster said:

I believe that the Velocity replacement wheels use hubs made by
Joytech.

That would be my guess as well.

Quoted message said:

They are similar in dimension and appearance to the Shimano
Parallax hubs. The quality is acceptable for normal use. They are not
things of beauty and joys forever, but they work.

As long as they last they're OK, but if the Freehub body malfunctions it
can't be replaced, so you need a whole new wheel. Shimano Freehub
bodies are replaceable and inexpensive.

Shimano Freehubs are a super value, even the low end models. Accept no
substitutes...it's a false economy.

As Ever, Yr. H'mble, Ob't, S'vt,

Sheldon "Say No To Cheapo Taiwanese Cassette Hubs" Brown
+--------------------------------------------------------+
| I met a traveler from an antique land |
| Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone |
| Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand, |
| Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, |
| And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, |
| Tell that its sculptor well those passions read, |
| Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, |
| The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed, |
| And on the pedestal these words appear: |
| "My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: |
| Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair! |
| Nothing beside remains. Round the decay |
| Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare |
| The lone and level sands stretch far away. |
| -Percy Bysshe Shelley |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

[email hidden] wrote:
<snippage of what Carl wrote in reply to what Sheldon wrote before I
wrote what I wrote, snipping also what I wrote>

Quoted message said:

Dear Tom,

If so, Nashbar hasn't updated their more-info. Click on Nashbar's
more-info link for the rear wheel on this page:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=131&subcategory=1199&brand=&sku=6238&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

weight 1256 g (rear) 930 g (front)
spokes 14 gauge
holes 36
spacing 130 mm
.
made in Australia
rev.6/15/05rt

http://www.nashbar.com/moreinfo.cfm?sku=6238

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Carl -

Yes, this confused me as well. I bought a pair of the Velocity Glider
wheels and believed they were Australian. I needed to communicate with
Velocity a short while later regarding an issue with the wheels and
found this site: www.velocitywheels.com. This is the Australian site
and is of no help, as it is in the process of being upgraded.

I then went to: www.velocityusa.com/. This site had complete
information on all the Velocity products and led me to believe that the
wheels I had in hand might actually have been Merkun made. The
gentleman on the other end of the e-mail was most considerate and
offered to help me with service to the wheels, so it seemed he was
taking responsibility for having been a party to the building of said
wheels.

However, things get curiouser and curiouser. I traded e-mails with them
just the week before last, but the above site has since had its web
hosting account suspended.

When I get home I shall check the wheels over and see if the little tag
that indicates that they were hand-built also indicates the country of
origin.

Cheers,

Tom

The Masters of Smarm are gathering. Is a Tournament in the offing? Who
will unseat the reigning champion, Geezer Gazoo of Pueblo?

Sheldon Brown said:

My very dear Carl, you wrote:

Quoted message said:

As Ever, Yr. H'mble, Ob't, S'vt,

Smarm alert!

[email hidden] wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

Yes, this confused me as well. I bought a pair of the Velocity Glider
wheels and believed they were Australian. I needed to communicate with
Velocity a short while later regarding an issue with the wheels and
found this site: www.velocitywheels.com. This is the Australian site
and is of no help, as it is in the process of being upgraded.

I then went to: www.velocityusa.com/. This site had complete
information on all the Velocity products and led me to believe that the
wheels I had in hand might actually have been Merkun made. The
gentleman on the other end of the e-mail was most considerate and
offered to help me with service to the wheels, so it seemed he was
taking responsibility for having been a party to the building of said
wheels.

However, things get curiouser and curiouser. I traded e-mails with them
just the week before last, but the above site has since had its web
hosting account suspended.

When I get home I shall check the wheels over and see if the little tag
that indicates that they were hand-built also indicates the country of
origin.

Cheers,

Tom

Carl -

The rim has a decal (picture of a Kangaroo with an outline of Australia
in the background) that says "Made in Australia".

In the spoke bed of the rim (had to peel up the rim tape)is a white
sticker that says "Proudly Built by Velocity USA".

Cheers,

Tom

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <[email hidden]>,

JBAFromNY said:

My old reliable Wolber rim/Suntour hub rear wheel combo is finally
starting to go (a couple of cracks around spoke holes/bearings getting
harder to adjust just right), so I'm looking at getting a new rear
wheel, or possibly a pair, along with some other upgrades.

_ You might consider just putting new spokes and rims on the old
hub. Hubs go a long long time if properly maintained and if
improperly maintained, new cones are around $10.. You can get
sunrace freewheels now with hyper glide like cogs that shift just
as well as the new stuff, plus for reasons I don't understand are
actually cheaper than 7 or 8spd cassettes. This solution won't
be much if at all cheaper than a new wheel if you need to pay for
labor, but might be simpler and more satisfying.

_ Booker C. Bense

PS. Swapping rims is a excellent way to learn to build wheels.
If you're patient and reasonably good with tools, building strong
wheels is pretty straightforward.

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Booker C. Bense said:

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <[email hidden]>,

JBAFromNY said:

My old reliable Wolber rim/Suntour hub rear wheel combo is finally
starting to go (a couple of cracks around spoke holes/bearings getting
harder to adjust just right), so I'm looking at getting a new rear
wheel, or possibly a pair, along with some other upgrades.

_ You might consider just putting new spokes and rims on the old
hub. Hubs go a long long time if properly maintained and if
improperly maintained, new cones are around $10..

I did consider this, but decided to go with new stuff. The rear hub
was never great to begin with (it has a weird seal design that makes it
hard to overhaul was always tricky to adjust properly). I've also
broken the axle a couple of times and would like to go with the added
strength of a cassette hub.

Quoted message said:

You can get
sunrace freewheels now with hyper glide like cogs that shift just
as well as the new stuff, plus for reasons I don't understand are
actually cheaper than 7 or 8spd cassettes. This solution won't
be much if at all cheaper than a new wheel if you need to pay for
labor, but might be simpler and more satisfying.

My (soon to be replaced) drivetrain is Suntour -- the cog spacing (and
hence indexing) is different from Shimano, and I've been told that
Shimano-compatible freewheels wouldn't index with my
derailers/shifters. So this is kind of a rear-wheel-or-everything-else
situation. Credit card numbners are flying through cyberspace as we
speak.

Quoted message said:

PS. Swapping rims is a excellent way to learn to build wheels.
If you're patient and reasonably good with tools, building strong
wheels is pretty straightforward.

I'll admit I'm not quite that patient.

Thanks,
John

Quoted message said:

Harris has a pair of Shimano hub/Weinmann rim wheels for $100

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/wheels/622.html

I bought that wheelset from Harris a few months ago. Bottom line: I'm
reasonably happy with the wheels (with qualifications) and I'm
delighted with Harris.

I've got about 700 miles on them in commuting duty so far this year, I
weigh about 190lb and ride a 1984 lugged steel Schwinn touring frame,
with a rack on the back, and I load the bike on the back. The wheels
came true and appropriately tensioned, as far as I could see.

The wheels themselves haven't gone out of true one little bit except
for losing a couple spokes on the drive side of the rear wheel - broke
at the elbow bend. The spokes were dead easy to replace and the wheel
went right back into true with minimal fiddling. Like, the most
annoying part is getting the cassette off.

One might think, ah, losing spokes, how crappy. I honestly don't think
so for such a wheelset and I would buy these wheels again. I might
have gotten a bad one, I have a history of having spoke problems, and
me with 20-40lb of stuff on the back slinging the bike from side to
side as I'm standing to go up a hill is pretty much a worst case
scenario. Keep in mind, here - 190lb me, 40lb bike including fender
and rack, probably 60% of the weight on the back since the bike is
small for me, 30lb of cargo on the back = fatigue city.

What's great from a commuting standpoint is that if you lose a spoke on
one of these and your bike isn't a silly one, you'll barely even notice
it's gone until you look at the wheel. 36 spokes and decent clearance
means the issue can be dealt with at leisure.

As far as I can tell, too, the rims are great. I haven't done a thing
to the hubs and they're just fine too, 700 miles in; no play in them,
no adjustment required, just doing their thing. The only thing about
these wheels is that the rims are 14mm wide, which makes running tires
wider than 28mm a little iffy. I'm thinking of using them on my R700
road bike instead of the WH550 wheels when I'm going on longer rides.
Reason is that if something goes wrong with the WH550s I'm SOL, whereas
with these, I'm not.

**Real reason why to get these wheels though:**

The great bit about dealing with Harris is that after the first spoke
went, I emailed them asking about the spoke lengths on the wheel
(figuring they would know it exactly and not wanting to make a mistake
with a calculator). Not only did I get a prompt response, but I also
got a dozen of each size of name brand spokes for each side of the
wheel, sent for free, without even asking. Totally above and beyond!

I think that kind of service is exceedingly groovy and I'm certainly
going to buy from them again.

I have over 30,000 miles on my Velocity Spartacus wheel set. The nicely
polished aluminum hubs were made by Formula Hubs (formulahubs.com), a
Taiwanese company and in my opinion they are better than the Shimano
hubs I have used in the past. Shimano hubs are very good, I'm just
saying these are better.

For instance, they have a 3 pawl design versus Shimano's 2 pawl. With
my Ultegra rear hub, on infrequent occasion, I would get a large snap
sound of the pawl(s) not immediately engaging. I don't recall that
happening with my Velocity/Formula hubs.

Additionally, servicing the free hub body is much easier to do - err
check that - possible to do with the Velocity hubs, unlike Shimano.
Shimano has this thin metal sheath that gets easily damaged if one tries
to remove the freehub for servicing. Good luck getting this spare part
from Shimano and I'm not about to hand cut aluminum to improvise and
create my own.

Last, the hubs are smooth, as in real smooth. They use cartridge
bearings versus Shimano's loose bearings. Say what you will about
cartridge bearings, but I do not miss repacking my Shimano hubs with
grease. I haven't had to service the hubs in 4 years and that time
saved in not having to perform such maintenance step is a great bonus.

I can confirm as an American customer that Velocity's wheels are hand
built in the USA. I actually spoke with one of their wheel builders
before purchasing a wheel set. Unlike other wheel companies, like
Mavic, their customer service is very responsive and helpful,
http://www.velicotyusa.com

Rick said:

dvt said:

I would expect Harris to do a better job of building the wheel than
Nashbar. This is a very important consideration in the quality of a
wheel. If you're willing and able to "finish" the Nashbar wheel
yourself, then this is a moot point.

Quoted message said:

Re-read the description, the go to Velocity's website.

I didn't research the topic exhaustively. It's possible that Nashbar is
selling well built wheels at a very low price, but as I said originally,
I wouldn't expect it.

Quoted message said:

The wheels are
built by Velocity, Velocity handbuilds all their wheels. They build a
lot of them. They are good at building them. These are not your
machine built wheels that need to be 'finished', these are handbuilt
and ready to ride.

Those are pretty strong words. Why do you have such strong feelings for
the Velocity wheels? Have you seen a large sample, are you a satisfied
customer, or ....?

Quoted message said:

My own preference would be to get a good hub, pick
and appropriate rim, and then make or have made a good solid wheel.

I like the OP's approach. He would probably pay much more for equivalent
parts if he bought them individually. If I were buying a set of wheels
today, I'd try the same approach if I could find a prebuilt set that I
liked. But I'd expect the wheels to require "finishing touches."

--
Dave
dvt at psu dot edu

Everyone confesses that exertion which brings out all the powers of body
and mind is the best thing for us; but most people do all they can to
get rid of it, and as a general rule nobody does much more than
circumstances drive them to do. -Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and
novelist (1811-1896)

JBAFromNY said:

My old reliable Wolber rim/Suntour hub rear wheel combo is finally
starting to go (a couple of cracks around spoke holes/bearings getting
harder to adjust just right), so I'm looking at getting a new rear
wheel, or possibly a pair, along with some other upgrades.

Nashbar has a Velocity rear wheel for $60

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=131&subcategory=1199&brand=&sku=6238&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

One thing that has not been mentioned is that these nashbar wheels look a
little funny to me. It almost looks like the rim is a single-wall rim;
the kind you would use a rubber rim strip on. They are called "double
hollow", but that does not mean double wall. Is this just my
misunderstanding of the picture? If not, then I would not bother with
these wheels.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | It is probably that television drama of high caliber and
_`\(,_ | produced by first-rate artists will materially raise the level
(_)/ (_) | of dramatic taste in the nation. -- David Sarnoff, 1939

David L. Johnson said:

JBAFromNY said:

My old reliable Wolber rim/Suntour hub rear wheel combo is finally
starting to go (a couple of cracks around spoke holes/bearings getting
harder to adjust just right), so I'm looking at getting a new rear
wheel, or possibly a pair, along with some other upgrades.

Nashbar has a Velocity rear wheel for $60

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=131&subcategory=1199&brand=&sku=6238&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

One thing that has not been mentioned is that these nashbar wheels look a
little funny to me. It almost looks like the rim is a single-wall rim;
the kind you would use a rubber rim strip on. They are called "double
hollow", but that does not mean double wall. Is this just my
misunderstanding of the picture? If not, then I would not bother with
these wheels.

Sorry to follow-up my own post, but I found a site showing a cross-section
of the rim, and they are single-wall rims. I would not use them.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Enron's slogan: Respect, Communication, Integrity, and
_`\(,_ | Excellence.
(_)/ (_) |