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Manufacturing with Passion: Velocity USA’s Grand Rapids Wheel Factory

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Manufacturing with Passion: Velocity USA’s Grand Rapids Wheel Factory

During a visit to my hometown of Grand Rapids, MI this past summer I stopped in at Velocity USA, purveyors of finely shaped and colorful formed aluminum. Jill Martindale – resident endurance racing aficionado and winter weather lover – graciously took time out of her day to show me around their manufacturing facility. I’ve been a fan of Velocity for quite a while (still have a 20ish-year-old set of Deep Vs kicking around) and was very geeked out roaming around the factory with Jill, observing the precision processes that go into creating each rim and wheel build, and meeting the folks that make it all happen.

WTB’s New CZR Carbon Rims

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WTB’s New CZR Carbon Rims

WTB’s had carbon rims before but they were nothing like their new CZR rims. These rims are designed with a bit of flex to help you maintain trail connectivity, have reinforced spoke holes, utilize TCS 2.0 tubeless technology, and are available in i23 and i30 inner widths for gravel or MTB riding.

Specs:
-Reinforced spoke beds, proven 4D angled spoke hole drilling and an asymmetrical design…all the necessary ingredients of an incredibly durable rim.
-Two internal width options… 23mm for the gravel-centric and 30mm for the mountain-focused.
-When compared to the competition, lab tests proved our CZR carbon rims to be overall lighter, stiffer and more impact resistant. To be precise, our CZR i23 rims were 38% more impact resistance than their direct competition while our CZR i30 rims were 10% more impact resistant.
-Original owner benefits from a Limited Lifetime Warranty against manufacturer defects in additional to a No-Questions-Asked crash replacement policy which offers a replacement rim at 50% off MSRP.
-Retail $569.95

See more at WTB.

Rodeo Labs and Cerakote: A Match Made in Hero Dirt

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Rodeo Labs and Cerakote: A Match Made in Hero Dirt

It’s no secret that we love earth tone themes over here at the Radavist. Which is why we’ve taken a liking to Cerakote, the durable and thin coating – .5 mil thick! – that is baked on like a powder but at lower temperatures. John’s Sklar’s finish is Cerakote and we’re seeing more and more integration with frames but very few component applications. That’s why this Rodeo Labs project caught our eye. They went extra dirty with this one with the Elite Earth color on everything, including their Rodeo 2.0 rims. Check out more photos below!

HED’s new Cross Country Raptor 29er Wheels

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HED’s new Cross Country Raptor 29er Wheels

HED has been making rims and wheels for a long, long time. 35 years in fact! They’ve taken all they’ve learned in that time and have developed a new cross-country wheelset, unlike anything they’ve made in the past. The HED Raptor 29er wheels utilize HED’s DNA profile and CNC drilling technology, offsetting the nipple bed to align with the spokes, this patent-pending technology is what HED has dubbed their Dual-axis Nipple Alignment (DNA) rim profile. This alleviates any uneven strain on the nipple and minimizes spoke bend, making for a lighter, stronger wheel with less maintenance. These new wheels utilize a wide, 25mm internal/31mm external width, making them ideal for 2″ – 2.5″ 29er race tires. Each rim is manufactured inside HED’s Minnesota factory from 148 hand-laid sheets of carbon, resulting in a 380g rim. These tubeless-ready clincher rims are then laced with 28 Sapim Laser spokes to a number of hub options including HED Brick House Hubs, Onyx or Industry Nine Hydra. The Raptor begins at $1,070.00 per wheel.

Head to HED for more!

Velo Orange’s New Voyager Rim

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Velo Orange’s New Voyager Rim

The latest rim from Velo Orange might pique your interest! Their Voyager Rim is a classic-inspired, yet modernly equipped, tubeless, box section rim that looks great on everything from a randonneur, to an all road bike and beyond. Its polished finish ties in well with classic componentry. Durability is always a concern with aluminum rims too, so VO built the Voyager with stainless steel eyelets and utilized a double wall construction. You can run from a 38mm tire all the way up to a 2.4″ and comes in 26″, 27.5″, or 29″ diameters.

-Intended Tire Size: 38mm-2.4″
-External Width: 27mm
-Internal Width: 22.1mm
-ERD: 26″: 541.7mm | 650b: 565mm | 700c: 601.4
-Weight: 26″: 576g | 650b: 597g | 700c: 638g
-Drilling: 32 and 36 holes
-Tubeless Compatabile
-Rim and disc brake compatible

NAHBS 2019: Santa Cruz 650b and 700c Reserve Wheels for All Road Bikes

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NAHBS 2019: Santa Cruz 650b and 700c Reserve Wheels for All Road Bikes

When it comes to carbon MTB wheels, Santa Cruz’s Reserve line is quite the deal. With modern rim profiles, minimal branding, and a lifetime warranty, they’re hard to pass up. All they needed to do was offer their rims in dropbar, or all-road friendly shapes. At NAHBS 2019 they did just that, now offering 700c and 650b Reserve Rims, with the same warranty as their MTB rims, all for a retail of $599 a hoop. See more features below.

Pacenti’s Brevet Rim is Now Available in 700c

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Pacenti’s Brevet Rim is Now Available in 700c

With an external width of 23mm, an internal width of 19mm, a height of 15mm, with eyelets, and a weight of just 455g per hoop, the Pacenti Brevet rim is a modern take on a classic design. Up until recently, the Brevet was only available in 650b, but now, it’s available in 700c, perfect for a classic road bike project. Head over to Pacenti for more information.

Mavic Updates the Open Pro

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Mavic Updates the Open Pro

With an inner width of 19mm, Mavic has updated their Open Pro rims with a modern look, new finish, and an improved braking surface thanks to their Exalith technology. With claims of these new hoops being lighter and stronger than ever, Mavic is excited to bring back this classic rim. More details to come, but for now, thanks to Sean Talkington for the photos.

WTB’s CI31 Rims are in Stock

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WTB’s CI31 Rims are in Stock

Like big, chunky tires on your mountain bike or touring bike? Have an addiction to carbon rims on said bikes? Check out the WTB CI31 rims. 31mm interior rim width, strong as hell and in stock now. Head to WTB to read more and your local dealer for ordering.

Turn Your MTB into a WTB Scraper Bike

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Turn Your MTB into a WTB Scraper Bike

If you love some wide-ass tires on your mountain bike, check out one of the newest players to the plus-sized game. WTB Introduces the Scraper rim, designed specifically for 2.8″ or 3″ tires and meant to take a beating on the trail or your next bikepacking trek. The Scraper comes in two models: the i40 is designed for 2.8” tires while the i45 is optimized for 3.0” and both are TCS tubeless compatible. For more information, head to WTB and for ordering, holler at your local dealer.

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Take Flight with Velocity’s Quill Road Rim

Road rim innovations come peacemeal for companies like Velocity. It’s a process of building technology up off of previous accomplishments. For their newest rim profile, they took their Aileron disc rim, combined it with their successful A23 road rim and developed the Quill. This rim is lighter, stiffer, and wider, coming in at 24.5mm external and 21.1mm internal widths. Available in various drillings, in black and polished finishes.

See more at Velocity.

Pacenti’s New and Improved SL23 Road Rim

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Pacenti’s New and Improved SL23 Road Rim

I’ve been riding the “old” version of the SL23 on my Stinner cross bike and have really been impressed with them. So much so that when Pacenti announced yesterday that they had a new design in the works, I couldn’t imagine how they’d improve upon the platform. So, what’s new? Check out this informative graphic and yes, these bad boys are in stock now and shipping at Pacenti.

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Carol of the Spokes

Velocity is making their rims in the USA and building their wheels in the USA. That’s huge, in my opinion and it’s been a great year for them in terms of growth. I wonder if that’s a coincidence. Anyway, enjoy this short video from their team in Florida!

Hermes Sport Wheels in Aluminum and Carbon

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Hermes Sport Wheels in Aluminum and Carbon

Made in the USA wheels are one of the most requested products I get emailed about. Now with Velocity making rims in the US, it’s easier to piece together your own wheels or look into options like Hermes Sport’s offerings.

Granted, their freehubs are made in Europe and the carbon rims are made overseas, but the alloy clinchers are made in the USA.

For $1995, you can ride the Hermes Sport carbon wheels and $995, the aluminum clinchers. Both are tubeless ready and built by hand, you guessed it, in the USA.

See more at Hermes Sport.