Project LTHT: Wheels

Velocity Dually rims on Velocity hubs.

The Singular Buzzard frame is going to be graced by some shiny, wide tracking rims. Velocity USA has been working hard to get these rims out and now they are finally trickling out there to riders. I am pretty stoked to have a set built up on Velocity's new hubs.

The Duallys are nothing new from the standpoint of width. Surly has Rabbit Hole rims at 50mm and there are rims from Kris Holm, and several trials rims that are similar in width. What does set these rims apart is that they are dual wall rims, ("dually"- get it?), and they are made in the USA. The Dually rims are 45mm wide and are tubeless compatible as well. Average weight is 675gm, but several of the earlier rims were said to fall under this weight. That's pretty reasonable for what they are, I think.

The design of the Dually can be thought of as an overgrown Blunt- stretched sideways, and having a similar inner rim style. I have some Blunt 35's, and the Dually makes them look positively skinny. Velocity calls them "mid-fat" rims, and they do fall under the "minimum" of 65mm for "true" fat bikes and are quite a bit wider than a Stan's Flow, which is 28mm wide at the outside, and commonly used as a "wider" 29"er rim. The new American Classic "Wide Lightning" and now the Dually along with the veteran Blunt 35 are out to change this now.

So my plan is to set some On One tires up on these rims. I'm looking at a Smorgasbord out back and a Chunky Monkey up front. I am pretty sure by my test fitting of the wheel in the back it will work out well. The fork.....it is a Reba.....It might be close. I'll see. If it doesn't fit I may go to a 120mm Manitou Tower Pro I have here.

The hubs are velocity's newest hubs that are better sealed and have a more solid engaging free hub. The front hub is convertible from 9mm quick release to either 15mm or 20mm through axle styles. I have all the end caps, so I switched to 20mm, to fit the Reba 140mm fork, and the swap was "easy-peasy" to do. The rear is a quick release axle style, so no worries there.

The spokes and nipples are nice here as well. The spokes are Sapim CX-Ray and the nipples are purple alloy ones. Gotta get some purple in there somewhere! I know a lot of folks don't think alloy nipples belong on a hard core trail bike, but if the wheel is built up correctly, they are not a problem, and these probably will not be seeing a ton of wet, mud, or snow conditions.

The polished rims are but one of two options for the Dually right now. You can get these in black anodized finish as well. The spoke drillings are 32 hole only for the time being. Velocity expects that by next Spring or so you'll have a choice of more colors and spoke counts. The rims come in 700c, (what you see here), and 26" versions as well. MSRP is $133.99 each.

Okay, well that's the plan for the wheels for now. More on the Singular Cycles Buzzard project soon.....