Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Open Pro vs Aerohead

Hi -- I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a rim for the next build, and I really can't decide between open pros and aeroheads. Open pro's have eyelets, which is a good thing, but people say that velocity's are great rims to build on because the seams are very well done. Can someone help me with plusses and minuses?

Of course they are both great rims, I just want to pick everyone's brain for some more detail. Thanks.

Go zipp or go home.

I just went to the shop tonight after work to have a back wheel built and went with the open pros on a double fixed phil. The dude working thought I was just asking questions and wasting his time. He wasn't rude, he was just surprised that I was ready to throw half the money down right there to actally have it built.

the seams ??

the open pro has a semi aero profile and weighs around 200g less than the aerohead
i don't think you need eyelets or washers on the aerohead because of the strength of the triangular design

the seams ??

the open pro has a semi aero profile and weighs around 200g less than the aerohead
i don't think you need eyelets or washers on the aerohead because of the strength of the triangular design


this is not true. grams for both is slightly over 400... with the aerohead a little lighter, actually.

I just went to the shop tonight after work to have a back wheel built and went with the open pros on a double fixed phil. The dude working thought I was just asking questions and wasting his time. He wasn't rude, he was just surprised that I was ready to throw half the money down right there to actally have it built.

how do you like the double fixed? when i eventually get the money to build my own wheels, i might go with phils, but am debating over fixed/free or fixed/fixed.

I haven't ridden on it. I went to the shop to commission[lack of a better word] a wheel build. They are going to order the parts on Monday and they'll call me when the parts get in. The guy that took my order recommended the Open Pros. He even had them on his bike that was sitting right behind him. I was going to go with single fixed originally, but double fixed was only 20 bucks more.

alrighty. i like the idea of being able to just flip the wheel to have a different gear ratio, but i feel like if i'm riding breakless, then having fixed/free isn't the best idea.

I like the look and feel of my phils and is it really a question get the open pros

I have a formula fixed/free and have never put a freewheel on it. I never even thoght about it. Fixed/Fixed seems nice so I can do something like 15/17, depending on how much dropout space there is.

I have open pros and aeroheads on my road bikes. I can't say that one or the other is a night and day difference. They are both quality rims that will not let you down. Go with the one that will look the best on your build.

I have a formula fixed/free and have never put a freewheel on it. I never even thoght about it. Fixed/Fixed seems nice so I can do something like 15/17, depending on how much dropout space there is.

Fixed/fixed offers the most versatility. You can thread a freewheel on one way or the other.

Fixed/fixed offers the most versatility. You can thread a freewheel on one way or the other.
true story.

edit-where in western mass are you located?

true story.

edit-where in western mass are you located?

Amherst

opps you're right..
on the factory website it looks like they put erd in the weight column


this is not true. grams for both is slightly over 400... with the aerohead a little lighter, actually.

Have ridden both, and built both.

The Open Pros are slightly easier to build because of the eyelets - lubed brass nipples turn smoothly even at high tension. The holes are also angled left and right, which helps with that too. The spoke holes on the Aeroheads I got needed deburring before I started, and felt rough as the tension increased.

Both are high quality, durable, light rims, and I doubt you'll notice a difference just riding along. Until you hit the brakes - the Open Pro has a smooth, tall, machined brake surface, and the Aerohead has a shorter surface, with a pinned seam. (unless Velocity has changed the Aerohead in the last 5 years) With the Aerohead, you'll feel the chunk-chunk-chunk of the seam hitting the brake pads for a while until it gets worn down a bit. Unless you're riding brakeless.

Aeroheads look a little better, in my opinion.

Have ridden both, and built both.

The Open Pros are slightly easier to build because of the eyelets - lubed brass nipples turn smoothly even at high tension. The holes are also angled left and right, which helps with that too. The spoke holes on the Aeroheads I got needed deburring before I started, and felt rough as the tension increased.

Both are high quality, durable, light rims, and I doubt you'll notice a difference just riding along. Until you hit the brakes - the Open Pro has a smooth, tall, machined brake surface, and the Aerohead has a shorter surface, with a pinned seam. (unless Velocity has changed the Aerohead in the last 5 years) With the Aerohead, you'll feel the chunk-chunk-chunk of the seam hitting the brake pads for a while until it gets worn down a bit. Unless you're riding brakeless.

Aeroheads look a little better, in my opinion.

you're a gentleman and a scholar :beer:

I have both. They are not even in the same class.

Far from having a better seam the aerohead has a far worse one. Unlike the mavics it is not welded. It is true that it is not much more likely then a welded joint to catastrophically fail but there are lots of less then catastrophic things that can go wrong. A bump that would normally just result in a minor truing will knock the joint uneven on an aerohead if it is near it. This means the tension will have to be more uneven then normal to true and the wheel will brake poorly and eat pads until it gets worn back to smooth.

Secondly there are the eyelets. Not only do they make the rim easier to build and true but they prevent cracking around the spoke whole by distributing force.

As if that wasn't enough the recent aeroheads are supposedly of uneven wall thickness including some very thin places. This means they will wear out faster from braking especially if you only use one brake. Even if you aren't it means a weaker rim.

I have both and I'm not a zealot. The aeroheads are good rims for the price but when it comes down to it from the joint to the eyelets to(apparently) the very extrusion and the alloy they are made from they simply are not in the same class as open pros.

They are however often available for substantially cheaper and therefore are a good(though inferior) choice for a budget wheel build. Also the offset rear is great for geared wheels but that isn't really important in this forum.

I can't understand why Mavic CXP33s aren't more popular.

I can't understand why Mavic CXP33s aren't more popular.
Lots of people don't like the deep-v shape, doesn't come in crazy candy colors, the open pro is strong enough as it is.

I can't understand why Mavic CXP33s aren't more popular.

1. they're not tall enough to have any aero benefit
2. they weigh a ton
sounds like deep-v's eh? except...
3. no colors

Amherst
Everytime I'm out that way I see people on Fixies. I'm not sure how many people ride there though.

I went with open pros because I figured they won't look wierd or ****ty when switching the wheel to other bikes.

1. they're not tall enough to have any aero benefit
2. they weigh a ton
sounds like deep-v's eh? except...
3. no colors


According to the weight weenies website, 33s are only about 20-25 grams heavier than open pros (but stiffer due to their deeper profile) and way lighter than deep Vs. I think this makes then a better rim, especially for urban fixie abuse. And personally speaking, I could care less about having neon green rims.

1. they're not tall enough to have any aero benefit

yes and im positive 95% of the deep v owners are buying them for the aerodynamic benefits.

I roll with the cxp33s. I'm not sure where the no aero effect idea comes from though. Josh Brandt put out one article about how the low profile may not have any aero benefit, which is pretty lame. Personally I think any aero benefit is better than none. Air flows around an egg better than it does a brick.

I like them because they're purty and strong. Light enough to race with, sturdy enough to commute every day.

Rims are such a personal thing. I like Mavic CXP-33s for similar reasons to mihlbach and others and would take 'em over Open Pros and Aerohead anyday.

But as with all things, a lot is in the build. But CXP-33s are:

Strong (I've killed open pros quite quickly)
Take a beating (including high speed track crashes etc) like a champ
Look better than OPS IMHO
Build into nice stiff wheels
And weigh less (and rotational weights the killer) than Deep Vs.

Don't get wrong, I think Deep Vs are the jam, but you can't get 'em in Europe and I've been really surprised how my last set of wheels, built with CXP-33s, have been rolling.

I roll with the cxp33s. I'm not sure where the no aero effect idea comes from though. Josh Brandt put out one article about how the low profile may not have any aero benefit, which is pretty lame. Personally I think any aero benefit is better than none. Air flows around an egg better than it does a brick.

I like them because they're purty and strong. Light enough to race with, sturdy enough to commute every day.

A lot of the high-end wheel/rim manufacturers have done independant wind tunnel and cad tests. Zipp has a decent list of articles on their website.