Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Velo Orange RAID Rims

Just wondering if anyone has built up a set of VO RAID rims for thier FG/SS yet. They are a bit pricey at $78.00 each but they look really nice and I my other VO items that I have are high quality so I assume these would also. If anyone has any knowledge of these rims please let me know. Thanks

I think forum member adriano has either the PBP or the RAID on his Kilo. I have seen the PBP in real life and am amazed by how beautiful and true it is out of the box.

http://i50.tinypic.com/2i8izx5.jpg

Would definitely get a pair if I had the money.

Thanks. They are really sweet looking rims. I am thinking of building up a set to some All City New Sherrif hubs. Vacation pay comes next month so hopefully I can do the build.

I've been lusting over the New Sheriff hubs for awhile, they look really nice, but that's about it.

However, it will be a nice build with those parts. :)

VO's going to have a 5th anniversary sale starting on Sunday, according to
the VO blog.
20% off all VO and Grand Cru items.

VO's going to have a 5th anniversary sale starting on Sunday, according to
the VO blog.
20% off all VO and Grand Cru items.
I totally missed that, thank you for posting. Hmmm, I guess I will need to use the evil plastic rectangle shaped thing out of my wallet.

the pbps have been great.

So the PBPs are basically full-polish Sun M13s and the RAIDs are like CR18s - at twice the price?

sounds about right.

The PBP rims are not M13 II's. totally different factory. Sun rims are made in China, VO rims are made in Taiwan.
The Raid rim has a completely different profile than the CR-18. It's slightly narrower and lighter too.

The PBP rims are not M13 II's. totally different factory. Sun rims are made in China, VO rims are made in Taiwan.
The Raid rim has a completely different profile than the CR-18. It's slightly narrower and lighter too.

bam,
VO just hit you with some Truth.

Good. I like truth.

I wasn't suggesting the PBP rim is a rebranded M13 - I was stating how similar it is (at twice the cost).

http://img.imtwelve.com/gallery/ohsnap1.jpg

thats the difference between Taiwan and China production.

Sun makes a good rim.

They do, and I'm sure you guys do too.

This thread is like the time Daddy hit Mommy at the dinner table.

thats the difference between Taiwan and China production.

Sun makes a good rim.

So can I get your unbias review on how they build up and I you have heard how they hold up? Thanks

This thread is like the time Daddy hit Mommy at the dinner table.

Wait...which one of us is Mommy?

Whose yer daddy is the more likely question....

thats the difference between Taiwan and China production.

Sun makes a good rim.

Can you elaborate on the first sentence? I don't get it LOL.

I saw a pair at the co-op today, very nice

Whose yer daddy is the more likely question....

Tom - just so you know, I love the stuff you guys do - I've currently got a VO stem and Grand Cru seatpost on one of my bikes (click the first PedalRoom link down below to see it) and recommend your stuff to just about everyone who will listen - and I'm really not trying to give you a hard time.

Damn I love that bike!! So clean and nothing but class. Really nice seeing a bike that doesn't look like a christmas tree or a neon sign, but then again all your bikes are pretty damn sweet.

Thanks! :D

Can you elaborate on the first sentence? I don't get it LOL.

What he means is that it's more expensive to produce goods in Taiwan than China. Typically, it's because Taiwanese factories pay higher wages.

http://izznit.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/1298694173-the_more_you_know2.jpg

^Ahh I see.

Can you elaborate on the first sentence? I don't get it LOL.

OK- this is what I mean: for a small company such as Velo Orange, we will have better quality stuff produced in Taiwan vs China. It costs us more, but sometimes the cheaper price is not always the best for various reasons and not just the product itself. I know little about on the ground Chinese working conditions, environmental results and other CSR related concerns. I do know a lot about the situation in Taiwan, and it's a whole lot better than what you would find in most production facilities in the States, at any scale of manufacturing. I/Tom have also done business with my Taiwan suppliers for 20 years. I know what they can and can't do, know when companies split, change ownership, embrace newer technologies. I have seen their kids grow up and have kids themselves. With that information I know I should work with Company A instead of Company V. Those decisions are way less dependent on price than you will ever know.

Sun can buy a factory, we buy production time. There's an economy of scale that is in play here. I would rather have the ability to move to a new supplier instead of being stuck with owning a factory too.

But getting back to the original comparison, the M13 II is an approximate match to our PBP. When you look at it. the Sun has a more CR-18 type angled profile, just a lot narrower. The PBP is a true box section.

The Raid is a different rim altogether- wider (22mm), a true box section, double wall, double eyeleted, thicker sidewalls, thicker spoke bed. Its narrower and lighter than our single eyelet Diagonale, and the Single eyelet Sun CR18. It's going to be heavier than our single eyelet PBP. The eyelets are what make this cost more; we've spent a few years working with the factory on this and they finally agreed to do it. If we didn't go for double eyelets, it would be a cheaper rim, but it would be like every other singe eyeleted rim on the market. So far, they seem to be accepted.


As for an unbiased opinion, that's not going to happen. No matter what I say, you are going to perceive it with some sort of bias. I do think the above is strictly the facts though, and I tried to avoid hyperbole. Just the facts, mang.

I realize you are not trying to give us a hard time.

Wired (http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/02/ff_madeinamerica/all/1) has a great article discussing some of the problems small businesses in the U.S. are having with Chinese manufacturers. It's a pretty interesting read.

Very interesting article and interesting bit on knowledge on VO Rims

I just built up a wheelset using the RAIDs for my commuter bike, and they are fantastic! The build was very easy, they look great, and they hold the Schwalbe Marathon Green Guards like a champion! I'll post a picture as soon as the touch-up paint dries.

I do really like VO's approach to products, and don't mind paying for the quality you get when working with just such a small, involved, and enthusiastic company. I also understand that many of the facets behind a product that we can't see add up in immeasurable ways, such as, like Tom said, knowing that the people making the products the company is selling are paid fairly and can afford to feed their families at night with more than a cup of ramen. Thanks for all you guys have done, and you definitely have my business for the years to come!