Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Velocity Deep Vs without Braking Surface

I saw mention of Velocity Deep Vs without a braking surface in an older post, but I don't see them on Velocity's site. Do these exist and if not is there a similar rim without a braking surface. It is purely aesthetics, but I would prefer the look for the new wheel I am having built for my track bike.

Dunno about Velocity, but some companies (such as Alex) make disc-only rims, which I am using on my current wheelbuild.

can you get clinchers without a breaking surface?

hell...what exactly is a breaking surface...is it machined?

They used to make them but they're discontinued. A friend of mine has a set on his work bike. If you found a set, you would be a lucky man.

smoothie

can you get clinchers without a breaking surface?

hell...what exactly is a breaking surface...is it machined?

A braking surface is just a section of the rim that lines up parallel to the brake pads. On older rims, the brake track is often not treated differently from the rest of the rim but machining them provides a high quality surface that improves brake performance. This is of course off the top of my head.

So yep you can get clinchers without a 'braking surface'. Some very aero rims and track rims don't have them, but its hard to find non-machined rims these days.

The big drawback for the fixie crowd is that the brake track/machined brake surface interrupts the the smooth surface of the rim. For machined rims, the brake surfaces generally won't match the color of the rim.

By having wheels without braking surfaces it kind of throws off a whole 'brakes who needs 'em' attitude. They just look better as theres no sudden transistion to a braking surface. Its really just about steez.

I have an old 'arrow' rim that is huge, deep and has no braking surface. I've never seen another one (I think its Eastern European); it just looks lovely.

A braking surface is just a section of the rim that lines up parallel to the brake pads. On older rims, the brake track is often not treated differently from the rest of the rim but machining them provides a high quality surface that improves brake performance. This is of course off the top of my head.

So yep you can get clinchers without a 'braking surface'. Some very aero rims and track rims don't have them, but its hard to find non-machined rims these days.

As Jobst correctly observed, the whole machined sidewall is really just a bunch of bullsh. It's purely cosmetic. It makes the bike sparkle on the floor, it prevents brake squeal on test rides, and it covers up uneven rim joints caused by riveting them. Any braking under wet or muddy conditions will get grit up on your rim and "machine" them for you. Whether grooved by machining or ordinary dirty braking, it *does* improve braking performance by providing channels for water shedding and exposing the base metal (versus the ano surface which is bad for braking) but machining artifically thins the rim walls which is completely unnecessary.

I have the Velocity deep v's and don't like the braking surface either. I am gonna paint my next set and eliminate the machined stripe that way. Maybe matte black or matte silver..............or maybe pink pearlcoat............... Anyways, that's my thinking, just paint em.

what about the aeroheads? can one get those with non-machined sidewalls? if not, i'd just go with the silver ones; that way, you don't get that weird stripe.

Here ya go... wood: the new aluminum. Disc-specific, perhaps? :rolleyes:

Don't know about deep V's but you can get Mavic Open pro CDs which are anodised in a dark grey colour so have no silver brake surface. With a black tyre they look very good. You can also run a brake with them and the anodising remains intact

I have an old 'arrow' rim that is huge, deep and has no braking surface. I've never seen another one (I think its Eastern European); it just looks lovely.

I too have been searching for some aero rims without braking surfaces. It's all Pip's fault. I lust after Pip's arrow rim every time I see it, so glossy and smooth...

I have come across descriptions of a rim made by a company called Saavedra or something like that. Haven't seen pictures, only mention of them once having made a brake surface-less clincher rim.

Edit: It's not even that the sidewalls aren't machined, they aren't even flat. Just one continuous curve from the apex of the rim to the tire. So beautiful...

i've got silver aeroheads and the braking surface is not machined

i have black velocity areoheads (slightly smaller v-section), all black non-machined.
bought em online somewhere.

i have black velocity areoheads (slightly smaller v-section), all black non-machined.
bought em online somewhere.

I think that is exactly what I will get as well. Thanks for the help.

I dragged this one up just to let everyone know that you can, in fact, get the Deep Vs without the machined braking surface. In black, at least. See. (http://chemicaldream.com/images/Phil.jpg)

Being the contrarian I am, I have Velocity Deep-V rims without a machined sidewall and I use a front brake. Outcome: The brake rubs the paint off...makes it look like its machined. Crazy, I tell you.

Word. I just ordered mine from Yellow Jersey. I'm thinking about going brakeless so I wont scuff up my pretty rims.

we just recieved the new 2005 velocity catalogue at the shop and they have a track wheelset pictured that is a pair of black deep v's (no braking track) with bladed spoked laced up to velocity hubs. they are reasonably priced and is super good looking. last year i order a set of gold track wheels from them (gold rims,hubs and bladed spokes) and it also came with no braking track. the wheelset i have was a limited run and not many made it to the us from my understanding but our velocity rep said the all black track wheelset will be offered in the us for sure in 2005.

Yup, have it. 32 spoke rear, 28 in front. Very nice and the hubs are super smooth, sealed bearings, and come with lockring. The track wheelset comes as either the Deep-V or the Aerohead. Round spokes are the stock build, btw.

now all we need is someone to make freakin' black track cranks.

now all we need is someone to make freakin' black track cranks.

or find a powder coat shop...

we just recieved the new 2005 velocity catalogue at the shop and they have a track wheelset pictured that is a pair of black deep v's (no braking track) with bladed spoked laced up to velocity hubs. they are reasonably priced and is super good looking. last year i order a set of gold track wheels from them (gold rims,hubs and bladed spokes) and it also came with no braking track. the wheelset i have was a limited run and not many made it to the us from my understanding but our velocity rep said the all black track wheelset will be offered in the us for sure in 2005.

Anyone have any experience with velocity hubs on the street?

How do you get the catalog?

I dragged this one up just to let everyone know that you can, in fact, get the Deep Vs without the machined braking surface. In black, at least. See. (http://chemicaldream.com/images/Phil.jpg)

i bought a pair of those sweet b#itches a few weeks back... http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=84647

and here's what i said about veolicty:

just a little more info... (excuse me if this has already been discussed) i looked up a few of the older posts about finding rims without machined sidewalls. so i emailed velocity and they wrote back saying they do make black road rims without machined sidewalls, and a lot of the online dealers don't list all of their products on the website, which is why they seem hard to find. they still offer both the deep v and the aerohead rim, and to try contacting my lbs and ordering a set. all they would need to do is give velocity a call.

so i went down to the freewheel in the haight, and bam they had a set of deep v's hanging right next to the door. additionally, americancyclery had a set, plus a set of *all white* fusions.


evan

You can get deep v's without machined sidewalls but they do not produce a lot of them. Velocity also makes the aero and an aerohead all the time without a machined sidewall.

Or you can just do what I did and get the rims powder coated before you build them.

i've also got d.i.y. non-machined velocities...

You can get deep v's without machined sidewalls but they do not produce a lot of them. Velocity also makes the aero and an aerohead all the time without a machined sidewall.

Or you can just do what I did and get the rims powder coated before you build them.

Its cheaper to just buy them unmachined. No extra cost.

i've also got d.i.y. non-machined velocities...


How do you DIY unmachined sidewalls?

you are not removing the machined sidewall you are covering it with powder. And it is cheaper to just buy them unmachined but I couldn't get them in flat black drilled for 16 hole.

The white deep v's look hot is that paint or powder ?

Tony

Being the contrarian I am, I have Velocity Deep-V rims without a machined sidewall and I use a front brake. Outcome: The brake rubs the paint off...makes it look like its machined. Crazy, I tell you.

Can you please post pics of how it looks???

....this thread is 2 years old dude..

lol
Sorry...

I just ordered a set of White Deep V's w/o braking surface from my lbs just awaiting their arrival now. I don't believe that Velocity has them in their catalog though. Heres a link to the shop that set me up. http://www.revolutioncycleseugene.com/index.php?title=Home

http://www.velocityusa.com/default.asp?contentID=583