Touring - O/C rims - Velocity Synergy in particular

hello Forum!

the concept of O/C rims for the rear wheel makes so much sense to me that I'd rather use it even when it is not strictly necessary (say 26" rims on 135mm shimano hubs); I'm picking a rim for my next bike (touring, 700c) and my choice so far is the Velocity Synergy; most opinions I read (including Peter White's) are positive!

but there are a few hairy cases of tire-rim size mismatch with the Synergys floating in the forums! looks like the rim is too small and the tire does not "hook" in the flange. I've read that Velocity acknowledged the problem in the 650b rims but not in the 700c. OTOH the most well documented case I know is with a 700c :-(

is this still a problem with Synergys? or has it been solved?

it'd be great if someone (a shop owner?) could post a precise measure of the OUTER diameter of the most common rims (Mavic, Alex) plus that of the Synergy... anybody? *bambi-eyes*

I tried to gether that info from the 'net but nobody states the OUTER diameter, only the "bead seat diameter" and the "ERD".

TIA for any info!

I've ridden these for a few years, and they mate perfectly with Schwalbe's Marathon series tires. Love them. In four years, I've really only spent one dedicated session truing up that back wheel, and NO broken spokes thus far (knocking on wood now).

they make them drilled for more than the 32 holes of light Road Bikes?

but there are a few hairy cases of tire-rim size mismatch with the Synergys floating in the forums! looks like the rim is too small and the tire does not "hook" in the flange. I've read that Velocity acknowledged the problem in the 650b rims but not in the 700c. OTOH the most well documented case I know is with a 700c :-(

is this still a problem with Synergys? or has it been solved?

I've never heard of this problem. I'm running Velocity Synergy OC rims front and rear. I use Vittoria Randonneur tires (Pro or Hyper) in 700x32 and 700x35 sizes. I've got 4000+ miles on the set I built and haven't had a problem...

I have a little over 3,000 miles on 700C Synergies and Schwalbe Marathon Supremes. No problem with the wheel and I really like that I can fix flats without tools. The tire slips on easy. Almost too easy, but the tire hooks and hasn't been a problem.

I put 32 spoke synergy on the front of my cross check and made the dumb mistake of putting the front wheel into a bike rack where the bike fell to the side and tweaked the rim enough to make it grabby and not something I could repair. IMHO it's a fine light rim that you could tour on depending on your weight but if you are touring with heavy loads I would pick a heavier rim.

I put 32 spoke synergy on the front of my cross check and made the dumb mistake of putting the front wheel into a bike rack where the bike fell to the side and tweaked the rim enough to make it grabby and not something I could repair. IMHO it's a fine light rim that you could tour on depending on your weight but if you are touring with heavy loads I would pick a heavier rim.

The Synergy OC is hardly a light rim. Velocity claims that the 700C version is heavier than the oft-recommended Dyad, for example. I wouldn't confuse one freak accident for a lack of durability...

The Synergy OC is hardly a light rim. Velocity claims that the 700C version is heavier than the oft-recommended Dyad, for example. I wouldn't confuse one freak accident for a lack of durability...

Correct, ten grams heavier than a Dyad which some portion can be taken by the eyelets. I replaced it with a 719. I take one low energy accident as a data point. Maybe a 36spoke front wheel would have had less tendency to get tweaked but I figure since I was keeping the 32 spoke SON generator I'd go for a slight wider and heavier rim. My bike is my transportation so this may not be the last time it's subjected to freak accidents while locked up to various objects.