Ding Ding

I've been plotting my first touring bike and cant decide on the rims anyone have some input on going between Mavic A719 or Velociy Dyads?

cyccommute 

Honestly, either would be a good choice. Go with whichever one is cheaper. Get machined brake surface, of course

If you want a really strong wheel, look at the Aerohead OCR (or any OCR) rim. The offset of the rim makes for less dish on the drive side and a stronger wheel because of that.

Spokes are an important (I think most important) part of wheel building. DT Alpine III is always a good choice for touring.

maidenvoyage

I have a set of dyads on my touring bike now and they have been great. I had them built around lx hubs about one year ago and they have given me no problems. Highly recommended. I can't comment on the mavic rims but I've read great things about them. You will probably be happy with either.

sstorkel

For touring, I'd suggest using the Velocity Synergy OC over the Aerohead OCR. The Synergy is a slightly wider rim, so it works better with larger tires. I used Synergy OCs for my recent wheel build and have been pretty impressed with them...

cyccommute 

I'd say it's a wash. You gain a little in width of tire you can use in the Velocity over the Aerohead but you can run a shorter spoke with the Aerohead for more strength. Either would be excellent.

martianone

IMHO, either are fine. Have the A719 with 36 spoke XT hubs on my sport utility velo, ridden it a few thousand km over all sort of road conditions and some places i'm not sure were a road. They have held up very well- have stayed true and run smooth. I had actually spec the Dyads, shop happened to have A719.
Wheel components are important to a good wheelset- MORE important is the quality of build and stress relief. A shoddy built wheel set with prime components - is still a shoddy wheel.

LeeG

it's probably a wash but I dinged a Dyad ten years ago. Now I like the A719, maybe I'll ding it and in ten years I'll pick some other rim

bornagainst

I dented(it was much worse than a ding) the braking surface on my rear Dyad about eight months ago, bent it back with a crescent wrench, adjusted the spoke tension, and have been riding on it almost every day since! And I had a year on the wheel before that. I wholeheartedly endorse the Dyads. And they are cheaper than the A719's to boot.

Garthr

Dyad vs. A719 ? That's a toss up. I've used Mavics with no issues for many years, built by wheelbuilder Joe Young. They've never needed any service from the moment I received them. The point is either rim built by a excellent wheelbuilder will last you a very long time with no servicing required.(remaining true, round, no spoke breakage)

OCR rims? I can only ask this ..... if they are so needed ..... why doesn't Velocity or anyone else offer them in all their rims?

LeeG

the OCR rims make too much sense, but why do they have ferrules and the dyad doesn't?

RayB

I agree with the spokes being the most important part. No pro though. I built my first set about 6 months ago on the A719 and DT Alpine III spokes. They have regularly carried about 350lbs of bike, rider and lots of gear since and have yet to adjust them, 32 hole. So two thumbs up from me on the A719s
https://www.bikeforums.net/clydesdales-athenas-200-lb-91-kg/520359-my-first-attempt-clyde-wheelset.html

Cyclesafe

After 15k miles my rear Dyad was so banged up that the wheel couldn't be trued any more. I looked at the A719, but rebuilt the wheel with a Dyad because of weight (-100g), price -$30), and the fact that the Dyad didn't fail at the holes where the A719 would likely have the advantage. Both rims are excellent for touring.

tarwheel 

I have been trying to make the same choice and I'm leaning toward the Velocity Dyads. Here is why:
- The Dyads are lighter than the Mavic A719s, but apparently just as strong. It is very hilly where I ride, and I don't to carry any more weight on my wheels than I need to.
- Dyads don't have eyelets. I've got a fairly new set of Mavic Open Pros that recently broke an eyelet, and they apparently cannot be replaced. So the rim is compromised and may need to be trashed.

I am also interested in the Velocity Synergys. Although not as heavy duty as the Dyads, they will handle narrower tires. Dyads are rated for tires 28 mm and larger, while the Synergys can handle 25 mm and larger. I use 25 mm tires for commuting, although I like the flexibility of using larger tires when touring. Unfortunately, the Synergys also have eyelets.

Garthr

The joke is on all of us ... the consumer .

You see..... no matter what feature you think is beneficial .... or not ...... there is always a compelling reason for, or against ..... expressed by someone.

LeeG

I wonder if the rim flange on the dyad is not as strong as the A719

sstorkel

Because they have a huge investment in tooling for making rims with standard, non-offset drillings?

Because most wheel builders have no idea how to calculate proper spoke lengths for rims with offset drillings?

NoReg

And possibly because dish on the rear wheel is more worrying than an actual problem, and there are other ways of dealing with it than changing your rim.

I think that spokes are over-rated. Spokes break because they aren't properly built, not because of type, except at the extreme end of the extreme. Rims on the other hand are a weak point.

I just bought a few pairs of the Velocity rims for touring. I do worry about how tough a wheel can be built with them given that they don't have eyelets like the Mavic. That should be a major problem, but the velocity have a sufficient reputation to sooth my concerns

Garthr

Or maybe ....... Because in the hands of an competent wheelbuilder .... it doesn't matter if the rims are ocr or not?

Ding Ding

Thanks everyone!!!

sstorkel

I think that any competent wheel-builder will tell you that creating even spoke tension is one of the keys to long-term reliability. Off-center drillings create dramatically more even spoke tension across the entire wheel (when dishing is necessary). Can you build a reliable wheel without an OC rim? Certainly! Can you build a better wheel using an OC rim? It wouldn't surprise me...

rodar y rodar

That`s enough to keep me away from offsets. Well, that and they look funny.

I have no science or even stories to back it up, but it seems to me that having the rim supported a few mms away from the centerline would be constantly trying to twist things. It`s probably my whacky imagination, but I`ll stay wth centered holes just the same.

jabberwocky

I honestly think that the whole dish issue is vastly overstated when it comes to wheel strength. It matters a little, but build quality and rim/spoke strength matter a lot more. I've run both dished (135mm) and non-dished (150mm) wheels with the same build on DH bikes and noticed no longevity difference between them. A good build will last, a bad one won't.

I have a set of wheels on my singlespeed MTB running A719s and they've held up great. I've definitely put them through some abuse (they are on a MTB, after all) and I don't think I've ever even had to true them (I bought them used from a friend who definitely builds good wheels). Lots of bouncing through the rocks and drops on that bike.

I've never used the Dryads but I do have a set of Deep Vs on one of my road bikes. I personally don't think that Velocity's rims are as high quality as Mavics. From building them both, I found that the Velocitys weren't nearly as true and round out of the box as Mavics have been, which necessitates a bit more uneven spoke tension to build round and true. They've admitably held up fine though.

I generally opt for Mavics when I can. They tend to be very high quality and build with very even tension. They do tend to be pricey though.

rodar y rodar

My first wheel lace was with mid level Mavics (26" 317s) and they were the roundest rims I`ve run across to date- also the only Mavics I`ve laced, although they continue to perform great. I`ve laced two and a half sets of Aeroheats (Dyad Juniors) and they all have a bit of a hop at the seam, but run plenty round side to side. I still like my Aeroheats, but haven`t used any other Velocity rims. Sure wouldn`t mind a set of Synergys for my road bike. Or Mavic OPs, for that matter. Unfortunately, it`s looking like either CR-18s or Open Sports on Tiagra hubs Budget forces bling to the back of the bus.

Doconabike

I've built up both the Mavic A719s and Velocity Dyads for myself, family, and friends have found them both to be great. Both built up nicely round and both have lasted through much touring and commuting. Both have had the very minor issue (only an issue for an extreme perfectionist) that with perfect spoke tension, both have had slight (very slight) hops at the seam. Not a real issue unless you go crazy with clearances way below 1mm.

In summary, both are high quality rims and you can't go wrong with either.

Side note: last month I ordered a Velocity Dyad 700c rim from my LBS and the manager couldn't find one for a month from his usual sources. He was able to get a Mavic A719 in two days. This could be a random temporary local phenomenon or could be a sign of the difficulty of importing Velocity rims from Australia.

NoReg

" I honestly think that the whole dish issue is vastly overstated when it comes to wheel strength. It matters a little, but build quality and rim/spoke strength matter a lot more."

In addition because there are also ways of building wheels to equalize left/right tension, or deal with the fallout. These include radially lacing the loose side. Using lighter gage spokes on the loose side. Other building techniques including stuff like gluing the nipples with a thread freeze, or whipping spoke interface (wouldn't do that on a touring wheel).

By the way, when I mentioned I didn't think spokes mattered above, I meant within the universe of quality spokes. Getting quality spokes is critical, but they can come in a number of formats, straight, butted, etc... Spoke fit in the hubs is important. But these products are easily available while quality rims are a whole other mater. Some classic types seem unavailable, and choosing from options seems tougher. I have had good service from Alex DH22 rims, which are downhill style rims. They seem a good choice, but it is something I had to learn through using them. Since I bought mine, they have changed the DH22, so will the new ones be any good? Meanwhile getting good spokes is relatively simple (My Rohloff butted nightmare aside)