Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 43,982
Likes: 6,172
From: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
I think the need to be careful is grossly overstated, unless you are heavy. I rode Gentleman rims over Boston potholes at high speeds. I carried cargo on the back of the bike. I had semi-upright handlebars, putting even more weight on the rear wheel. I had no problems at all. First of all, you're talking about a 36h wheel, which is intrinsically strong. Second of all, while this VO rim may not be as strong as modern rims, it's probably as strong as the strongest rims we had in its weight class years ago, and it was good enough back then.
At the time, I weighed about 160 lbs. I was careful to maintain proper tire pressure. These days, you can use higher pressure without making the ride harsh. I've found some nice tires that feel just fine at 120 psi.