Originally Posted by
cthenn
First impression is it's a fairly minor change. 23mm wide x 28 tall, 1550g for the Vitesse's, versus 24mm wide x 30 mm tall, 1580g for the Altamont's. Only other change from what I see is the ribbed inner wall of the rim. Not sure how drastic a change that may be, though I'm pleased with the stiffness of the Vitesse's as they are.
I think the idea was to go from selling a wheel that was close to a Zipp 101 at half price to one that is arguably equal or better at half price. While dimensionally the changes might be minor, from a marketing perspective I can certainly see it being worthwhile.
Also, as I don't know of this rim being available anywhere else, Boyd now has a unique rim and hub laced with what is often thought to be the best spoke available. It justifies the price compared to the original Vitesse of which you could essentially buy in kit form form for ~$350 and either lace your self or take to your chosen builder.