I dont know what constitutes the early or late production runs, but these were bought in 2011 and went into service for the 2012 season. I weighed well over 300# and had 55# of pannier gear + my LHT and it's accessories, put over 15,000 mi on them over several seasons with no issues whatsoever. These are the 40h edition, and they have given the proverbial "bulletproof" reliability. The receipt is from Peter White in New Hampshire.



Hope this puts your mind at ease for rims. Cant help with the tires as I run Schwalbe Marathon Plus 35's.