I just had a long conversation with one of the top wheelbuilders in my area (his shop rep is based on wheelbuilding), who really tilted for Velocity rims. In his opinion, the Mavic quality has taken a downturn in recent years. He said he's seen far too many of the Open Pro eyelets crack and break, and the shim used in welding the rim come loose and fall inside. The extent of the problems is such that, though he used to be all-Mavic on his personal wheels, he has since shifted completely to Velocity, which is really putting his money where his mouth is. I was quite convinced by his rationale.

As for me, I already have a set of Velocity (front Aerohead, rear Deep-V), and haven't had any complaints whatsoever.