Shady Rascal

I'm about to embark on my first wheel build. I'll be using a pair of Suntour high flange hubs with a 7 speed freewheel. I'm trying to figure out which 650B rims to buy to complement them.

The choices are....

Velo Orange $ 69 VO Diagonale Rim 650b - Rims - Wheels, Rims, Hubs & Accessories - Components

Soma Weymouth $ 59 Soma Weymouth Rim 650b

Velocity Synergy $ 105 Velocity Synergy 650b and 700c Rims

Velocity Atlas $105 Velocity Atlas Rim - 650b Polished

Of the choices, I recognize that the Synergy is available in offset for the rear rim. I'm not sure how big of a benefit that will be for me with my 7 speed freewheel hub. I'm still learning.

So, is there any compelling reason to choose one over the other ? The bike is a Miyata. Some would say a gaspipe Miyata. The reason I offer that is to set the standard that I'm not shooting to impress folks with high dollar stuff here.

lostarchitect 

I would absolutely go with the Soma. They're the cheapest and (by a tiny bit) the lightest. The reality is probably that any choice would be fine. I'd spend money elsewhere.

Flog00

I have Velocity Atlas 650b and love them.


Hand made in the USA.

Moe Zhoost

I opted for the VOs for my current project. They built up easily, look good, and the Panaracer tires mounted nicely. I have not ridden them yet, but I am happy with the choice. I steered away from the Synergys because of reports of them developing cracks. I think that was just the offset rim, but why pay more when there is a recognized issue.

jade408

My bike has the VO diagonales, they look pretty vintage to me!

Shady Rascal

I appreciate all of the opinions offered here. I've been leaning most heavily towards the VO rims since I can get them free shipping through Amazon which saves me nearly twenty dollars versus buying them straight from VO. The VO run 65 dollars each delivered if I go that way.

Cougrrcj

I was looking at this exact subject this afternoon. The VO rims are not currently available in 32h, but 36h are. I like polished silver wheels myself.

Shady Rascal

These are the hubs I'll be using for the build. I actually cut them out of the old 27" wheels. After a little clean up and fresh bearing balls they sure seem nice to me. A poor man's high flange hub set if you will. I need to clean them up again. I got greasy fingerprints on them when I was assembling them.

Sir_Name 

Well, a good amount of the decision will depend on rider weight and terrain. If light and riding smooth pavement, lighter rims are a compelling choice, etc, etc. The slightly smaller diameter rim and presumably fatter tires will help with wheel resiliance somewhat, but almost all wheel strength will come down to how well they're built if component choices match their use (high, even, stress relieved tension in the spokes).

Looks like the hubs are 36h, that should help build a stronger wheel versus 32h. Some of the first wheels I built were 32h f/r Velocity Synergy 650b and the rims were easy to build with and definitely up to the task of bouncing my beer gut over rough terrain. The issue of the offset rear rims cracking has been resolved I believe. Anecdotally, I have a 36h offset rear in 650b on one bike that definitely earns its lunch and it's still straight and crack free.

Considering this is your first set of wheels spoke choice will be an important factor in how strongly the wheels will be built. Thin spokes undergo a considerable amount of windup as tension increases that you'd have to learn to counteract. That won't be mastered within the first build from my experience. Straight gauge 2mm would be easiest to build with due to less windup, 2/1.8/2 might not be too bad of a choice. I built the aforementioned wheelset with 1.8/1.6/1.8 (or maybe 1.5) and it was definitely a learning experience.

Also make sure to stress relieve the spokes once every rotation as the tension gets up there. And have plenty of fun, wheel building can be a rewarding experience. I'm anything but an expert here, but that's the gist of what I've picked up as a beginner. It also pays to do reading and then more reading. Jobst Brandt's and Gerd Schraner's books are both a great crash course on the theory and mechanics of it all, though you are probably already aware of those.

Post some pics once built please!

gugie 

Atlas for bomb-proof, rock solid rims. Weymouths for the best value.

Your weight and riding conditions should guide you. I"m 205, and on the gravel grinder I built, I used Atlas. I don't want any issues out in the wilderness, and pay the weight penalty gladly. Road conditions don't require as much ultimate strength, I've built both the VO and Soma rims with no issues on bikes that pretty much stay on paved roads.

ThermionicScott 

Just FWIW, Kirk Pacenti is coming out with a new line of 650B rims that will be eyeletted and anodized (and light!) sort of like a wide Mavic Open Pro. I know you're probably not aiming for racy weight-weenie for your first wheel build, but there's no sense in making them overly heavy and dulling the 650B experience either. What tires are you planning to run?

Sir_Name 

Can't wait for those!!

Shady Rascal

I'm a bit of a corn-fed fellow at 220 pounds or so. I'm shooting for 650x38 tires on this thing. The measuring tape says that there is plenty of room but I want to get the wheels built and on the bike before ordering the tires. Amazon has those Col de la Vis for 20 bucks each. That's my general game plan at this time. I still want to fit fenders so I'm hesitant to say anything larger until the wheels are in the frame and the tape measure is used.

nlerner

Another possibility is buying directly from Grand Bois in Japan. They have three 650B rim options, and the most expensive is currently about $68. Shipping will bump that up, of course, but you'll still end up paying less than for Velocity.

Shady Rascal

Do you have any experience with ordering straight from them ? I looked at the website, and a pair of 36H rims is 98 dollars, which is right at what one of them costs from Compass. But shipping from Japan is an unknown entity to me and the website doesn't offer any hints as to what to expect in that area. I'd hate to get whacked with 50 dollars worth of shipping or something.

ThermionicScott 

Hmm, the Col de la Vies are cheap enough, but having ridden the 650A version of them, I'd strongly recommend starting your journey with something that isn't so squirmy and slow. Some folks like them, but I always felt like I was working harder to keep up with the group than on my other bikes.

The Pari-Motos cost a little more, but are much lighter and zippier. I love them: Pari Moto 650b x 38 tire black tread w/ tan sidewall by Panaracer

The 650x38B Soma B-Lines and "27.5" Panaracer Gravel Kings both sound like good options, too. Even the 27.5"x1.5" Panaracer Pasela ought to ride better than a CdlV!

Your weight shouldn't be a problem: at 220 lbs, any 650B tire being made will hold you up fine. 32mm is the smallest width I know of, and lots of heavier riders are riding 23mm tires without much issue.

canklecat

If you really want to save money I can't find anything wrong with Weinmann Zac 19 (about half the price of the least expensive rims you listed, available on Amazon although I'm not sure whether any are available via Prime with 2-day shipping).

After warping the rear wheel last spring on single wall Alex Z1000 rims I wanted something more reliable. Besides lugging 40 lbs of groceries on the rear rack at least once a week (including cat litter), some of the roads I ride have bombed out pavement and gravel trails with washboard ruts and soft sandy washouts. I had the LBS install a pre-built wheel for me, just swapping out the cassette (I didn't have any tools at the time). It has much heavier gauge spokes and nipples than the originals.

This morning I unintentionally bombed across a pretty bad pothole with sharp edges, no problems. That pothole used to be filled but now it's a gaping maw about 2 feet wide, 1 foot across and a few inches deep, with sharp paved edges. I managed to lift the front of the bike over the hole but dragged the rear wheel bumpity-bump across. No problems. I've warped two single wall rims on two different bikes on less than that this year.

FWIW, I weigh 160, and the Zac 19 is on a Globe Carmel, a basic compact frame hybrid that probably weighs 30-35 lbs. I'm running Michelin Protek Cross Max 700x40 tires, heavy, puncture proof and rugged shoes.

As for looks, well... it looks like an aluminum rim. Cross section profile looks very similar to the Soma Weymouth. But most rims all look alike to me, unless they're black or those aero looking carbon thingies.

After warping the rear single wall Araya on my Univega this week (skidded sideways -- hard -- and stopped -- hard -- on some gravel that was like ball bearings, but didn't fall), I planned to replace it with a Zac 19, but another local cyclist offered his lightly used X-Plorer rim, which would probably better suit my Univega.

nlerner

I have and shipping was just a bit less than $50 (which will depend on current yen/dollar conversation rate, of course).

Shady Rascal

To bring the topic to a close, I really appreciate everyone who took the time to offer me advice on this thread. Ultimately I chose the Velo Orange rims. They were the cheapest delivered price that I could find and I don't feel like they lack quality in the name of cheapness. Next I will measure my hubs and get spokes ordered.

gomango

Thanks for the update.

Please post your results, as a few of us are building 650bs this winter.

My wife is going to get one and it"ll be interesting to see how your wheels turn out.

jamesdak 

Yep, I'm curious and eager to hear about your build too. I actually just received the Velocity built 650b wheels for my build yesterday. I went with their Atlas rims and the DB spokes for strength as I plan to do some light touring with this bike too.

Good luck with the build. I had thought about using my original 27" wheel hubs too but since I needed (wanted) alloy rims for my Peugeot I decided to keep the 27 inchers intact and just move them to the U08 to replace the crappy steel wheels.

Henry III

I've tried reading my copy of Jobst Brandt's book but my brain starts hurting after awhile and then tell myself it's a wheel and not the space shuttle I'm building and put the book back on my shelf to look pretty. Lol. Seriously that book would make Einstein's hair go straight if he tried reading it. That's some seriously dry literature. I like the pictures though!