Hey gang! I need help picking out a wheel set for my commuter bike, and I'm hoping you can help. I commute on a single speed cyclocross bike, and for years I've been riding on 700x23c tires on DP18 rims. I stepped up to 700x32 tires because the roads around me are terrible, and so far I've been LOVING the cushy ride on my way to work. Unfortunately, I've been getting flats like no bodies business, and I realized it's cuz my rims (Weinmann DP18's) are WAY too narrow to run these tires. Because of this I can't commute by bike anymore, because the chance of getting a flat and being late to work is just too high. So I'm in the market for a new wheel set or a new set of rims that can fit 32mm tires. That being said, I havn't found a good solution.

I could get these, but they're super heavy and just at the top of my budget:

Velocity Chukker 48 Hole Fixed Gear Singlespeed Wheels Machined Velocity Chukker Bike Polo Fixed Gear Wheelset 48 Hole Machined [72797] - $199.00 Velomine.com : Worldwide Bicycle Shop, fixed gear track bike wheelsets campagnolo super record vintage b

Or I could get these, they're lighter and way cheaper, but my whole bike is black and blue so it would look kinda silly, but I guess I could deal with that. People compliment my bike all the time but if I need to sacrifice looks for reliability, so be it :

Sun CR18 silver rims Fixed Gear Track Bike Wheelset 36 Hole Sun CR18 silver rims flip flop fixed gear Formula hubs wheelset [71186] - $109.00 Velomine.com : Worldwide Bicycle Shop, fixed gear track bike wheelsets campagnolo super record vintage bike

Or I could replace just the rims and lace these up to my current hubs, but that seems silly cuz I would then only have the one wheelset and it would cost as much or more than just buying a second set, and then I'd have no rims to mount my 700x23 tires too if I wanted to use them. So probably not the best option.

Velocity Wheels - Hand Made in USA

What would you recommend? Is there another option that I haven't found? I also need machined sidewalls, I ride brakes front and rear, and I need a single speed hub. Thanks for the help as always!

It's hard to beat the value of the CR18 wheels from Velomine. You wouldn't be able to buy rims and spokes to re-lace your current hubs cheaper than that. If you have the extra cash and want to bling it up a little the Velocity A23 rims are nice and you can get a cheap set of wheels from Velomine with them too.

One word of advice about Velomine's cheaper wheelsets -- be sure to check the spoke tension after a few rides. Their machine-built wheels tend to need a couple of early rounds of maintenance before they fully settle in. I think they come with a sticker on the rim telling you to do this.

I think those are a fine choice, and no bikes look silly with silver rims. The CR18 rims do come in black though, so maybe keep looking, or ask Velomine if they'll do a special order for you.

What kind of flats are you getting? Yes, a 12.4mm internal width is not ideal for 32mm tires, but shouldn't be the cause of your flats unless you're pinching the tube during the install or running your pressures too low.