Please tell me about the Nisi Solidal Rim

[PaulE]

When I decided to try tubulars, I was looking for an old tubular rim to use as a stretching rim. I happened to pick up a NOS Nisi Solidal 36 hole rim at the Trexlertown flea market last year for what I would have expected to pay for a well used tubular rim. This rim had never been used or built up into a wheel, the Nisi stickers still covered over the valve hole and one of the spoke holes. I had to pierce the valve hole sticker to mount a tubular for stretching. The spoke holes are offset in a slight zig-zag pattern from the centerline of the rim and have eyelets that are machined smooth down to the exterior rim surface, so that they are hardly noticeable. I think the rim looks kind of cool.

So are/were these rims anything special? Should I try to find another and build them up into a set of wheels over next winter?

[11.4]

Nothing great. Nisi was known for both ultralight rims and for some pretty strong but heavy rims. These are simply heavy rims. Plenty of mechanical problems over the years, and they came from a period when Nisi was far from the best at quality control. Stretching tires is about the right role for them. You can find so much better these days.