Velocity Atlas quality-an update of sorts

[marciero]

After cracking an Aileron 36 hole 650b tandem rear rim in August it's taken me this long to get that bike back on the road. Velocity offered me a crash replacement discount on new rims. I would have gone with the Cliffhangers but the i25 width would have plumped out my preferred 47 and 48mm tires too much to clear the rear stays. I ended up with the Atlas, which is a beefy no frills workhorse-type rim, though some of that beef is wasted in my case on the brake track. I almost sent them back as I was a bit put off by the production quality. Many of the spoke holes on the rim bed side are dimpled irregularly. Most, but not all the holes are like the one in the photo. Another issue is that the eyelets have sharp edges. Some are loose-you can hear when you shake the (unlaced) rim.
I spoke with Velocity about these concerns. The gist of that conversation was that the dimpling, though not typical, was some artifact of the production process, and that I could rest assured that they were structurally sound, and the fit and finish was not going to be comparable to a "premium" rim like the Ailerons or Quills. They also offered me my choice of something else with the same discount rate. I sat on that for a while but with limited choices I ultimately decided to build them up; the rear anyway. An overnight trip to visit family Thurs and today provided the impetus to actually get it built.

The wheel actually looks pretty good and built up with no issues aside from a very slight flat spot at the weld. (Not a premium rim...) Of course the eyelets are not rattling with tension on the spokes. These pics are of the rim that might get built up for the front. Or not. That dimpling can only weaken the rim bed. Still, am willing to try them. 85 miles into the rear at this point and no issues. But will keep an eye on it.