Custom_build_4 Parts_to_build Quality_hubs Quality_rims

Rims are the contact point with the ground. Choice has to be dependant on application. As the rim and tyre are at the extremity of the wheel they have significant effect on the energy required to accelerate and decelerate. The lighter the mass at this extremity the less energy required to change velocity. Another consideration is the aero-dynamics of the section when travelling at speeds above 20 mph.

Below are some of our favourite rim profiles for different usages:-

Road Rim Brake

Road Traditional, Touring, and Track

Road and Cyclocross Disc

Mountain Bike

For cobbles or off road activity or for the heavier rider the strength of the rim section becomes important. Of course how the wheel looks will also be critical to the discerning cyclist. To enable us to deliver against these varying requirements we have selected a broad range of top quality suppliers.

      

Ambrosio supply a range of traditional styled quality rims manufactured in Italy.

     
   Boyd Cycling was started in 2009 by Boyd Johnson. Having been a professional cyclist for many years, he turned his passion for riding bikes to focus on making initially bikes, but then focussing exclusively on wheels. They have some great rims that we are featuring now in our range. 
     
    Easton have been world renowned for their wheel sets, they are now selling quality rims to aftermarket builders. They have started with an offer into the popular 23mm road and wide all MTB wheel sets.
     
    H Plus Son make high quality stylish rims for road and track applications. Their rims are robust and well made, a joy to work with. If you ever wondered how a rim is drawn from an aluminium blank check out their video.
     
  HED are a manufacturer of premium quality wheel components. Their wheels and rims are well known for their cutting edge design delivering fast,  reliable, aero-dynamic well rounded product 
     
    Mavic are synonymous with wheel and rim manufacturing, supplying top teams all around the world, they have some classic aftermarket build rims in their range, it would simply be wrong for them not to appear in our range. 
     
  Pacenti's rims are amongst the best in the world, they are innovative and driving new standards such as the 650B, driven by a passion for cycling. They are a big favourite and figure strongly in our road and MTB offer. 
     

  

  Ryde (formerly Rigida) have been making rims since 1908 and have a world-wide manufacturing base. They have an extensive range of road and MTB rims. They are focussed on developing their aluminium technology, some of their XC rims build up lighter than carbon fibre in the same class.
     

  Stan's make some great road and MTB rims. They have been at the forefront of tubeless technologies with their famous bead socket technology for the last decade. We have set up many tubeless road and MTB wheel sets, they are excellent quality and just work.
     
    Velocity make a broad range of rims for road, track and mountain biking. The company developed their range starting in the early 90s targeted at the custom wheel builder that has led to a reputation for delivering top quality product with many different variants.

 

 

 

Hubs form a key part of the wheel, affecting the stiffness, rolling resistance, drive engagement and overall weight. There are 2 common types of bearing that are used, cup and cone and sealed cartridge bearings. The majority of hubs we specify use sealed cartridge bearings, though there are a number of hubs that use cup and cone, both systems are robust and maintainable. The beauty of the sealed cartridge is that they can simply be swapped out when they wear. Cup and cone bearings are easily serviceable and should be regularly maintained to ensure long a long life, failure to update the grease can be costly as once the cups rust or pit the hubs are ruined and would need to be replaced.

Drive activation systems vary from the most common ratchet and pawl, to the more sophisticated American Classic drive and top of the range Chris King ring drive. The activation angle (e.g. how many degrees the hub turns before it engages drive) varies dependent on the number of engagement points and relates to the distance you pedal before drive is translated to forward motion. With the exception of Shimano's lower cost hubs (which require complete replacement rather than maintenance) most are maintainable with regular cleaning and re-application of lubricant or by replacing bearings, pawls or drive rings. Another consideration is the sound, some hubs can be quite noisy when free wheeling, and some are quieter, personal preference is important here. 

We can source hubs from the following suppliers, click on the logos to find out more:-

      

Ambrosio have a range of traditional looking hubs, they are available in black and silver finish and come with Japanese sealed bearings.

     
    American Classic hubs have a unique six pawl drive mechanism that engages all of the pawls simultaneously giving rapid drive torque transfer. With the exception of the micro hub they have a wide diameter lightweight body and steel engagement strips on the aluminium forged freehub body avoiding the locking that can occur. A favourite to build up lightweight wheel sets.
     
  Campagnolo Record hubs are a tried and tested classic for aftermarket wheel builds so if you want a wheel set that compliments the rest of your Campagnolo set up these are a good choice. 
     
   

Chris King have been renowned for making very high quality stylish hubs for road, MTB and track applications. They have a patented RingDrive mechanism that has 45 simultaneous engagement points with virtually no drag. They come with a complete with a 5 year guarantee and have reputation for longevity. The bearings are made in house and designed to be serviceable. They are available 9 beautiful anodised colours.  

     
  Hope are a leading UK manufacturer of premium quality cycle components. Their hubs are manufacturer in their factory in Barnoldswick. They have an established reputation for good quality well engineered reliable product. The latest pro 4 MTB hubs are the latest development of their popular Pro 2 evo range. Combined with their lightweight durable RS Mono Road hub they have a range that covers most needs.
     
    Halo hubs are designed in the UK and manufacturer by a leading component engineering company in the far east, this enables delivery of high specification robust, quality product at a reasonable price. The drive hubs use a 6 pawl mechanism giving 12 engagement points over 30 clicks.  
     
  Miche manufacture a wide variety of cycle components from their manufacturing base in Italy. Their hubs are robust forged aluminium with replaceable sealed bearings. The Italian styling makes for good looking reasonably priced wheels. 
     
  Paul manufacture high quality cycle components and their hubs are second to none. They look stylish, and their sheer quality and feel make them a popular choice for single speeder or track bike.  
     
  Phil Wood & Co manufacturers a range of high end cycle components. Their hubs rank alongside Paul and Chris King. From their manufacturing base in California they make a range of unique robust componentry.
     

  Powertap were one of the first in the market with a credible power meter, having a meter built in where the power is delivered gives a true reading. Build it in to your custom wheelset to match your set up precisely.
     
   

 

Rohloff make the best geared hubs in the world, they are high quality, robust and innovative. There are a wide variety of solutions with many differing gear ratios to meet your needs. 

     
    Shimano are world renowned for making for making quality cycling components across the quality and cost spectrum. Their hubs use the cup and cone system and generally sealed freehub assemblies.
     
  SON Schmidts Original Nabendynamo manufacture high quality dynamo hubs and LED headlights they set the benchmark for smooth running precision hubs and effective LED lights.
     
  SP Dynamo make a wide variety of dynamos that can be built into your wheel set to provide lighting, mobile device or battery charging. The hubs are available in Silver, Black or Red to fit most common wheel diameters.
     
  Sturmey Archer make a wide range of affordable geared and brake hubs suitable for road and MTB applications.

 

 

Wheel Projects

Here are a number of wheelsets built to meet various customer needs. These represent a sample of projects that we have been asked to do, some a simple build from new parts, others renovations. We have a broad supplier base from which to source parts from so most needs can be accommodated. Equally we will not shy away from doing something a bit out of the ordinary, renovating old hubs to for your classic rebuild for instance. Please contact us to talk about your needs, we will be pleased to help, please contact us at info@velowheels.co.uk or if you would rather chat call us on : 01832 358 732

Cyclo Grava

Cyclo Grava

HED Belgium Plus rims on Chris King Hubs

Stans Crest MK3

Stans Crest MK3

MK3 crests make a great XC wheelset

Altamont Ceramic

Altamont Ceramic

Cervelo R3 kitted out with stealthy Boyd Altamont Ceramics

Trace XC

Trace XC

Rigida Trace XC with American Classic Hubs and CX Ray Spokes

Stork Visioner

Stork Visioner

Semi Aero XR31T rims with CX Ray spokes and Dura Ace 9000 hubs

Donohue Classic

Donohue Classic

Classic steel framed Donohue with Mavic Open Pro

Kinlin XR31T

Kinlin XR31T

XR31T Cyclocross wheel set make a winning combination

Singular Fatty

Singular Fatty

Fatty booted up with some smart Hugo's on Hope Boost hubs

Formation Face

Formation Face

Aero style wheel set built with H+Son Formation Face Rims

Boardman CXR

Boardman CXR

H+Son Hydras make a great disc wheel set American Classic hubs

Specialized TriX

Specialized TriX

Touring Disc on Pacenti SL25 rims with SP Dynamo Hub

JLaverack Titanium

JLaverack Titanium

Titanium road bike Stans Grails and Hope Pro4 Disc Hubs

Classic Puch SS

Classic Puch SS

Mavic Reflex, restored hubs and tubs recreate a retro look

Genisis Croix De Fer

Genisis Croix De Fer

HED Belgium Plus rims with Hope Pro 4 hubs

Holdsworth SS

Holdsworth SS

BLB Hubs built up with Mavic Open Pro

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Payment

Payment can be made by all major credit cards, PayPal Invoice, BACs or Cheque. Wheels will be created and sent once payment has been confirmed.

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Reliable Delivery

Delivery for your wheel set to a UK address is inclusive. For an additional cost we ship to mainland Europe and the rest of the world, however cost will be country dependant.

We carefully package your wheels in our custom designed boxes. We send via signed for courier delivery and we will keep you informed of shipping status.

Customer rebuilds and repairs are charged at £15 for UK delivery. Alternately please call in at the workshop.

Wheel Gallery

Contact Velo

1 Kings Road,Oundle,

Peterborough 

PE8 4AX 

Mob: 07864 937645

Tel: 01832 358732

Email: info@velowheels.co.uk

Visit Velo

If you prefer to have a face to face discussion and a look at some of the options you are welcome to drop into the workshop. 

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Our opening hours are 10.00 to 6.00 Tuesday through to Friday and 9.00 until 4.00 on Saturdays.