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The Velocity rims look interesting, does the higher profile make any difference?
I should have added that if I do this it'll be by SJS, so the choice will be something from what they stock.
As much as the choice of rim, I'm trying to convince myself how much difference a 200g lighter rim will make, one day telling myself it'll make a huge difference, the next that I probably won't notice...
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Looks like SJS does not sell Velocity rims. I am not sure what the Velocity company history is, but I thought they were an Australian company. Thus, I expected the rims to be made there. But when I bought my Velocity rims I was surprised that they said made in USA on them. Higher profile, the only thing I noticed was that they take an unusually short spoke because of their shape. I do not know of any 700c rims that take a shorter spoke with the possible exception of racing wheels. I wanted a robust rim that could handle touring duties. I had used Mavic A719 rims before but decided to research other rims first because my A719 wheels were over 10 years old, so I thought that maybe there is something newer and better out there. A bike mechanic suggested I go with Velocity, he did not specify a specific rim. I looked at Co-Motion website to see what the Americano uses, they had good things to say about the Dyads. The Americano is the most robust 700c touring bike I know of, the derailleur version uses 145mm spaced rear hubs because they put tandem wheels on that bike. So, I took that as a strong endorsement of the Dyad too. And, I wanted rims that could take tires from about 28 to about 40mm in width. Thus wanted an inner width in the 18 to 19mm range, and the Dyad was right there.
Lighter rims, when riding I do not notice bike weight that much. I am more likely to notice weight of the bike when lifting the bike off the ground or when climbing a steep hill.
Some people get excited about rotational weight and say that a heavier rim or tire slows you down. I am an engineer by training, and I can tell you that it takes work to left a bike and rider from one elevation to another higher elevation. That amount of work can be easily quantified, it is simply the energy to lift a mass against gravity. I have done those calculations to estimate how many watts it takes to lift myself and bike up different percent grades and different speeds. And I can tell you that rotational mass is the same as the mass on the frame for those calculations. It might feel different, but the amount of work is the same.
On my Titanium bike, the rear wheel with tire (Hutchinson Globetrotter 37mm, 36 Wheelsmith DB-14 spokes, Shimano XT M756A hub, and tube) weigh more than my Titanium frame. Some would say that is terrible, but it works just fine for me.
