Astral Leviathan Touring Rim Brake Rim
The Astral Leviathan is the tandem rim from Astral, the rim brand of Rolf Prima in Eugene, Oregon, and the name is accurate: a heavy-duty alloy rim-brake rim with thick walls, a deep machined brake track that lasts through the braking loads two riders produce, a wide bed for 28 to 40mm tires, and 40 and 48 hole drilling. Rolf Prima builds tandem wheels for a living and the Leviathan is the rim it uses, and it is the rim we build for tandems, heavy touring bikes and cargo bikes with rim brakes.
This page covers the Astral Leviathan Touring Rim Brake Rim in 700c. The Leviathan comes from us only as a finished wheel: pick the hub, spokes and nipples, and we lace, tension and true it by hand in Georgia before it ships.
Design and construction
The Leviathan is a welded double-wall aluminum rim with walls thicker than any other Astral rim, a section deep enough to be stiff under two riders and their luggage, a machined brake track with plenty of material to wear, and a spoke bed that takes the very high tension a 48-spoke tandem wheel wants. The spoke holes are angled toward the hub flanges so the nipples sit straight. Standard nipples, J-bend spokes, rim brake, 40 and 48 hole.
How it rides
A Leviathan wheel is steady. It does not flex under a tandem in a sprint, it does not go out of true after a week of loaded touring, and the brake track lasts. It is heavy, and on a tandem that already weighs forty pounds that is the right trade. With 48 DT Champion or Sapim Strong spokes on a Phil Wood, White Industries or Velocity tandem hub it is the definitive tandem wheel.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 700c |
|---|---|
| ERD | 577 (29in) |
| Inner width | 20 mm |
| Depth | 32 mm |
| Drillings | 32h, 36h, 40h |
| Weight | 515g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | Clincher Tubeless Compatible |
| Brake | Rim brake-brake |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
Version notes. 700c, 32h, 36h, 40h, about 515g, 20mm inside, 32mm deep, rim-brake. The other sizes and brake versions of the Leviathan tandem have their own listings; this page is for this one.
The rim-brake version of the Leviathan tandem carries a machined braking surface on each sidewall, which is what a caliper or cantilever brake needs. It weighs a few grams more than the disc version and it is the one to choose for a rim-brake frame; the disc version is listed separately.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Astral Leviathan Touring Rim Brake Rim comes in 700c and 32h, 36h, 40h drilling. It is a rim-brake rim. We build the Leviathan on Phil Wood, White Industries, Velocity Tandem and Shimano tandem hubs, with DT Champion or Sapim Strong spokes and brass nipples.
Tire range on the Leviathan is 28 to 40mm. Pick tandem or touring as your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Build it into a wheel
This rim is live in our Custom Wheel Program for road rim brake, track and road single-speed and touring builds. Start a build with the Astral Leviathan Touring Rim Brake Rim and the configurator opens with this exact rim pinned at the top of the Astral / Rolf list — you choose the rest of the parts and it validates every combination as you go.
Spoke head is decided by the hub, not the rim: this rim builds equally well with J-bend or straight-pull spokes, and the configurator only offers the spokes that match the hub you pick.
Testing, standards and warranty at Astral
Astral Cycling is the rim brand of Rolf Prima; both operate from one facility in Eugene, Oregon, where Rolf Prima states alloy rim production has been in-house since 2014. Astral joins alloy rims with a press-fit sleeve about 2.5 inches long weighing 4-5 g that doubles the wall thickness at the joint, avoiding the heat-affected zone of welding. All wheels are hand-built in Eugene. Rolf Prima states it does not farm out testing and has logged "over 10,000 hours of lab testing to above industry standards."
Astral and Rolf state they use ISO 4210 "as a base starting point but it is not tough enough." Their drum fatigue tester runs at 47 mph against the ISO 15 mph, putting over 3 times the energy into the wheel, with a life requirement 66% higher than ISO. Impact tests use a calibrated steel anvil to the UCI 40 J standard and then a higher in-house level, at spokes, between spokes and at the valve hole, including pre-heated rims. Rolf's carbon brake protocol runs ISO 4210 dry and wet tests, 300 W for 15 minutes twice, 400 W for 16 minutes twice, 450 W and 500 W for 16 minutes, and 500 W for 3 minutes followed by the UCI impact test with no failure allowed. No rider weight limit is stated.
Astral's videos
From Astral
Certifications
- Made in USA (alloy rims and wheels) — Astral and Rolf Prima state alloy rims are rolled and all wheels hand-built in their Eugene, Oregon facility; rim production in-house since 2014 (source)
- ISO 4210 base + in-house standard — Fatigue drum at 47 mph vs ISO 15 mph, life requirement 66% above ISO; UCI 40 J impact plus higher in-house level; ISO 4210 dry/wet brake tests (source)
- UCI note — Rolf Prima FAQ: Aspin and Elan family are 'Standard' wheels not requiring UCI approval; no approved-model list verified (source)
- Rolf Prima Certainty — In-house engineering and testing lab, eleven patents, over 10,000 hours of lab testing, 5-year warranty, lifetime crash replacement (source)
Sources on Astral's site:
- Testing – Astral Cycling
- FAQ's – Astral Cycling
- Astral Rim Warranty – Astral Cycling
- Technology – Astral Cycling
- Rim Joining: The Process and the Mystery – Astral Cycling
Everything in this section is published by Astral. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the rim reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Astral makes the Leviathan tandem; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. We measure the rim before we cut a spoke, bring the wheel up in three or four rounds with a gauge, stress-relieve it between rounds and true it last, then tape it and fit a valve if you want it tubeless.
Only compatible hubs and spokes appear in the configurator, impossible combinations are struck through rather than hidden, and the price is live.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. Rolf Prima gives a one-year limited warranty on its wheels under normal use. Astral is Rolf Prima's rim brand; ask us and we will confirm the current terms for the exact rim before you buy.
ProWheelBuilder. If we lace this into a wheel for you, that wheel also carries ProWheelBuilder's own one-year warranty, which covers broken spokes regardless of cause and all wheel-related labor, including truing and rebuilding, for a year from purchase. Where a rim or hub is covered by its maker, we make the manufacturer's claim for you and coordinate it; where it is not, we offer an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off current retail. Shipping to and from us is the customer's. This cover does not extend to wheels built from components you supply yourself.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Leviathan Touring Rim Brake Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 20mm inside this is a road width. It suits roughly 25 to 32mm tires, which is where most road bikes now sit, and it will run a 23 if you still want one. Go much wider than 32 on this rim and the tire starts to balloon above the sidewalls and squirm when you lean on it.
What spoke count should a Leviathan tandem wheel have?
40 or 48; the configurator recommends from your team weight.
Is the Leviathan tubeless?
No. It is a tube-type tandem rim built for load.
Is the Leviathan disc compatible?
No. It is a rim-brake rim with a deep machined brake track; ask us about disc tandem rims.
Can I use the Leviathan on a cargo bike?
Yes. Its thick walls and high spoke counts suit cargo bikes and heavy touring rigs with rim brakes.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Astral lists the Leviathan Touring Rim Brake Rim as clincher tubeless compatible; we tape and fit a valve when you choose the tubeless option.
Which spoke count should I choose?
It depends on your weight, terrain and the hub, not the rim alone. The configurator recommends a count from your bike type and rider weight, within the drillings this rim is made in.
Not sure? Text or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 or email info@prowheelbuilder.com — you will be talking to the people who build the wheels.
