Astral Veil 3 Carbon Disc Rim
The Astral Veil 3 is the shallow member of Astral's carbon rim-brake road family: the same wide, rounded profile and carbon brake track as the Veil 4 and 6 at the depth that suits climbing, gusty roads and riders who want the lightest rim-brake carbon wheel Astral makes. Deep rim-brake carbon rims are getting rare and light ones rarer, and the Veil 3 is one of the few we still build.
This page covers the Astral Veil 3 Carbon Disc Rim in 700c. The Veil 3 is built to order here. Choose the hub, spokes and nipples in the configurator; the wheel leaves Georgia laced, tensioned and trued.
Design and construction
The Veil is a carbon clincher with a wide, rounded aero section that lets a 25 to 28mm tire flow into the rim and keeps the airflow attached in a crosswind, a machined carbon brake track that works with carbon-specific pads, and Astral's spoke-hole angling so the nipples sit straight. The three depths share the profile and the bed; the layup is tuned for each. External nipples, standard J-bend spokes, rim brake only. Use carbon-specific brake pads, which we supply with the wheel.
How it rides
A Veil 3 wheelset is light, calm and comfortable. It climbs like a shallow rim, it is invisible in a crosswind, and the carbon brake track works well with the pads we supply. It gives up aero to the Veil 4 and 6, which you feel on a fast flat road and never on a climb. For climbing on a rim-brake bike, the Veil 3 is the Astral rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 700c |
|---|---|
| ERD | 577 (29in) |
| Inner width | 19 mm |
| Depth | 32 mm |
| Drillings | 24h, 28h |
| Weight | 400g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | Clincher Tubeless Compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
Which version this is
What this listing covers: the Veil 3 in 700c with 24h, 28h drilling, about 400g, 19mm inside, 32mm deep, disc. If you need it in another size or for the other brake type, it is listed separately.
This is the disc-brake Veil 3: plain sidewalls, no brake track to wear, a touch lighter. It fits any disc-brake bike and it is the version most of our customers now build; the rim-brake version is a separate listing.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Astral Veil 3 Carbon Disc Rim comes in 700c and 24h, 28h drilling. It is a rim-brake road rim with a carbon brake track. We build the Veil 3 on Bitex RAF and RAR 12, DT Swiss 240 and 180, White Industries T11 and Chris King R45 hubs, usually with Sapim CX-Ray or Laser spokes or DT Aerolite, and alloy or brass nipples.
Tire range on the Veil 3 is 25 to 28mm. Pick road as your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Put it in a custom wheel
Build a custom wheel around the Astral Veil 3 Carbon Disc Rim — the link drops you into our Custom Wheel Program with this rim pinned, ready for you to choose the rest. It is set up for gravel and road disc and track and road single-speed builds.
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.
Astral's testing and certifications
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
Astral publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the rim into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Astral makes the Veil 3; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. The build is the same every time: measured ERD, spokes cut to the half millimeter, staged tensioning with a gauge, stress relief, a final true, and tubeless tape and a valve on request.
The configurator shows only hubs and spokes that match the Veil 3 drilling, strikes through combinations that are not made, and prices the wheel 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.
Veil 3 Carbon Disc Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 19mm 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.
Which spokes and nipples suit the Veil 3?
For most riders a double-butted spoke such as Sapim Race or DT Competition with brass nipples; lighter riders can go to Sapim Laser or CX-Ray. The configurator recommends a gauge and count for the Veil 3 from your bike type and weight.
Veil 3, 4 or 6?
Veil 3 for climbing and gusty roads, Veil 4 for all-round riding and racing, Veil 6 for time trials, triathlon and flat courses.
Is the Veil disc compatible?
No. The Veil is a rim-brake rim with a carbon brake track; the Luna and Serpentine are Astral's carbon disc rims.
Which brake pads do I need?
Carbon-specific pads, which we supply with the wheel. Never use pads that have been run on an alloy rim.
Is the Veil tubeless?
It is a carbon clincher; ask us about tubeless setup for the depth you choose.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Astral Veil 3 Carbon Disc Rim?
We are not. Astral manufactures the rim; ProWheelBuilder's part is the wheel: measuring, lacing, tensioning and truing it here in Georgia.
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.
