Astral Veil 6 Carbon Rim Brake Rim
The Astral Veil is the carbon rim-brake road rim from Astral, the rim brand of Rolf Prima in Eugene, Oregon, and it comes in three depths: the Veil 3 for climbing, the Veil 4 for all-round riding and the Veil 6 for time trials, triathlon and flat racing. This page covers the Astral Veil 6 Carbon Rim Brake Rim, the deep one, with a carbon brake track, a wide modern bed for 25 to 28mm tires and a rounded aero profile. Deep rim-brake carbon rims are getting rare, and the Veil is one of the few we still build for riders on rim-brake bikes.
The Veil 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 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.
Astral is part of Rolf Prima, which has built wheels in Oregon for decades and made rim-brake carbon wheels long before disc brakes arrived on road bikes.
How it rides
A Veil 6 wheelset is fast on the flat and more manageable in a crosswind than older deep rims, because the wide profile keeps the airflow attached at the yaw angles that push narrow rims around. It is not a climbing wheel; the Veil 3 and 4 are lighter. For time trials, triathlon and flat racing on a rim-brake bike, the Veil 6 is the Astral rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 700c |
|---|---|
| ERD | 524 (29in) |
| Inner width | 19.5 mm |
| Depth | 60 mm |
| Drillings | 20h, 24h |
| Weight | 515g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | Clincher Tubeless Compatible |
| Brake | Rim brake-brake |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
Version notes. 700c, 20h, 24h, about 515g, 19.5mm inside, 60mm deep, rim-brake. The other sizes and brake versions of the Veil 6 have their own listings; this page is for this one.
The rim-brake version of the Veil 6 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 Veil 6 Carbon Rim Brake Rim comes in 700c and 20h, 24h drilling. It is a rim-brake road rim with a carbon brake track. We build the Veil on Bitex RAF and RAR 12, DT Swiss 350 and 240, White Industries T11, Chris King R45 and Velocity Race Road hubs, usually with Sapim CX-Ray or CX-Sprint spokes or DT Aerolite, and brass or alloy nipples.
Tire range on the Veil is 25 to 28mm. Pick road or time trial as your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Build it with us
We build this rim to order. Open the Custom Wheel Program with the Astral Veil 6 Carbon Rim Brake Rim already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for road rim brake and track and road single-speed builds, and the configurator will not let you assemble a combination we would not build.
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."
Warranty: Astral states alloy rims are covered two years and carbon rims five years for the original owner, excluding impact damage; Rolf Prima wheels (2016 and newer) carry five years, bearings two years, plus lifetime discounted crash replacement for registered wheels.
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; ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia and 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. Lace this into a wheel here and the finished wheel gets our own one-year warranty as well as the maker's. For twelve months we replace broken spokes however they broke, and the work on the wheel is on us - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild where it is needed. If the rim or hub is covered by its manufacturer we put the claim in and chase it; if it is not, we supply an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off the current retail price. Carriage both ways is the customer's, and this does not cover wheels built from parts you send in.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Veil 6 Carbon Rim Brake Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 19.5mm 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.
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 it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Astral lists the Veil 6 Carbon 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.
