Velocity A23 Disc Brake Rim
The Velocity A23 is the rim that taught a lot of road riders what a wider rim does for a tire. It is based on the race-proven Aerohead and widened it to 23mm across, so a 25 or 28mm tire sits with a consistent, rounder profile instead of being pinched at the beads. The result is a wheel that corners with more confidence, rides more comfortably at lower pressure and, with a 23 to 25mm tire, is more aerodynamic than the same tire on a narrow rim. It is extruded and finished in the USA, in a range of colors nobody else offers.
This page covers the Velocity A23 Disc Brake Rim in 700c, 650b, 26in, 20in. The A23 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 A23 is an 18mm-inner, 19.5mm-deep double-wall aluminum rim with a low, wide profile that keeps weight down and gives the tire the widest possible footprint. It is tubeless-ready, and with the factory's own tape and a valve it seals reliably with 25 to 35mm tubeless tires. The rim-brake version has a machined sidewall; the disc version has a plain one and saves a few grams.
The factory recommends building the A23 to a spoke tension between 110 and 130 kgf, which is high for an alloy road rim and part of why the wheels stay true. There is also an off-center A23 OC for rear and disc wheels, which we describe on its own page.
Velocity USA runs its own extrusion, drilling and anodising in Jacksonville, Florida, which is rare in an industry where most alloy rims come out of the same handful of Asian factories. It means the profile, the alloy and the finish are all Velocity's own, the color range changes when the company decides it should, and a rim ordered this year matches one ordered five years ago. For a wheel builder it also means consistent ERDs and clean spoke holes, and for a rider it means a rim that can be replaced or matched later.
How it rides
The wheel rides like a modern alloy road wheel should: quick, comfortable, and predictable in corners because the tire is properly supported. It is light enough for climbing and stiff enough that a 32-spoke rear holds up under a bigger rider. On a cyclocross bike with a 33mm tire it is a classic race wheel.
The A23 is not deep and not trying to be aero beyond what the width does; for a deeper alloy rim there are the Aileron and Deep V. For an everyday road or cross wheel with a huge color choice, it is the rim we build most. Cyclocross racers were among the first to adopt the A23 for exactly that reason: a 33mm tire on a 23mm rim runs at low pressure without folding over in a corner.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 700c, 650b, 26in, 20in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 601 (29in), 562 (27.5in), 537 (26in), 428 (20in), 383 (20in) |
| Inner width | 18 mm |
| Depth | 19.5 mm |
| Drillings | 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h |
| Weight | 450g (700c/29in), 425g (650b/27.5in), 415g (26in), 340g (451), 290g (20in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | Clincher Tubeless Compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black, silver, polished, custom |
About this listing
Version notes. 700c, 650b, 26in, 20in, 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h, about 450g, 18mm inside, 19.5mm deep, disc. The other sizes and brake versions of the A23 have their own listings; this page is for this one.
This is the disc-brake A23: 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 Velocity A23 Disc Brake Rim comes in 700c, 650b, 26in, 20in and 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h drilling, in rim-brake and disc versions; check the name on this page. We build the A23 on Velocity Race and Standard hubs, DT Swiss 350 and 240, Shimano, White Industries T11 and CLD, Bitex and Chris King R45 hubs, usually with Sapim Laser, Race or CX-Ray spokes or DT Competition and Aerolite.
Tire range on the A23 is 23 to 35mm. Pick your bike type and weight 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 gravel and road disc, track and road single-speed and touring builds. Start a build with the Velocity A23 Disc Brake Rim and the configurator opens with this exact rim pinned at the top of the Velocity 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 Velocity
Velocity USA rolls, drills, anodizes and builds its aluminum rims at its own factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Velocity states the extrusion comes from Profile Precision Extrusions in Arizona. Production moved there from Jacksonville, Florida beginning December 2016. Rims are sleeve-joined: a piece of extrusion shaped to the rim's inner cavity is bonded in and the join heat-treated to set the bonding agent, then the rim is drilled, cleaned of swarf and anodized in Velocity's own tanks. Spoke holes are drilled at an exit angle of around 4 degrees, alternating flange bias at every other hole.
Velocity publishes no impact-energy, fatigue-cycle, ISO 4210 or third-party lab figures and no per-rim maximum tire pressure; its tubeless guidance uses 45 psi (3.1 bar) as the threshold between one and two layers of Velotape. Warranty: all Velocity products are warranted against defects in material and workmanship for the life of the product, excluding normal wear and tear, accidents, misuse, improper assembly or maintenance; repair or replacement is at Velocity's discretion.
Velocity's videos
From Velocity
Certifications
- Made in USA claim — Velocity states it rolls, drills, anodizes and builds rims and wheels by hand in Grand Rapids, MI using locally sourced materials (all production consolidated there December 2016) (source)
Sources on Velocity's site:
- Tech - Velocity USA
- About - Velocity USA
- About Us - Velocity USA
- Go Big And Get Home: Clydesdale Wheels And YOU! - Velocity USA
- Manufacturing with Passion: Velocity USA's Grand Rapids Wheel Factory - The Radavist
Velocity publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the rim into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Velocity USA makes the A23; 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
Velocity's warranty. Velocity warrants its rims against defects in material and workmanship for the life of the product, repairing or replacing at its option. Normal wear, accidents, misuse, improper assembly and poor maintenance are excluded.
ProWheelBuilder. Built into a wheel by us, this part is covered by our own one-year wheel warranty on top of the maker's. For a year we replace broken spokes whatever caused them, and we cover the labor on the wheel - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild if it needs one. If a rim or hub fails and its maker covers it, we run that claim for you; if the maker says no, you get an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off retail. You pay the shipping each way. Wheels built from parts you send us are excluded.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
A23 Disc Brake Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 18mm 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 is the difference between the A23 and the A23 OC?
The OC has its spoke bed offset to one side, which evens out spoke tension on a rear or disc wheel. Use the OC for those; the standard A23 for a rim-brake front.
Is the A23 tubeless?
Yes. It is tubeless-ready; with Velocity tape, a valve and sealant it seals reliably with tubeless tires from 25mm up.
What tires fit the A23?
23 to 35mm. A 25 to 28mm road tire or a 33mm cross tire is where the 23mm width works best.
What colors does the A23 come in?
The factory anodises and powder-coats it in a wide range; the colors in stock are listed in the configurator.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Velocity lists the A23 Disc 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.
