Velocity Atlas Rim Brake Rim
The Velocity Atlas is the rim we build when the wheel has to carry a lot: loaded touring, tandems, cargo bikes and heavy e-bikes. The Atlas has extra-thick sidewalls, double eyelets at every spoke hole and a section that does not care how much you put on the rack. Velocity extrudes and finishes it in the USA, and it has been the touring rim of choice for long-distance riders for years.
This page covers the Velocity Atlas Rim Brake Rim in 29in, 27.5in, 26in. The Atlas 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 Atlas is a double-wall aluminum rim, 19.8mm wide inside, with walls thicker than any other Velocity road-size rim and double eyelets that spread nipple load through both walls. That combination is what lets the Atlas take the very high spoke tension a loaded wheel needs without the spoke bed cracking. The rim-brake version has a machined sidewall with plenty of material to wear; the disc version has a plain sidewall.
The factory recommends 110 to 130 kgf spoke tension, and the Atlas is happy at the top of that range. It takes 28 to 50mm tires with tubes; it is not a tubeless rim.
Every Velocity rim is extruded, drilled and finished at the company's own factory in Jacksonville, Florida, and that shows in the details a builder notices: the spoke holes are drilled to suit the wheel, the joint is clean, and the ERD we measure matches the one on the box. The color range is the other reason people ask for the brand by name; anodized and powder-coated options come and go, and the ones in stock are listed in the configurator so you can match rim, hub and nipples.
How it rides
An Atlas wheel is steady. It does not flex under a loaded bike on a rough road, it does not go out of true after a week of dirt-road touring, and the brake track lasts. It is heavier than a Dyad or Chukker, which matters less than you would think on a bike that already weighs forty pounds loaded.
We build the Atlas with 36 spokes for touring and cargo and 40 or 48 for tandems. It is the Velocity rim we recommend for anyone who has broken a lighter rim under load. Riders who have toured on lighter rims and had a spoke bed crack under the rear rack are the ones who ask for the Atlas by name, and it has never let one of them down in our experience.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in, 26in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 605 (29in), 569 (27.5in), 543 (26in) |
| Inner width | 19.8 mm |
| Depth | 18 mm |
| Drillings | 32h, 36h, 40h |
| Weight | 620g (700c/29in), 590g (650b/27.5in), 560g (26in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | Clincher |
| Brake | Rim brake-brake |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black, silver, polished, custom |
Which version this is
What this listing covers: the Atlas in 29in, 27.5in, 26in with 32h, 36h, 40h drilling, about 620g, 19.8mm inside, 18mm deep, rim-brake. If you need it in another size or for the other brake type, it is listed separately.
The rim-brake version of the Atlas 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 Velocity Atlas Rim Brake Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in, 26in and 32h, 36h, 40h drilling, in rim-brake and disc versions; check the name on this page. We build the Atlas on Velocity Standard and Tandem hubs, DT Swiss 350, Shimano, White Industries, Phil Wood and Son dynamo hubs, usually with DT Champion or Sapim Strong spokes and brass nipples.
Tire range on the Atlas is 28 to 50mm. Pick touring, tandem or e-bike 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 Velocity Atlas Rim Brake Rim already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for track and road single-speed and touring 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.
Velocity's testing and certifications
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 states that "Rims and wheels are checked for quality at every step of our process" and that it tests rims on an in-house load machine it calls the "Killdozer" "so that we can simulate a larger rider and calculate how many spokes result in a sturdy, quality wheel." Its spoke-count guidance by total rider-plus-gear weight is 200-229 lb: 32 spokes; 230-259 lb: 36; 260-300 lb: 36 front / 40 rear. Velocity recommends building to between 110 kgf and 130 kgf spoke tension and builds its Clydesdale wheels to 120 kgf.
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
Everything in this section is published by Velocity. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the rim reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Velocity USA makes the Atlas; 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 Atlas drilling and color you choose, strikes through combinations that are not made, and prices the wheel 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. 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.
Atlas Rim Brake Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 19.8mm 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.
Is the Atlas tubeless?
No. The Atlas is a tube-type rim built for load, not tubeless. For a tubeless touring rim look at the Velocity Cliffhanger.
Atlas or Dyad?
The Dyad is a lighter touring rim for moderate loads; the Atlas is the heavy-duty one for tandems, cargo bikes and fully loaded touring.
What spoke count should I use?
36 for touring and cargo, 40 or 48 for tandems. The configurator recommends from your bike type and weight.
Is the Atlas good for e-bikes?
Yes. Its thick walls and double eyelets suit the extra weight and braking loads of an e-bike; pair it with e-bike-rated spokes.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Velocity Atlas Rim Brake Rim?
No. The rim is made by Velocity; we are the wheel builder in Georgia who laces it into a finished wheel to your spec and stands behind the build.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Velocity lists the Atlas Rim Brake Rim as clincher. Ask us about tubeless conversion if you need it.
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.
