Velocity Blunt SS Rim
The Velocity Blunt SS is the light version of the Blunt: a single-wall rim with a 26.6mm inner width that comes in well under the weight of most double-wall rims of that width. The Blunt SS is the rim we build for cross-country, light trail, gravel bikes with big tires and anyone who wants a wide, tubeless, colorful alloy rim without the grams. Velocity extrudes and finishes it in the USA.
This page covers the Velocity Blunt SS Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The Blunt SS 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 Blunt SS is a welded single-wall aluminum rim with a low, wide profile, a 26.6mm inner width and a tubeless-ready bead. Single-wall means the spoke nipples sit in the same wall the tire bed is formed in, with the spoke holes reinforced; it saves a lot of weight and makes tubeless setup simple because the tape covers the nipples directly. The trade-off is less strength than a double-wall rim, so the Blunt SS is a cross-country and light trail rim rather than an enduro rim.
The factory recommends 110 to 130 kgf spoke tension. We build the Blunt SS with 28 or 32 spokes.
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
A Blunt SS wheel is noticeably light, and on a cross-country or gravel bike it gives a 2.2 to 2.4in tire, or a 45 to 50mm gravel tire, the wide, stable footprint that lets you drop pressure for grip and comfort. It accelerates quickly and climbs well. Ridden within its brief it stays true; ridden like an enduro rim it will dent.
For trail and all-mountain riding the double-wall Blunt 35 is the right rim; for plus tires the Dually.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 597 (29in), 559 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 26.6 mm |
| Depth | 20 mm |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h, 36h |
| Weight | 420g (700c/29in), 400g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | Clincher Tubeless Compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black, silver, polished, custom |
About this listing
Version notes. 29in, 27.5in, 28h, 32h, 36h, about 420g, 26.6mm inside, 20mm deep, disc. The other sizes and brake versions of the Blunt SS have their own listings; this page is for this one.
This is the disc-brake Blunt SS: 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 Blunt SS Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 28h, 32h, 36h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the Blunt SS on Velocity Race and Standard ATB hubs, DT Swiss 350 and 240, Hope Pro 5, Industry Nine 1/1 and Hydra, Bitex BX 211 and BX 106 hubs, usually with Sapim Laser, D-Light or Race spokes or DT Competition and brass nipples.
Tire range on the Blunt SS is 2.0 to 2.6in, or 40 to 60mm for gravel and bikepacking. 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 mountain bike and MTB single-speed builds. Start a build with the Velocity Blunt SS 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 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 Blunt SS; 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. 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.
Blunt SS Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 26.6mm inside this is a trail width, sized around 2.1 to 2.4in tires. That is wide enough to stop a modern trail casing rolling under you in a corner without pushing the tread so flat that it wears down the middle.
What does single-wall mean?
The rim has one wall rather than a hollow box section: the nipples sit in the tire bed. It is lighter and simpler to tape for tubeless, but less strong than a double-wall rim.
Is the Blunt SS tubeless?
Yes. Single-wall rims set up very well tubeless; Velocity tape and a valve are fitted on request.
Is the Blunt SS good for gravel?
Yes. It is one of the best alloy rims for 45 to 60mm gravel and bikepacking tires, especially in 650b.
Blunt SS or Blunt 35?
Blunt SS for cross-country, gravel and light trail where weight matters; Blunt 35 for trail and all-mountain riding that needs the strength of a double wall.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Velocity lists the Blunt SS 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.
