Velocity Deep V Disc Brake Rim
The Velocity Deep V is one of the most recognisable rims ever made. Thirty millimeters deep, stiff enough to build a bulletproof track or fixed-gear wheel, and anodized or powder-coated in more colors than any other rim on the market, the Deep V has been the go-to rim for messengers, track racers and city riders for two decades. Velocity extrudes and finishes it in the USA.
This page covers the Velocity Deep V Disc Brake Rim in 700c. The Deep V is not sold bare. You choose the hub and the rest of the build in the configurator, and it ships from our shop in Georgia laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
Design and construction
The Deep V is a 30mm-deep double-wall aluminum V-section rim, about 14mm wide inside, with a machined brake track on the rim-brake version and a plain sidewall on the disc version. The depth is where the strength and stiffness come from: a Deep V wheel builds up very rigid, which suits track sprinting, fixed-gear skidding and pothole-strewn city streets. It takes 23 to 32mm tires with tubes.
The factory recommends 110 to 130 kgf spoke tension. The Deep V builds well with anything from 24 to 36 spokes; the depth lets a light rider get away with fewer.
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 Deep V wheel is stiff and direct. There is no flex in a sprint, it holds up to skidding and curb hops, and the deep section has a small aero benefit at speed. It is not a comfort rim, and on rough roads with a narrow tire it can feel harsh; a 28mm tire takes the edge off.
For a fast, tough, colorful fixed-gear or track wheel, or a road wheel that has to survive city riding, the Deep V is the Velocity rim we recommend. For a lighter road wheel the Fusion or Quill is the choice.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 700c |
|---|---|
| ERD | 581 (29in) |
| Inner width | 14 mm |
| Depth | 30 mm |
| Drillings | 16h, 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h, 40h, 48h |
| Weight | 580g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | Clincher |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black, silver, polished, custom |
This listing
This is the 700c listing of the Deep V, 16h, 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h, 40h, 48h, about 580g, 14mm inside, 30mm deep, disc. Pick the size that matches your frame; the profile and construction are the same across the range.
The disc version of the Deep V has no brake track, so the sidewall is a plain extrusion that saves a little weight and never wears; it is the one to choose for any disc-brake frame. The rim-brake version, listed separately, has a machined sidewall.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Velocity Deep V Disc Brake Rim comes in 700c and 16h, 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h, 40h, 48h drilling, in rim-brake and disc versions; check the name on this page. We build the Deep V on Velocity Race and Standard hubs, Phil Wood and White Industries track hubs, Shimano, DT Swiss 350 and Bitex hubs, usually with DT Champion or Competition and Sapim Race or Laser spokes.
Tire range on the Deep V is 23 to 32mm. Pick track, fixed-gear or road as your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Build a wheel around it
Offered for gravel and road disc, track and road single-speed and touring builds in our Custom Wheel Program. Start with the Velocity Deep V Disc Brake Rim and the configurator pins it for you, then checks each choice you make against it.
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.
What Velocity says about testing
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 Deep V; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. Every Deep V wheel we build gets spokes cut from the rim's measured ERD, is tensioned in stages with a gauge, stress-relieved and trued before it ships.
In the configurator you will only see parts that fit this drilling; combinations that are not made are struck through, and the price updates as you pick.
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.
Deep V Disc Brake Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 14mm 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 Deep V tubeless?
No. The Deep V is a tube-type rim. For a tubeless aero alloy rim look at the Velocity Aileron.
What colors does the Deep V come in?
More than any other rim we sell: anodized and powder-coated colors change from year to year, and the ones in stock are listed in the configurator.
What tires fit the Deep V?
23 to 32mm. A 25 or 28mm tire is the usual pairing.
Is the Deep V good for track racing?
Yes. It has been the standard alloy track rim for years; we build it on Phil Wood, White Industries and Velocity track hubs.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Velocity lists the Deep V Disc Brake Rim as clincher. Ask us about tubeless conversion if you need it.
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.
