Velocity Dyad Rim Brake Rim
The Velocity Dyad is the classic loaded-touring rim: 18.6mm wide inside, 22mm deep, eyeleted, strong enough for panniers and a long way from home, and light enough that the bike is still fun without them. The Dyad has been under more cross-country tours than we can count, and Velocity still extrudes and finishes it in the USA in a range of colors.
This page covers the Velocity Dyad Rim Brake Rim in 29in, 27.5in, 26in, 24in, 20in. The Dyad 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 Dyad is a double-wall aluminum rim with an 18.6mm inner bed, a 22mm-deep section and single eyelets at every spoke hole, which spread the nipple load and let the rim take the high tension a loaded wheel wants. The rim-brake version has a deep machined brake track; the disc version has a plain sidewall. It is a tube-type rim for 28 to 45mm tires.
The factory recommends 110 to 130 kgf spoke tension. We build the Dyad with 32 or 36 spokes for touring.
Velocity USA makes its rims in Jacksonville, Florida, from extrusion through drilling to anodising, and backs them with the kind of support a small American manufacturer can give: replacement rims years later, matching colors, and straight answers about what a rim is for. The published spoke-tension range of 110 to 130 kgf is on the high side for alloy, and it is part of why these rims build into wheels that stay true.
How it rides
A Dyad wheel is the definition of dependable. On a 35 to 40mm tire under a loaded bike it rides smoothly, tracks straight and stays true across thousands of miles of mixed roads. Unloaded, it is light enough to make a touring bike feel quick, which is more than can be said for most heavy-duty rims.
For tandems and very heavy loads the Atlas is stronger; for big tires and bikepacking the Cliffhanger is wider. For classic loaded touring on 28 to 45mm tires, the Dyad is the Velocity rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in, 26in, 24in, 20in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 597 (29in), 559 (27.5in), 535 (26in), 485 (24in), 383 (20in) |
| Inner width | 18.6 mm |
| Depth | 22 mm |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h, 36h, 40h, 48h |
| Weight | 525g (700c/29in), 495g (650b/27.5in), 465g (26in), 455g (24in), 330g (20in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | Clincher |
| Brake | Rim brake-brake |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black, silver, polished, custom |
About this listing
Version notes. 29in, 27.5in, 26in, 24in, 20in, 28h, 32h, 36h, 40h, 48h, about 525g, 18.6mm inside, 22mm deep, rim-brake. The other sizes and brake versions of the Dyad have their own listings; this page is for this one.
This is the rim-brake Dyad, with machined sidewalls for caliper, cantilever or V-brakes. Choose it for a rim-brake frame; for a disc-brake bike the disc version, listed separately, drops the brake track and a few grams.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Velocity Dyad Rim Brake Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in, 26in, 24in, 20in and 28h, 32h, 36h, 40h, 48h drilling, in rim-brake and disc versions; check the name on this page. We build the Dyad on Velocity Standard hubs, DT Swiss 350, Shimano, White Industries, Phil Wood and Son dynamo hubs, usually with DT Champion or Competition and Sapim Race or Strong spokes and brass nipples.
Tire range on the Dyad is 28 to 45mm. Pick touring 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 Dyad Rim Brake Rim already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for road rim brake, 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.
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
The figures, certificates and media above are Velocity's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; our part is the wheel we build on the rim.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Velocity USA makes the Dyad; 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. Any wheel we build on this part carries ProWheelBuilder's one-year warranty in addition to the manufacturer's. Broken spokes are replaced for a year whatever the cause, and all wheel-side labor is included - truing, re-tensioning, rebuilding. Where the maker covers a failed rim or hub we handle that claim for you; where they decline, an eligible replacement comes at 25% off current retail. The customer covers shipping in both directions. Components supplied by the customer are not covered.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Dyad Rim Brake Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 18.6mm 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 Dyad tubeless?
No. The Dyad is a tube-type touring rim; for tubeless look at the Velocity Blunt SS or Aileron.
Dyad or Atlas?
Dyad for most loaded touring; Atlas for tandems, cargo bikes and the heaviest loads.
What tires fit the Dyad?
28 to 45mm. A 35 to 40mm touring tire is the usual pairing.
How many spokes should a Dyad touring wheel have?
32 front and 36 rear is our standard for loaded touring; the configurator recommends from your bike type and weight.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Velocity lists the Dyad Rim 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.
