Velocity Fusion Disc Brake Rim
The Velocity Fusion is the light road racing rim in the Velocity range: 26mm deep, around 13.9mm wide inside, and built to be the lightest way to get a stiff, fast alloy road wheel in a Velocity color. The Fusion is the rim we build for climbers and racers who want an alloy training or racing wheel with a little more depth than a box rim and a lot less weight than a Deep V. Velocity extrudes and finishes it in the USA.
This page covers the Velocity Fusion Disc Brake Rim in 700c. The Fusion is sold here only inside a wheel we build: choose the hub, spokes and nipples in the configurator and the finished wheel ships from Georgia, laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
Design and construction
The Fusion is a double-wall aluminum rim with a 26mm semi-V section that gives it more stiffness than a shallow box rim at a lower weight than the 30mm Deep V and Aerohead. The rim-brake version has a machined brake track; the disc version has a plain sidewall. It takes 23 to 28mm tires with tubes and is at its best on 25mm.
The factory recommends 110 to 130 kgf spoke tension. The Fusion builds well with 24 to 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 Fusion wheel is quick and precise. It climbs well, holds a line in a fast corner and gives a firmer, racier feel than a wide box rim. With a 25mm tire it is comfortable enough for long rides and fast enough for racing. It is not a tubeless rim and it does not suit tires wider than 28mm; for those the A23 or Aileron is the choice.
For a light, colorful alloy racing wheel the Fusion is the Velocity rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 700c |
|---|---|
| ERD | 590 (29in) |
| Inner width | 13.9 mm |
| Depth | 25 mm |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h, 36h |
| Weight | 460g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | Clincher |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black, silver, polished, custom |
This version
This version is the Fusion in 700c, drilled 28h, 32h, 36h, about 460g, 13.9mm inside, 25mm deep, disc. Where the same rim is sold in another size or brake type, that is a separate listing with its own page.
The disc version of the Fusion 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 Fusion Disc Brake Rim comes in 700c and 28h, 32h, 36h drilling, in rim-brake and disc versions; check the name on this page. We build the Fusion on Velocity Race hubs, DT Swiss 350 and 240, Shimano, White Industries T11 and CLD and Bitex hubs, usually with Sapim CX-Ray, Laser or Race spokes or DT Aerolite and Competition.
Tire range on the Fusion is 23 to 28mm. Pick road 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 Fusion Disc Brake Rim already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for gravel and road disc, 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.
How Velocity tests its rims
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 Fusion; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. Spokes are cut from the ERD we measure on the actual rim, the wheel comes up in stages on a tensiometer, and it is stress-relieved and trued before it goes in the box; tape and a valve go on if you ask.
The configurator filters to what fits, crosses out what is not made, and prices the build as you go.
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.
Fusion Disc Brake Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 13.9mm 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 Fusion tubeless?
No. The Fusion is a tube-type rim. For a tubeless road rim look at the Velocity A23 or Aileron.
Fusion or Deep V?
Fusion for a lighter climbing and racing wheel; Deep V for maximum stiffness and toughness on a track, fixed-gear or city bike.
What tires fit the Fusion?
23 to 28mm. A 25mm tire is the usual pairing.
What spoke count suits the Fusion?
24 to 28 for a light rider on a race wheel, 32 for everyday riding; the configurator recommends from your weight.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Velocity Fusion Disc Brake Rim?
No. Velocity makes the rim. ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia that builds it into a finished wheel to your spec.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Velocity lists the Fusion Disc 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.
