I am starting the swap over to tubular (sewups!). Have got some assorted rims, GP4s, GP330s and a Record du Monde. But what I don't have is a good rim for my TiCycles fix gear, Jessica J. The bike was designed around the Velocity Aero semi deep alloy clincher as a rear rim.
The Velocity Aero works so well because the brake track fades smoothly into the fairing. Braking works well over a considerable vertical height. This matters because as the wheel is slid forward or back in the dropout, the rim varies in height at the brake shoes. (I use all the cogs between 12 and 24 teeth; often both extremes on the same ride.) I set the shoes to be at the top of the brake track with the wheel all the way back - ie the 12t cog. 17t put it comfortably in the middle. With the 24 it is way down on the fairing but how much serious stopping am I going to be doing with the brakes on a 42-24 fix gear?
In 20,000 miles, I have noticed about zero brake wear below the brake track.
So, what tubular rim options do you guys know about that could replace the Aero? I'd love both a 450-500 gm workhorse rim and a sub 400 gm "race" rim. (50 gm lighter on each would be cool.) 32 hole.
Poking around the web, I saw the Kinlon TB-25 rim and the Araya Aero 1 ADX-1, neither of which I've ever seen. I have no idea on the weights of either. Any one here used them?
Going to the CAD drawing the bike was designed on, I see that the brake shoe is 1/4" lower on the rim at the extreme forward than at the extreme rear of the dropout (plus any margin for comfort - dragging the brake shoe on a 200 gm sewup on a crazy descent would be a real bummer). This is also what I've observed but not measured.
Ideas? CK, Dale?