# Velocity Tandem Wheelset



## bobthib

I'm considering the VeloCity Tandem Wheelset https://www.bikemania.biz/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VELOCITY_TANDEM_DISC
for my Lambo. Have seen pretty good reviews in other forums for the Velocity wheels. Want to get your opinion if you have used them.

In a related question, the Velocity set is a 140mm hub. My rear dropout is 135mm on an aluminium frame. Do you think that would cause a problem.


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## MB1

5mm doesn't seem like much but spreading an aluminum frame is never a good idea as it puts the wrong kind of stress on the welds.

Still there are a lot of variables here so if I were you I would swing by a bike shop and ask them to take a look at the rear end of your frame and see what they think.

Whatever you do, don't reset the axle spacing of the wheelset as that would mess up the dish and wheel tension which is what makes those wheels strong enough for a tandem in the first place.


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## bobthib

Well, the wheel set is on order, as well as an 11 - 30 cassette. I have a friend with a lathe. We'll see about taking 2.5 mm off each nut. If not possible, I'll just live with it.

The old wheel set will get some 700 x 35s for trail riding. I'll put the 25mm armadillos on the new wheels for club rides.


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## bobthib

OP- Well I logged in to my account at www,bikemania.biz to check on the order. Guessed at the account name and PW and Bingo, there I was in my account. Checked on the order stat
us and..... NO ORDER! *((*&$(*%#)(I*$#!!!

Now I'm sure I placed the order for custom built tandem wheel set, but *#$^@)#$ I've been having e-mail problems and I cant find the order conformation. $&^#(& where is it. I KNOW I ordered these. Search, search, search. I give up and place the order again. The process seems so "deja vu." Every screen seems so familiar. But I can find no record of the purchase. My CC history is clean. Email clean. WTF?

After much contemplation, I find my self convinced that I indeed have placed that order a week ago or so. Now the site is reporting that the tandem wheel sets are on B/O till 11/1. Not a big deal, but I never got that notice when I placed my first order. It must have been in my dreams! Finally, I call www.bikemania.biz. I get Tish in CS. After a brief intro and explaining about my weird "dream" about ordering the wheel set she says "I've been trying to reach you, but you don't answer your email." We finally figure out that I have established 2 accounts under 2 different email addresses. Indeed, I now have 2 sets of wheels on order! 

Tish to the rescue! She promptly cancels todays duplicate order, and we get down to business on my original order. She explains that my first choice (a red rim build) is out of stock and now due in until 11/1. Next come the pay off question. "Do I want to wait until 11/1, or will my second choice rims (white) be OK?" "OK" I say, and into production they go!

Coincidently I got a call from Universal Cycle.com. It seems the 11- 30 cassette I ordered from them (for the tandem wheel set) is on backorder and can't ship till next Tuesday.... Is that OK, or do I want a different cassette? Another example of EXCELLENT customer service. It seems all things are pointing to a later, rather than sooner, upgrade to the Lambo drive train. 

"NO PROBLEM" I say to both. Now next weekend I can plan to fit and tune the new wheels and cassette. Sweet!


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## bobthib

Well, the new set arrived Sat. I was away, but my son put them in the garage. Monday I was able to find a little time to mount them. I was disappointed to find that while they do come with skewers, they do not come with rim tape. 

Pick up some good rim tape at the LBS and went to work. Put the new 700x32 tires on. The front went on just fine, but the rear took just a little coaxing. Remember that the rear is a 140 mm hub but the drops are 135. It was not a big thing as the rear always takes a little coaxing even when the hub is the same.

I was very pleased with the wheels. I was pleantly suprised to find that both hubs are disk ready. This is not mentioned in the web site where you place the order. Since the Lambo doesn't have mounts for the calipers, it's a moot point anyway. And since I live in table flat So Fla, I really don't need disks.

Speaking of brakes, the one thing I noticed was that these rims are thinner than the stock rims, so the V brakes were non existant on the initial test ride. Since the wheels were dead true out of the box, it only took a few minutes to make the necessary adjustments.

The stock wheels now have the stock 700x35s, and are reserved for the unpaved trails and roads thru the everglades. I'll probably go to 38s when the crappy stock 35s wear out.

If there is any downside, it is the cheezy Velocity decal. The good news is that there is only one, and it's easy to remove. That's too bad. Velocity has a pretty good rep, and I think they are missing an opportunity to self promote. They need to hire a good graphic designer to come up with some great designs. What would ZIPP or Mavic wheels be without the decals?

The Velocity wheel set completes the planned upgrades to the Lambo. A very unfortunate situation lead to the distruction of the Ultegra RD on my half bike, and lead to an available upgraded idler pulley. That happened last weekend, and the idler got changed last week. It's a little quieter, but no apparent improvement otherwise. Not that I would know.

Anyway, first impressions are very good. Smooth, fast and true. Great value for the $. It's nice to know I've got QR hubs now, and can stop carrying the adjustable wrench in the wedge.


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## rodar y rodar

bobthib said:


> What would ZIPP or Mavic wheels be without the decals?


Prettier!  

Glad you got your wheels and sorted out all the change related problems. What did you end up doing about the spacing? I take it the bike was already set up with 9 speed?


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## bobthib

rodar y rodar said:


> What did you end up doing about the spacing? I take it the bike was already set up with 9 speed?


The rear wheel just required a little coaxing to get it to drop in. We're only talking 5mm. 

I put a 8 spd cassette 11 -30t on. It was only $20.

I was thinking of a 9 spd, but I didn't want to change out the chain and the stock Microshift brifters are only 8 spd, so I figured I would just leave it.

The wheels are nice, very true and fast, and I really like having the QRs.


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## unsywgo

You have an awesome collection of stuff and den, where exactly does your display case sit?


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