More Deep Section Rims

The recent explosion of deep section rims on the market is definitely a hot topic of conversation. I was lucky enough to come upon a "vintage" Campagnolo Vento 16HPW this week, satisfying my lust for deep rimmage in a shiny and intrinsically valuable format.

From the above link:

"The Vento uses the same rim as the Shamal, but it has 4 more spokes up front. The Vento 16 spoke front wheel weight is 914 grams in clincher. The Vento gets a Chorus grade HPW hub that makes it heavier due to the steel axle and hardware, compared to the Shamal and Bora with Record Ti parts."

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Here is another smaller manufacturer's deep section rim: Dodici rims out of Italy in both 32 and 36 hole drilling. Dodici means "twelve", and I have yet to determine its significance. You can see that, as compared to the H+Son, these rims feature an extra lateral bar in the cross-section.



H+Son, for reference:



How much strength does the extra material add? Modeling is probably our best bet for stress-testing, but my intuition says this boxed section is a positive element. At the very least, it wouldn't accommodate as many taco fillings as the failed H+Son.

In the meantime, rest assured that I'm giving this bladed spoke Campy front a solid street test - making sure I take full advantage of its tight 1.85mm lateral deflection.