In a world overflowing with a vast variety of products, it is surprisingly difficult to encounter things that you can truly consider "good" without being influenced by the reviews of others.
Furthermore, while the criteria for what makes something "good" may seem absolute at first glance, we have learned from the things around us that there are actually many different facets to it.
We love "stuff"—we buy all kinds of things, use them, sometimes break them, and learn as we repair and continue to use them. (Perhaps it is just the occupational hazard of people like us, whose interests inevitably expand to all the things we see and touch in our lifestyle—not just bicycles, but also clothing, cameras, musical instruments, furniture, carpets, and so on.)
We learned that high-spec items aren't necessarily the "good things" when it comes to items used daily; that because we use them every day, we seek not just color or pattern preferences, but also durability and robustness. We learned that buying from people we know and trust leads to longer-lasting use than prioritizing low prices, and that, ultimately, classic materials can often withstand the passing of decades better than the latest innovations.
We do not necessarily seek "high-spec" items. We learned from Chris King and American workwear that "durable" and "repairable" can often be more advantageous in daily life than "lightweight," and we learned from NITTO products and the vintage world why classic materials are still considered "beautiful" even after decades have passed.
We want to continue to handle products that we truly believe are good according to our own set of values. Today, I would like to reintroduce the brand Velocity—which we continue to carry based on these values—while weaving in a translation of an article from The Radavist.
(Of course, I want you to determine what is "good" by your own measure, and I sincerely hope that the world remains filled with such diverse values.)
From USA , Made in USA.
There are rims that Circles imports and sells independently.
The brand is Velocity; are you familiar with them?
I hope you are, but there are a few reasons why we carry these rims.
(Velocity products are distributed from CWD, the wholesale division of Circles, to our contracted dealers nationwide.)
While there are minimum requirements for us to carry a brand—such as manufacturing quality, sense, and price range—what makes us especially want to keep stocking their products is that they are "Made In USA."
This isn't about the sort of longing for American-made goods or brand power that existed in the past.
It is the reality of them producing goods within their own country for their primary market. That is what draws us to them and why we consider them a brand worthy of respect. (Although founded in Australia) they have continued rim production in America since 1991, and they will continue to produce in America moving forward.
Being able to consume what is produced in one's own country—living in Japan, this can be hard to grasp, but it is actually quite remarkable.
Take automobiles, for example. TOYOTA, HONDA, NISSAN, MAZDA, SUBARU, SUZUKI… there are endless manufacturers producing in Japan. However, in most countries around the world, there are only a few domestic companies, they are under foreign ownership, or the country has no manufacturing capacity at all.
In other words, there are surprisingly many countries where you cannot ride a car produced within your own borders.
Furthermore, there are many nations where the products being manufactured are strictly for export, and the domestic population cannot afford to consume the high-end goods being produced.
We are still in an environment where we can purchase Japanese-made products. Globalization has advanced to a point where it is difficult for people living in such a country to realize that, for industrial products, it has actually become rare to consume what is produced domestically.
Given this premise, how many brands in the United States—a country with a massive bicycle market (some say it is 10 times the size of the Japanese market)—still perform "domestic production"?
This is not a story exclusive to the bicycle industry, but in the old days, many brands manufactured their products in the U.S. (at home). However, due to rising labor costs and raw material prices, most brands have shifted production overseas. Consequently, domestic production facilities have disappeared, and the current reality is that it is difficult to start that cycle over again.
In such an environment, the fact that they continue to pour their passion into their work and manufacture products domestically within the American bicycle culture we respect is one of the primary motivations for why we want to keep handling their products. We want to be partners in keeping this cycle turning, and we want to introduce this value system to the Japanese market. That is the spirit with which we carry Velocity.
In fact, part of why people living in the U.S. respect the NITTO and HONJO products we supply is because they continue to use classic materials and produce goods domestically. They keep making the things they use in the very place where the market exists. This reality is one contributing factor.
Looking at the American market, one could say that what NITTO and HONJO are doing in the Japanese market is nothing short of a miracle. Yes, it can be said that Velocity and Chris King have reminded us of the preciousness of this fact.
As an aside, as the American examples demonstrate, the starting point for all of the manufacturing at NITTO, HONJO, and even SimWorks begins with this exact motivation.
The story above is merely a discussion of one of many value systems, and it certainly does not mean to promote nationalism or disparage products manufactured overseas. It is simply something we want you to be aware of as one perspective.
Manufacturing with Passion
My introduction has been long, but the motivation for wanting to write this piece came from an article published on The Radavist. I feel this article aligns perfectly with our own motivations and speaks for us, so I would be happy if you could read it alongside this translation. (All quotes and photos are excerpted from The Radavist.)
Manufacturing with Passion: Velocity USA’s Grand Rapids Wheel Factory
Manufacturing with Passion: Velocity USA’s Grand Rapids Wheel Factory
BY: JOSH WEINBERG & JILL MARTINDALE
OCTOBER 18, 2021
During a visit to my hometown of Grand Rapids, MI this past summer, I stopped in at Velocity USA, purveyors of finely shaped and colorful formed aluminum.
Jill Martindale, an endurance racing aficionado and lover of winter weather, kindly took time out of her day to show me around their manufacturing facility.
I’ve been a fan of Velocity for a long time (I still have a 20-year-old set of Deep Vs), and I was thrilled to walk through the factory with Jill, observing the precise processes that go into making each rim and wheel, and meeting the people who make it all possible.
During a visit to my hometown of Grand Rapids, MI this past summer I stopped in at Velocity USA, purveyors of finely shaped and colorful formed aluminum. Jill Martindale – resident endurance racing aficionado and winter weather lover – graciously took time out of her day to show me around their manufacturing facility. I’ve been a fan of Velocity for quite a while (still have a 20ish-year-old set of Deep Vs kicking around) and was very geeked out roaming around the factory with Jill, observing the precision processes that go into creating each rim and wheel build, and meeting the folks that make it all happen.
The facility is laid out pragmatically in a giant U-shape: raw aluminum is received through a shipping dock at one end of the U, goes through various processes around the factory floor in a clockwise direction, and then is boxed up either as a finished rim or complete wheelset to be shipped out via another dock on the opposite side.
The facility is laid out pragmatically in a giant U-shape that operates something like this: raw aluminum is received through a shipping dock on one end of the U, goes through various processes around the factory floor in a clockwise direction, and then is boxed up either as a finished rim or complete wheel/wheelset to be shipped out via another dock on the opposite side of the U. Jill’s tour included detailed descriptions of each aspect of the wheel manufacturing operation, in addition to the history of the company and how they ended up in Grand Rapids.
However, the most impressive thing about the facility was how satisfied and happy everyone seemed.
It was one of the brightest and most fun workplaces I have ever visited; everyone was telling jokes and funny stories, and I laughed so hard that my photos came out blurry.
I believe this is proof that the environment created by the staff and leadership shines through in the products, the athletes they support, and the overall brand story.
After the interview, I asked Jill to send me some key points about Velocity’s manufacturing process to ensure I didn't leave anything out of my reportage. The result was a brilliantly polished company history.
The aspect of the facility that most stood out to me, though, was how satisfied and happy everyone seemed. It was one of the most upbeat and fun workplaces I’ve been to; everyone’s jokes and funny stories caused me to take quite a few blurry photos from laughing so much. For me, this is a testament to the environment created by the employees and leadership, which comes across in the products they make, athletes they support, and overall brand story. Following my visit, I asked Jill to send me some of the important points about Velocity’s manufacturing processes to ensure I didn’t leave anything out of my reportage. In return, she ended up sharing a fully-baked and wonderfully written company history.
(The rest is written by Jill Martindale.)
Velocity USA was started in 1989 by Tom Black outside of Brisbane, Australia.
The first product was an adjustable aluminum water bottle cage called the "Velocage," and Tom’s brother, John Black, began selling them in America.
In 1991, they introduced their first aluminum rim, the "Aero," and became famous among custom wheel builders for being able to mass-produce rims in any size, drilling, or color.
In 1998, they began offering fully-built wheels, and in 2011, they established the Wheel Department in Grand Rapids, Michigan, allowing them to manufacture custom hand-built wheels for unique and specific needs.
The remainder of this story is written by Jill Martindale
Velocity USA was started in 1989 by Tom Black outside of Brisbane, Australia. Our first product was an adjustable aluminum water bottle cage called the ‘Velocage’, and Tom’s brother, John Black, began selling the cages in the United States. In 1991 we introduced our first aluminum rim, the Aero, and we made a name for ourselves by being able to produce any quantity of rims in any size, drilling, or color for the custom wheel builder. In 1998, we began to offer fully built wheels and in 2011 we created the Wheel Department in Grand Rapids, Michigan, so that we could produce custom hand-built wheels for unique and specific needs.
In 2012, Tom moved the factory from Australia to Florida, becoming the only aluminum rim manufacturer in the U.S.
They manufactured rims in Florida, shipped them to Michigan to be built into wheels, or distributed them to other wholesalers, dealers, wheel builders, frame builders, or the general public.
In 2016, we lost John Black to his battle with cancer, and his wife of over 30 years, Linda, took over as co-owner of the company. Tom and Linda consolidated factories so that everything was done in-house at their own plant in Michigan. We source our aluminum extrusion from Arizona and roll, drill, anodize, build, and distribute—all from our factory here in Grand Rapids!
In 2012, Tom moved the Australian factory to Florida, and we became one of the only aluminum rim manufacturers in the United States. We made the rims in Florida and shipped them to Michigan to be built into wheels or distributed out to other wholesalers, dealers, wheel builders, frame builders, or the general public. In 2016 we lost John Black to his battle with cancer, and his wife of over 30 years, Linda, took over as co-owner of the company. Tom and Linda consolidated factories, so that everything was done in house, in Michigan. We source our aluminum extrusion from Arizona and roll, drill, anodize, build or distribute, all from our factory here in Grand Rapids!
Long strips of extrusion sent from Profile Design are rolled by hand (using a machine) into circular coils here and cut into individual rims.
The rims are joined together using a sleeve, with another chunk of extrusion perfectly shaped to fit the inner cavity of the rim, and a bonding agent. The joint is heat-treated to set the adhesive, and the rim is moved to the drill. The rims are cleaned of metal shavings and then anodized in the tanks within the factory.
The long strips of extrusion come from Profile Design and once they’re here they get rolled by hand (with a machine) into a circular coil and then cut into individual rims. We use another chunk of extrusion, perfectly shaped to match the inner cavity of the rim, and a bonding agent to sleeve join the rims together. The join is treated with heat to set the bonding agent and the rims are then moved to the drill. The rims are cleaned of swarf and then anodized in our tanks here in the factory.
Polished rims are sent to a local polisher, and powder-coated white rims are also sent to a local company.
After that, the rims are machined on a lathe to be usable with rim brakes if necessary, decaled, and made ready for building or shipment. We have had the pleasure of manufacturing penny-farthing rims and working with other companies to anodize small parts.
In addition to standard black, silver, polished, and white rims, we offer eight custom colors, so you can add a little garnish or flair to your ride.
We send the polished rims out to a polisher and we send our powder coated white rims out to a local company in town as well. Then the rims are machined with a lathe to be used with rim brakes if needed, decaled, and ready to build or ship. We have had the pleasure of manufacturing penny farthing rims and working with other companies to anodize small parts for their own use. We offer eight custom colors in addition to our standard black, silver, polished, or white rims, so that you can add a little garnish and flair to your ride!
Velocity USA has 17 employees, all of whom are passionate about cycling and the bicycle community. We have always felt that our products stand out because we manufacture a diverse range of rims that cover various types of riding.
We manufacture wheels for recumbents, mobility, gravel, road, mountain, cargo, E-bikes, and even for larger riders. Currently, we produce 18 different types of rims, in sizes ranging from 16 to 29 inches (including the occasional penny-farthing rim), with widths accommodating everything from 19c to plus-size tires, and with drilling options to fit various hubs.
There are 17 employees here at Velocity USA and we are all passionate about cycling and our bike community. We have always felt that our products stand out because of the variety of rims that we are able to manufacture that encompass all of the different types of riding. We build wheels for larger riders, for recumbents, mobility companies, gravel, road, mountain, cargo and E-bikes. Currently we produce 18 different rims in sizes ranging from 16″ to 29″ (including the occasional penny farthing rim) in widths which allow 19c to plus size tires, and in a magnitude of drillings for different hub options.
We conduct simulated load tests on a machine we call the “Killdozer” to recommend spoke counts and rims based on a rider’s weight and tire size, enabling the most efficient, performance-oriented, and strongest build possible.
We also collaborate with other bicycle component manufacturers to offer complete US-made wheel options and cater to our customers’ specific needs.
We test our rims under simulated loads on a machine that we call the “Kill dozer” so that we can recommend specific spoke counts or rims based on a rider’s weight and tire size, to allow for the most efficient, performance-oriented and strongest build. We also work with other bicycle component manufacturers to offer complete US-built wheel options or to cater to our customer’s specific needs.
That’s all.
I assume those of you who have read this entry to the end must have felt something. At Circles, you can see the entire Velocity lineup in person, so please come visit our store. Let’s talk.