March 19th, 2012

We’ve got a few of the new Archetype rims from H Plus Son.  They look like they might be a new go-to rim for road and randonneur bikes.

They are an example of the new breed of road rims that is 23mm wide but still light and intended for road bikes.  The idea is that a standard 23mm road tyre has a rounder profile on these rims and is less inclined to pinch-flat and doesn’t squirm as much while cornering.  They are also stiffer side-to-side than narrower rims.  We love them because they are perfect for running slightly wider tyres and are a little stronger.

The Archetypes are 450g (only a little bit more than Open Pros) and use an aero profile with a reinforced inner edge rather than eyelets.  Like all H Plus Son rims they have beautiful rim joins and fantastic machining on the braking surface.

We’re looking forward to building some up for customers, but don’t be surprised if you see them on our own bikes.  We already have plans for a White Industries – Archetype wheel for one of our customers.