Recommend some rims

MrSmith i don't think their R&D matches that of mavic with their maxtal aluminium and the sup welding technology used to join the rims

how many tdf teams use velocity compared to mavic and dt?

the only reason for buying velocity is vanity i can't see any price/performance advantages

Can 'vanity' be applied to a possession ? Vanity refers to pride in or admiration of your own appearance or achievements.

If I bought an orange bike because I thought the colour looked great would that be vanity ?

I agree with the rest of what you say though, you won't see too many King of the mountain winners climbing with a green rear Deep V and a front Pink.