Skip to main content

New wheels

As a professional mechanic and wheel builder, I've always thought that the best wheels are custom wheels that are specifically built for their purpose.  Be it rider's weight, racing, climbing, downhill- each wheel is different based on need.  There's a plethora of rims and hubs available to design and build whatever is needed and even throw in some cool colors to boot.
This past winter I built a new set of wheels for my mountain bike.  I built them because I wanted super light wheels but also because they'd look awesome.  The white No Tubes Alpine rims, black double butted spokes, orange nipples, and black American Classic hubs match my Anthem perfectly and weigh just slightly over 1300 grams. 
 I've ridden my new wheels on the trails a few times and each time come away with a feeling that they make it so much easier to ride. It is easier to wheelie, bunnyhop, and do drop offs, all skills that I enjoy being able to do. My old wheels weren't bad by any means but I can sure tell the difference.  Picking the right parts for the intended use sure makes a difference.
Next time you're in the market for an upgrade, talk to a mechanic about a custom wheelset.  It'll make a big difference in your ride!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is Kashima Coating?

Kashima coating is a feature currently only found on Fox forks and shocks*.  It's easy to spot from it's distinctive dark brown color.  What is it and why do they use it?  First, a quick definition: Anodizing is a process by which a metal part (normally aluminum) is electrically charged and submerged in a chemical bath.  This creates an oxide layer that penetrates the metal and changes the microscopic texture and the crystal structure of the metal near the surface.  After a part is treated, it can be dyed to give it color before it is sealed to increase durability. Hard anodizing is a similar procedure that penetrates further into the metal. This increases the surface hardness of the material making the surface even more durable and corrosion resistant.  It does not make the metal part stronger, it affects the durability of the surface of the metal. Kashima coating is a type of hard anodizing that involves a lubricating treatment as well.  This not only substantially dec
1 comment
Read more

1986 Fuji Restoration

I just picked up this 1986 Fuji Sagres to restore.  This has been one of my all time favorite bikes and one I've been searching for a long time.  It's gonna be a long term project since it doesn't have the original gunmetal grey Ukai rims and gunmetal grey handlebar tape.  I'd like to pick up some original 27" SCCR Fuji tires too, but that may be asking a bit much. I'm not sure why I've always like this so much.  Maybe the color, maybe it was a good seller for us at the shop back then.  It would have been the year before I started working at the shop so it could have been old inventory or that we just worked on a few of them the following years.  I remember always wanting one, probably has a lot to do with the color.  It's one of the last to have been made in Japan and features quad-butted Valite tubing.  These were decent riding bikes and reasonably priced at about $325 if I remember correctly. So why the big deal about a mid 80's Fuji?  The s
2 comments
Read more

BMX Action Trick Team in Peru, IN 1984

In 1984 I was 13 years old and was crazy about BMX.   At the time, I didn't even have a nice bike .  I rode my black AMF bmx bike with yellow mag wheels everywhere and loved it. It wasn't a Mongoose or Redline- the bikes everyone wanted back then - but I loved it all the same.   I read all the BMX magazines that I could get my hands on.  My favorite was BMX Action and by favorite rider was RL Osborn.  I would read the magazine cover to cover and learn the simple tricks that were in the how-to section of the magazine.  I had seen articles about the BMX Action trick team doing shows around the country.  I used to dream of how awesome it would be to go see them some time. That dream became reality in the summer of 1984. The owner of the Hive Bike Shop hired them to give two shows per day for a week in my hometown of Peru, Indiana.  I was blown away when I heard about it.  At first, I didn't believe it - it was just a rumor that spread around.  A rumor that was too good t
Post a Comment
Read more