Nothing Fancy.
Instead of buying quantity, I'm trying to buy quality these days. OK, I'm trying to buy quantities of quality, but the focus is on not ending up with so much junk and instead having butt-tons of good stuff.
It took me about year to source the hubs. Chris Kings in Mango. It started with the 24 hole front hub, which was a screaming deal I couldn't pass up. I figured I'd pick up a 28 hole rear and have them strung to moderate-grade carbon rims for a flashy race-day set. Problem was, that rear hub was hard to find for a price my cheap-ass wouldn't whine about.
The hub sat in a box on a shelf for a while, until one day I came across a rear hub for a great price. It was 32 hole, which may seem like a bit of a mis-match, but my fat ass tends to be harder on rear wheels than my skinny arms are on front wheels. So, I had my hubs.
Since a 32 spoke rim is a little stiff when paired with a deep carbon rim and carbon rims bring the suck when it comes to braking, I opted for HED Belgium + rims instead. Ever since I bought my first set of first generation HED Kermesses from the evil empire, I've been a fan of wider rims. The Belgium + rims are just that much wider, allowing me to run lower pressure and roll smoothly over Anchorage's broken pavement.
Parts in hand, I decided to break with tradition and not throw my money at the first bike shop I came to and instead actually pick my wheel builder. In this case, it was Dave Coleman. My "nothing fancy" build added tied and soldered spokes, which is an option I've never had or been offered before. We went back and forth about lacing options and nipple variants before settling on a plan. Then I left town, knowing Dave would do an outstanding job. He's just that sort of bike wrench.
Eventually the wheels are slated for my Moots Compact, because that seems to be the right thing to do. Sure, the hubs match the headset, but even more so the build philosophy just meshes. Build it well and enjoy the results for the long haul.
I've got a lot of wheels hanging in the garage, but I have a feeling these are going to see some use.
It took me about year to source the hubs. Chris Kings in Mango. It started with the 24 hole front hub, which was a screaming deal I couldn't pass up. I figured I'd pick up a 28 hole rear and have them strung to moderate-grade carbon rims for a flashy race-day set. Problem was, that rear hub was hard to find for a price my cheap-ass wouldn't whine about.
The hub sat in a box on a shelf for a while, until one day I came across a rear hub for a great price. It was 32 hole, which may seem like a bit of a mis-match, but my fat ass tends to be harder on rear wheels than my skinny arms are on front wheels. So, I had my hubs.
Since a 32 spoke rim is a little stiff when paired with a deep carbon rim and carbon rims bring the suck when it comes to braking, I opted for HED Belgium + rims instead. Ever since I bought my first set of first generation HED Kermesses from the evil empire, I've been a fan of wider rims. The Belgium + rims are just that much wider, allowing me to run lower pressure and roll smoothly over Anchorage's broken pavement.
Parts in hand, I decided to break with tradition and not throw my money at the first bike shop I came to and instead actually pick my wheel builder. In this case, it was Dave Coleman. My "nothing fancy" build added tied and soldered spokes, which is an option I've never had or been offered before. We went back and forth about lacing options and nipple variants before settling on a plan. Then I left town, knowing Dave would do an outstanding job. He's just that sort of bike wrench.
Eventually the wheels are slated for my Moots Compact, because that seems to be the right thing to do. Sure, the hubs match the headset, but even more so the build philosophy just meshes. Build it well and enjoy the results for the long haul.
I've got a lot of wheels hanging in the garage, but I have a feeling these are going to see some use.
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