Wheelworks.co.nz – Handbuilt wheels

Karl’s custom DT Swiss 26″ wheelset

Karl’s a man that knows what he wants, Or he is supper busy riding and racing around New Zealand and overseas, writing magazine reviews and articles or running a very successful bike fit and coaching business? We got a email saying can you build me up a 26″ V-brake mountain bike wheelset. We had to ask a few more questions to get the right build for his needs. But it was that simple.

The selection of 26″ rim brake rims are getting a little low now days with disc brakes and 29″ – 650B wheels taking hold. We choice a DT Swiss XR425 rim for its good strong alloy resulting in a stiff reliable wheel.

We didn’t want Karl to be stuck in the retro category for ever so we went to a DT Swiss 240 spline disc hub set. He now has the option to fit a spline disc rotor in the future and in the mean time the spline system does not look as bulky as a six bolt pattern system.

Dt Swiss Competition black spokes and alloy black nipples hold it all together keeping the wheelset all black and DT Swiss.

And we here at Wheelworks can not forget to mention that we can add what ever you like on the rims and a large variety of colors with our CNC decal cutter. Karl will be advertising his business if he ever stops with “Exceed Bike Fit”.

Tim’s disc brake front wheel

Tim wanted a new wheel for a project bike he was building. On the road, the disc brake is coming fast and Tim was looking at a bike that could be taken on all 3 roads – sealed, dirt and full on off road.

Tim had a nice shiny Phil Wood 36 hole hub that would do nicely. Being a 36 hole hub limited our options a little but we knew the Mavic Open Pro would handle all that could be thrown at it with its double eyelets and good Maxtal aluminium.

Keeping the shiny classic look going we used silver DT Swiss competition spokes and silver brass nipples.

If Tim’s training keeps going well this wheel may also get to go on the Kiwi Brevet. Good and reliable he asked – no problems.

Peter’s DI2 Alfine

Peter came into us to asking if we could build the Shimano DI2 11 speed Alfine hub he had just purchased into his existing rim. Seeing the DI2 Alfine hub for the first time I knew It would be a interesting project that dose not come up all that often.

The Shimano DI2 Alfine hub would solve the reliability problems that Peter was having with the gears skipping when the electric motor was at full power. The hub matched the number of spoke holes on the rim so we where good to go.

36 DT Swiss competition spokes latter, some time fitting the wheel to the bicycle, two men to lift the bicycle from the repair stand and the next thing I was down the road with out pedaling into a good (Wellington) headwind at 25kshr.

Peter will now enjoy the commute with out the maintenance of external gears when he chooses to pedal and a reliable rear wheel for years to come.

Wheelbags

It’s been a while since we’ve offered a wheelbag. The last batch were source from a faraway land and, to be honest, were a pain in the arse to get.

We knew this needed to change and with the advent of 29er wheels the time was right to design our own wheelbag. We designed two versions, Road and Mtb, and had them made right here in Aotearoa. Locals supporting locals.

The MTB bag will fit a single 29er wheel with tyre fitted – yes even a 29×3″ Surly Knard. The bag is simple, durable and designed to hold only one wheel as many of you only remove the front wheel for transporting the bike in the car boot or roof-racks. A single handle allows easy carrying and a large zip makes it easy to fit and remove the wheel. $90.

The Road bag will fit two wheels with tyres fitted. The bag is padded to protect your precious wheels and has a padded divider to keep the wheels separate. Each wheel has four velcro straps to secure the wheels for longer journeys and an internal pocket will hold quick release skewers, brakepads, and any other nicknacks. Two carry handles balance the bag and a large zip makes it easy to fit and remove the wheels. $180.

To order either please get in touch

NZ Road Cyclist issue 16

Issue 16 of NZ Road Cyclist arrived this week.

I’m off to Italy for a holiday and I know many of you will be heading to the 100th Tour de France which made me think that a how-to on boxing a bike would be a good idea. I’ll be watching the Giro and I’ve got an interview tee’d up with the head mechanic of Cannondale Pro Cycling so stay tuned.

Also in this issue Ross testrode a EMC and looked like a beast doing it. Ross only knows one speed (fast) and has a tendency of wearing out his bigring way before the small chainring. Sur la plaque as they say.

Issue 16 should be in all good retailers now.

Pauls Independent Fabrication titanium Crown Jewel

It’s my firm belief that disc brakes are in the future of road cycling. Before the naysayers start with the “my rim brakes are powerful enough” comments it’s important to look not only at the power of the brake but also the control it allows. This control is where a disc brake comes into it’s own and can’t be matched – regardless of the weather a disc gives a smoother, more consistent application of power and more feedback about how the tyre is coping with the braking load.

2 years ago I ordered my own Independent Fabrication with road discs. Back then my choices were limited: the range of forks wasn’t very good and neither was the range of brakes. I had to make compromises. Things are different now and the range of available parts is widening on a weekly basis. Paul’s bike is no holes barred with a titanium frame and Enve disc road fork, an electronic DuraAce 11 speed drivetrain handles shifting duties and Shimano’s new CX-75 brakes slow things down. The frame is designed for full-length hydraulic lines which will be the next improvement to road discs.

The Di2 battery is hidden away in the seatpost in a custom made mount. The Di2 junction box required modification because of the bike’s short stem and is moved forward and tucked behind the stem’s bolts. The battleship-grey fork and panels allow the red and white to really pop.

Shimano newest Di2 drivetrain is simply incredible to use. The new shifters are more comfortable and offer a more tactile feel than the first generations ‘cell phone’ buttons. Front shifting is simply amazing: the derailleur doesn’t question your shift it simply places the chain on the big-ring regardless of cadence or pedaling load.

I wrote about the wheels in a separate article. At less than 1400 grams they’ll be responsive and snappy and will highlight the titanium frame’s ride qualities.

The funny thing about a fully custom bike like this one is the pricetag. Yes, it costs a lot of money. But no more money than a blob of generic carbon bike, mass produced in a far-off factory and marketed to the hilt as the sole reason why a professional rider won some bike race. 5 years ago this wasn’t the case – production bikes were cheaper and custom bikes like this IF were considerably more expensive. This really fascinates me and makes me question why you wouldn’t choose to buy something made just for you.

Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox now. Enjoy the photos.

-Tristan

Andy’s Krampus Wheelset

When Andy’s not fighting crime he can be found fighting the trend….

When he first saw a mountain bike Fat tyre bike he thought it would go well for the Brevet being rigid and rather simple to go the distance. Adding to the many bikes from a tandem to mountain bikes with many wheel sizes – 26″ 650B and 29″ we knew this would be a good choice for his next project.

To have a Fat bike you need to start with the wheels and Surly has that area covered and we chose the Rabbit Hole to be big but not too big to add extra weight as when done the bike will likely be built with panniers and may need to be carried.

Dt Swiss hubs are our first choice. The rear will need a XD-Driver for the Sram XX1 build and there are not to many rear hubs around with that option that is as reliable. Six bolt disk compatible hubs front and rear makes it easier to find spears at most bicycle shops.

Held together with a three cross lacing pattern using DT Swiss Competition spokes and brass nipples will see these wheels last many a years.

Something a little different and I’m sure he will once again be asked questions when riding his new toy. In the mean time let the build begin…

-Gavin

Daniels White T11 hubs and Pacenti SL23 rims training wheels

Dan wanted a pair of durable training wheels. He races at a National level so these wheels will see plenty of kms of training as well as club racing. For bigger races he’ll use his carbon wheels but these will end up in the wheel wagon.

Durability and ease of maintenance were two strong criteria of Dans. We chose the White Industries T11 hubs – they run on large bearings and the titanium freehub body means the cassette cogs won’t dig into the freehub.

Pacenti SL23 rims are wider than usual and will let Dan run lower tyre pressure for better grip and cornering as well as better comfort for the long miles on the road.

DT Swiss Competition spokes and brass nipples finish off a super durable wheelset.

Daves Reynolds carbon rebuild with E13 hub

Dave was having some problems with the rear hub in a near-new pair of Reynolds carbon 29er wheels.

The Reynolds rims are great quality and work really well – it’s just such a shame about the wheel’s hub and build quality. The spokes were miles too short and the spoke tension was extremely uneven. Combined with the poor quality hub Dave was less than impressed.

We replaced the rear hub with an E*Thirteen XCX – with 60 engagement points this hub makes a great sound while coasting and will accelerate quickly out of corners. The hub uses super large flanges and wide flange spacing to build into a stiff wheel and it’s also one of the rare hubs available in 24 hole.

DT Swiss Competition spokes and aluminium nipples round-out the build.

Andy’s Singlespeed wheels

After spotting some singlespeed wheels we built up a few years back on our web site Andy now had some lust for a new set for his Kona Unit hoping that we could build and ship them in time for the New Zealand Singlespeed champs this weekend in Rotorua.

Getting them build and sent was never a problem and after some discussion we decided to change the parts a little to better suit his needs and wants.

We used the Hope Pro 2 hubs set in the gunsmoke gray to best match in with is raw finish frame. The Trails rear hub is there singlespeed specific hub and with the wide hub flanges builds up a super stiff and strong wheel. The front hub will be used with a 9mm QR at the moment as the Kona has a ridged fork but will also be running a 15mm through axle when the suspension forks are fitted and the hub is super easy to convert with the hub adapters popping off with out any tool needed.

The WTB I23 29er rim is strong with it’s I beam running in the middle for extra strength with reliability being the key to this wheelset as the Kona gets used for everything no matter what the conditions are.

The black DT Swiss Competition spokes and black brass nipples tie the wheels together and with our life time guarantee we know these wheels will go the distance.

With a ridged singlespeed and these wheels we know you are “hard core”. Enjoy the New Zealand singlespeed champs (maybe the bear short cuts and the costumes) and I may join you on 2nd equal with all the others.