Wheelworks.co.nz, Handbuilt wheels by Tristan Thomas

Mirko in Auckland needed a durable pair of wheels to replace his Easton’s which were suffering from broken spokes.

I suggested the White Ind H2 and H3 hubs which work very well for larger, more powerful riders.

The front wheel uses 24 DT Swiss Revolution spokes and the rear has 28 DT Swiss Competitions. All spoke nipples are black brass.

1590 is still very light for such a stiff and durable pair of wheels.

Andy Hagan’s race report after 7th place in the Elite field around Taupo

The team strategy was simple. Work hard to get at least one, and hopefully more, of the team off the front and into the break. You have to make the race at Taupo. The course and the field – a combination of elite racers out to win, and others less motivated, or just looking to go sub 4 hours – lend themselves to a race that is usually defined by a shitfight to get a group off the front followed by the bunch shutting down and those lucky or good enough to make the front fighting out the win. We knew this. Confidence was high that this task would be completed by following the moves until the break went. If we missed it we would just shut it down – we thought. The team was feeling good.

Arriving at the start at 6.15am on a beautiful Taupo Saturday the first cracks in the aura of confidence began to appear. There’s Julian; Gordy just rode past; Pure Black have heaps of guys; Bevin’s here; were thoughts going through my head. The field was stacked with quality guys. The significant prize pool no doubt motivating many.

Taupo has a bitch of a start. The first 40km is basically a constant barrage of short steep power climbs – not my forte – and the early start means it’s hard to get a proper warm up in. Down the hill and up the other side out of Taupo and I could already feel the lactate building, with not only the hitters, but the lesser lights, climbing past me. Confidence hit number two. We had agreed that we had to be vigilant and at the front from the start, and here I was 3/4s of the way down the field already. This is hurting.

Still I persevered, the fact that I could see Greg and Mike where they should be further up motivated me to move up too. As the race went on I warmed into it and did indeed move up. Executing the plan was next on the agenda. The guys, Greg in particular, were doing a great job following the early moves allowing me to take it (relatively) easy and watch the action from a good position. Constant attacks up the hills were followed by others shutting it down and another going. The pace was high, so high that it was hard just to follow the peloton let alone the moves. We covered 41km in the first hour over very hilly terrain. So much for “Well just get someone in the break and that’ll be it”. Still we were executing close to what we planned, with a Wheelworks rider in most of the moves.

After 40 odd minutes, and a long section of climbing, it became apparent that people were getting tired. Gaps that normally would have be shut quickly were lingering. Time to be vigilant. Sure enough, up one of the tougher pinch climbs a Pure Black rider attacked, a few followed. Next thing I knew a couple of Subway’s, Yates and some other big names were going across. Time to go. NOW. As we crested the top of the climb I managed to bridge across using maximal effort. I hung on down the other side and braced myself for another full on sprint to hold the group. At the top of the next pinch I looked back to see that the 14 or so of us had opened a significant gap. This was THE move.

The next 10-15km was full on, max effort to sustain the lead. Around me were pro riders, Olympic medallists, and world champions. With it being threshold effort just to hold the group, and all the big names around, it was pretty daunting. The confidence slipped a touch more. I can’t hang here, although never did my determination to try slip, and never did I miss a turn (in fact I probably did more than was fair). If I get dropped at least I made the break I thought.

Soon though, the gap was confirmed, and the intensity eased. I began to feel more comfortable. Even on the climbs where Michael Vink in particular was pushing the pace. Still, my belief in myself wasn’t what it normally is, even though I had begun to realise I’m good enough to be here. I began to second guess things that are second nature for me normally – lapping through, following wheels and the like suddenly seemed more complicated. “If I get dropped on Kuratau it will still have been a good day” was the thought rather than “how can I win this”.

The hills around Taupo are incessant. You climb 1,700m plus without ever going higher than 600m above sea level or below 350m. Each one saps a bit of strength. We reached Kuratau quickly though. That climb was good for me. I went up second wheel behind the aptly named Aaron Strong without too much difficulty, grabbing a bottle and appreciating the support of Tristan and Jules on the side of the road.

Hatepe was the next obstacle after the long flat section after Kuratau. We got no time checks during this period which told me we had a good gap. I found out later it was 10 minutes plus. Everyone knew this would be the place that it would go, being the last major obstacle on the course. After a nervous approach, with people jettisoning water, bottles and even food to cut the weight, Jeremy Yates launched the first major attack taking five others with him. I hesitated a moment too long, with hindsight my lack of confidence in the presence of these others probably caused this. The normal go they’re hurting was replaced by hold on. I found myself in a chase group of five. Upfront were Yates, Mike Northey, Tim Gudsell, Joe Cooper, Aaron Strong and Patrick Bevin. Behind I was chasing with Roman Van Uden, Glen Chadwick, Justin Kerr and Michael Vink. Greg Marfell, Peter Latham and Sam Bewley had fallen further behind on the climb.

Over the top and along the flat approach to Taupo the five of us chased hard to closed the gap, succeeding just before the airport climb after taking advantage of the convoy at the very end. I’m in at the kill, stay calm, use the teams, you have a chance.

Pure Black were keen to shut it down, with 3 versus 8 much better odds than 1 versus 5. Roman attacked with Justin Kerr as soon as we bridged. I thought about going but recalled that there were still 9km to go. Subway will shut down the move. When your solo in a group with teams represented you have to gamble a touch as it is too hard to follow everything. There were still 3 Pure Blacks and 2 Subways.

A few moves followed, with lulls and sprints and the looking at each other that comes with a flat run in at the end of a long race. Roman and Justin stayed tantalisingly close but still ahead as the line moved closer and closer. It’s not up to me to chase it down. Unfortunately for me, there was too much looking and not enough sprinting and it became clear the lead two would take the major silverware.

Round the final bend and we lined up for the sprint for third. I rolled in mid group for seventh, with Roman winning a few seconds ahead. Justin Kerr and Patrick Bevin rounded out the podium. All in all I was really happy with the result, perhaps rueing my slight lack of confidence at some key moments, although in the end it didn’t matter too much. Both first and second places were filled by riders that, like me, were caught on the wrong side of the split over Hatepe.

The main bunch rolled in a few minutes after us with Greg, Mike and Dan there. Chris came in in the next bunch, having been shelled after following a move early in the race. This to me is the very essence of teamwork, as his effort (as with the others’) allowed me to rest early on knowing Wheelworks was represent in the move.

In the Woman’s race Janine performed brilliantly, meeting her pre race goals and finishing 17^th in another quality field. I’ll leave her to tell that story.

The rest of the day was very enjoyable. The prize giving was held in beautiful weather and was very entertaining. No car though. A special “shout out” to the guy hyping up the BMX guys. What a legend. Although I’m not sure that the crowd knew what to make of his obvious talents. A team barbeque rounded out the day.

John-Joe Fraser deserves a special mention also, completing the solo as a tribute to his wife Patricia who was killed training for the event. He received a deserved standing ovation when collecting his award and spoke with unbelievable composure during what was an obviously emotional moment. The guts and courage he showed makes completing a bike race look trivial.

CHECK OUT THE STATS:

Rob wanted a pair of 29er cross country wheels for his singlespeed. He supplied me with the Pro2 singlespeed hubs and Arch 29er rims, we talked about various options for spokes and nipples, and I built him a sweet pair of wheels.

The front spokes are DT Swiss Competition on both sides of the wheel. With singlespeed bikes the front wheel needs more stiffness than a similar geared wheel – singlespeed riders are out of the saddle at a low cadence and often with wide handlebars – this puts a huge demand on the front wheel and will highlight a lack of lateral stiffness.

The rear Pro2 hub is fantastic with wide, nearly symmetrical flanges. These build into super stiff wheels so I used the lighter DT Swiss Revolution spokes.

All spoke nipples are aluminium in alternating red and black.

I supplied and fitted the yellow tape and valves and these wheels are ready to roll.

Talk about being a kid in a candy store – you should have seen the look on Max’s face when he wheeled this into the shop :-)

I supplied the XTR 10 speed groupset and the wheels and bicycle supplied the frame and did most of the assembly work.

There isn’t much left to upgrade on this all-mountain monster – XTR, Fox 36′s, Rockshox Reverb seatpost, Raceface carbon bar, Thomson stem etc….

…oh and some pretty sweet wheels too

Another weekend; another early start.  James, Mike and Greg were around just after 730 to load up the Falcoon for the drive to Otaki.  We met Chris, Janine and Andy up there to compete in the Kevin Smith Memorial race.

This 52km handicap race would be my first time starting in Scratch.  I’ve been in no-mans land the past few races stuck between B grade and Elite and the realization had dawned on me that the only way I was going to improve was jump into the deep end and try to keep my head above water with the quick boys.

Our 12-strong Scratch bunch were let off 15 minutes after Limit – enough time for the Limit riders to complete a full lap of the 7.4km circuit and lap us before we’d even started!

When the gun went we got straight to business, and other than some mis-direction at the first turn, the pace was high and consistant.

The course was a fantastic undulating route on traffic-free back roads.  The lap started with a power-climb followed by a long kilometer of false flat and it was no secret that this is where the move would be made on the final lap.  Based on the pace and my heartrate on the first lap I wasn’t sure I’d be there on the final lap to worry about the move.

To my surprise as the laps counted down, the rain started, and riders were dropped I was still there.  I certainly missed more than a few turns at the front, especially on the false-flat where I lacked the horsepower to roll over the top of the other boys.  But I held on, and that felt pretty good.

On the final lap we caught the large Break group just before the start of the power climb – not ideal for me as I knew Andy was going to attack on the climb to ensure the large bunch didn’t get a free tow to the finish line.  I made sure I was near the front and got ready to eat shit.  I held on for the climb and most of the false-flat but when Andy attacked on the last lump I dropped the wheel infront of me and ended up off the back with Chris and a couple of Break riders who had managed to hold on.

We tried to get back to the leaders along the fast flat section but to no avail, and after a long pull on the front my legs were pretty poked.  As I rolled off the front Chris took advantage and took-off taking the rest of the group with him and leaving me riding solo.  Thanks buddy :-P

Up front Wheelworks riders Greg, Andy and Mike were still being chased by Findlay but unfortunately coming into the last downhill, wet corner Findlay overcooked it and slid off onto the grass shoulder.  The three boys finished up in that order for a clean sweep.

Thanks to Rachel Anderson-Smith for putting on a great race in memory of her father, and to the many volunteers who gave up a day’s riding to stand in the rain holding back traffic.  I remember the day Kevin died – I’d left work and rode past the ambulances on Brooklyn hill oblivious to the heart attack he’d suffered.

I won’t be racing Taupo but will be up there to help feed the boys at Kuratau so look for a race report next weekend.

Philip needed a pair of wheels for general road riding, the upcoming Taupo event, and also ones which could be fitted to his daughters bike for the occasional triathlon.

We used the DT Swiss 240s hubs and Kinlin XR-270 rims to give a good combination of light weight, good lateral stiffness, and good durability.

Bladed DT Swiss Aerolite spokes add a few dollars to the pricetag in exchange for their aerodynamic shape.

At 1487 grams this pair of wheels is still very light but will last for years of use.

I’m not much of a re-blogger but I read this on Velonews while having my coffee this morning.  I frequently get asked what tyre pressure people should be running and people look at me funny when I give them an answer which is much lower than they expect.  Here in NZ our course-chip roads are much rougher than most other countries so resist the urge to crank your tyres up to max pressure!!

Hi Nick,
I just read your comment about how too much tire pressure can actually increase rolling resistance. With clinchers, it’s pretty academic: put in too much pressure and your wheel may be compromised. With tubulars, however, there seems to be a big range. For example, I’m fond of Tufo tires that have a range of 120-220psi. I generally use them only for racing. On smooth roads, I’ll go with 160psi, if the roads are chewed up, I’ll drop it down to 130psi or so. Is there any benefit for going all the way to 220psi?
—David Regen

David,
Almost every racer I’ve ever met over-inflates his tires, whether on a road, mountain or cyclocross bike. Most seem to be stuck in a “more is better” attitude with tire pressure. Tufo in particular plays to this mentality by putting a label on their sidewall that reads 120-220 psi.

Rolling resistance, as I stated before, increases after a certain optimal window is surpassed. Look it up. The late cycling tech legend Sheldon Brown wrote a fantastic primer on all things tire and pressure. This window is defined by the tire, the road conditions and rider weight.

Imagine hitting a seam in the road. Would you say that hitting that seam slowed you down? Absolutely. Well, when your tire is over-inflated, every tiny bump on the road becomes a road seam. With lower pressure the casing of your tire can absorb that seam instead of bouncing (backwards) off of it.

Danny Pate understood this really well. While mountain biking he realized that too much pressure was a detriment to his overall speed. On the road he would regularly race with 90-100 psi in his race tubulars, even less in the rain. He was more comfortable over the course of a race and he was much more confident in the corners. Anything you can do to help your cornering, especially late in the race when your brain has switched off, can pay off big time.

At RadioShack, we inflated to 8 bar each dry race day (that’s 116 psi at sea level). And we would only go down from there for lighter riders or if it rained.

My advice is to NEVER go to 220 psi David. Instead, go for a ride at 110 psi and notice how much better your body feels and how you’re cornering like never before. If rolling resistance is really your primary concern, ride clinchers. They have lower resistance than tubulars.

This Pro2 10mm thru-axle rear wheel is heading down to Queenstown for Wes. The Sun Equalizer is a good rim – single eyelets, good stiffness, and builds up very true.

Spokes are double-butted DT Swiss Competition and DT Swiss brass nipples.

I built a matching front for Wes about a year ago (bugger – where did I put the pictures?) so this wheel will complete the set.

Gavin was breaking spokes on his Shimano pre-built wheels and needed something stiff enough for his weight and durable enough to remove trips to the bikeshop to pay for replacement spokes.

I used the XR-270 rims which are perfect for this application. The XR-270 is very versatile and as well as building into light-weight racing wheelsets its stiffness and durability means that it works well for larger riders when more spokes are used.

Shimano Ultegra hubs keep the cost down but their simple design means with some service they’ll run for years.

I used DT Swiss Competition spokes all-around. There are 28 front spokes laced two-cross and 32 rear spokes laced 3-cross. Wheelsmith black brass nipples add some style points while keeping durability high. IMHO nothing looks worse than black spokes / black rim being broken up with a silver nipple.

The irony is that at 1810 grams actual weight these wheels are over 200 grams lighter than what they’re replacing but won’t suffer from flex and broken spokes.  Plus they look better ;-)

By Chris Kendall

I am not Fabian Cancellara… Now repeat… I should have had this written on my stem yesterday.

Unfortunately I don’t think I would have read it many times anyway,  as I was already looking 115km towards the finish line as soon as we started yesterdays road race.

I was surprised to find that I had good feelings in my legs and was relatively fresh, with a very poor warm up, a long ride the day before and a restless nights sleep I had feared the worst and was pleasantly surprised to find otherwise.  However good legs are only going to be helpful in a road race if you use them…. but not too much. 30km after the start, and after attempting three breaks, my good legs were turning bad and I was starting to realise that 115km is a long way. The bunch was still together, despite me thinking I was riding people off the back (I am definitely not Fabian Cancellara), and I had realised that hiding in the bunch would have been a much better idea. Queue crosswinds. No long after I had realised the error of my ways when I saw Tosh, Backy and Meo moving up from the back of the bunch. Alarm bells sounded, I hadn’t even realised two of those three were there, and I knew it was best that I move from my brief moment of protection from the wind to the pointy end again, something big was probably about to go down. Impeccable timing meant that I was at the front, along with the rest of the boys, to drive it hard in the crosswind and turn this fun ride on its ear. In the traditions of HTC and CSC we managed to gap it with the leading bunch shelled down to 13 just before Alfredton.

There was little respite from there with a few keen to keep turning the screws to ensure that there was to be no more fun had at this ride. By now I was really struggling, and my early antics and general bad timing had meant that I hadn’t eaten anything since kilometre zero, one hour and 20 minutes later I was feeling the pinch. One thing stood between me and my energy boost (aka GU and a muesli bar) and that was the two longest climbs of the day, which showed up sooner than expected. As we hit the bottom of the first hill I put the unconsumed gel back in my pocket and stared blankly at the wheel in front of me, I knew my heart rate monitor was blinking numbers at me that I really didn’t need to see, and I thought my head was going to explode. The crest of the hill could not be seen and I was drifting. I hate power climbs, and this was the perfect shelling ground for those that had power in greater reserves than me. As the bungee started to stretch to breaking point the crest I had been praying for came into sight, I grabbed another gear, gritted my teeth and gave more than I had to get back to the last wheel.

The descent was heaven for crossed eyed climbers that were about to drop of the back, but it was simply a roll onto the next climb. Crap. At least I’d eaten my gel now. The second climb didn’t seem as bad as the first, but that was little consolation. The head wind was slowing progress of the boys on the front and assisting me at the back a great deal. This was just as well given the previous kilometres were now really taking their toll. At the back I could see others were struggling and drifting, the fact that they were in front of me was of major concern. I got a second wind and started to close the gap again, only to see it open just as quickly as it had the first time. As we approached what I thought was the summit I gave it everything I had to try to get back to the shelter from the wind in the shadow of the other riders. It wasn’t the summit. There was still more to go, more that I didn’t have. Tosh slowed to an almost complete halt beside me and I was struggling not to do the same. Its agonising seeing those in front of you drop of the pace, especially when all you think you need is someone to help you claw back on the climb. Once we hit the descent the gap was growing  and the winds ensured it would not be closed again.

I had nothing left in the tank but continued to push on just in case the front group, or the wind, eased a little. But it didn’t. Suddenly 60km to the finish seemed like a lot further, and more intimidating, than 115km was at the start of the day. So in the wind and the rain Tristan and I rolled through, picking up some of the other shrapnel that had been discarded along the way, it took the best part of half an hour before were we caught by the second bunch on the road. Time enough to get some much needed food on board.

From there it was a solid ride to the finish, but not the same pace as those in front. My good legs did come back and with a few big turns to make myself feel better about the morning’s stupidity we were home.

Meanwhile at the front of the race Andy Mike, Greg and Dan were rolling through like the Magenta express in the final selection of eight riders. Despite best efforts to tear everyone apart through the rolling terrain at end of the race Andy couldn’t quite make it work and came in second to Lawny, the fun ride hard man, who completed a clean sweep of sorts in the Taupo lead up races.

I was disappointed in my result, but more disappointed in my tactics. I am not Fabian Cancellara, but its easy to think that you can do what he does, especially when you feel like you’re a motorbike at the start  of the day. The hardest thing about racing, and the toughest lesson to be learnt (or be taught by others), is that the strongest rider doesn’t always win. It is the one that uses their strength most effectively. Most days you’re better to wear the invisible cloak, particularly when you’ve got good legs, Oscar Freire and Thor Hushovd are two great exponents of this. It’s something I thought I had learnt along time ago. Sunday was definitely a refresher course; hopefully I’ll have the nous to remember that for next time…

Till next time.

Kendall