Mountain Bike Wheels …

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.

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

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.

Jude Youngs endurance wheel set

Jude needed a good race set of wheels after moving up from a 26″ wheeled bike to a 29er bike.

Jude has a lot of events coming up soon with the rebirth of the N-Duro 24 hour mountain bike race in a weeks time in Rotorua. Jude likes to ride all day and night so having a light reliable wheel set  key while still being able to get parts around the world at ease.

We used the XTR hubs from her last race wheel set and laced them into a pair of Stans Arch EX 29er rims. Shimano can be found anywhere in the world and has very low rolling friction with the ball bearing cup and cone system. Stans Arch rims have been proven time and time again for there weight and reliability while still being a bit stiffer than the Crest.

We used Dt Revolution spokes for the front wheel and DT Revolution spokes for the non drive side and DT Competition spokes for the drive side rear to increase the durability and stiffness.  All laced with Alloy nipples.

We wish Jude the best of luck this weekend and also latter in the year at the World Championships in Canberra Australia.

Leons DT 240 hubs with Enve 29er rims

Leon wanted a new pair of carbon wheels for his 29er – after looking at all the options he settled on a pair of Wheelworks-built Enve XC rims.

We used the DT Swiss 240s hubs to keep the wheels light and reliable.  To future-proof the front wheel we used the 20mm thru-axle version of the 240s and fitted QR endcaps – this means if / when Leon buys a new fork that these wheels will be ready to go.

Bladed DT Swiss Aerolite spokes keep the weight down and two red spokes at each valve add a touch of colour to match the custom Wheelworks decals.

Thanks for your order Leon!

Nathans Flite carbons 29er with Pro2 hubs

Nathan is heading back to the TourDivide again in June and wanted a lighter wheelset. His existing aluminium wheels were already on the lighter end of the spectrum so a move to carbon was the logical choice.

We used our Flite 29″ carbon rims and laced them to ultra-durable Pro2 hubs.  For a huge mission like the TourDivide saving a few grams on hubs doesn’t make any sense – durability is key.  The GunSmoke colour is rare and looks fantastic.

The super stiff rims allowed us to use blade DT Swiss Aerolite spokes and aluminium nipples.

1606 grams actual weight.

Gary’s Flite 29er carbon wheels with Stans 3.30 hubs

Gary wanted to drop some weight and increase the stiffness of his new 29er and a lighter, stiffer pair of wheels was the obvious place to do this.

The Stan’s 3.30 hubs are light and work very well for cross-country use.

Bladed DT Swiss Aerolite spokes are light and aerodynamic.  Aluminium nipples keep the wheel weight down.

Our 29″ Flite rims are 400 grams each and build into a stiff and super responsive wheelset.  They’re also tubeless-ready so can be run either with or without inner tubes.

Robs PowerTap mountain bike hub and Crest rim

Rob’s getting serious with his mountain bike training and wanted a PowerTap hub to measure power output.  This is the new G3 hub with the upgraded internal electronics.

We laced the hub to a Stan’s Crest rim – these are tubeless ready and strike a great combination of light weight and good durability.

DT Swiss Competition spokes and aluminium nipples hold everything together.

The disc rotor is designed specifically for this hub and attaches via 8 bolts on the non-driveside.

Jeffreys Rohloff and Pro2 with 650b rims

Jeffrey wanted a pair of 650b touring wheels for a bike being built by Kiwi framebuilder Jeff Anderson in Rotorua.

The 14 speed Rohloff hub is perfect for this style of bike where maintenance is reduced to a yearly change of the gearbox oil.  We matched it with a silver Hope Pro2 front hub which has excellent durability and good looks.

Silver DT Swiss double-butted Competition spokes and brass nipples build into a durable, stiff wheelset.

Stan’s Arch EX 650b rims will run either standard tube’d tyres or tubeless and are a durable, good looking rim.