Wheelworks Blog …

Callum’s Pacenti SL23, T11 and ELF set

Callum was so highly disappointed with his mass produced factory wheels with nothing but troubles that he returned them! With just over a week before he heads away on a work trip to Vienna and in need of some quality and care he came to Wheelworks.

We used a White Industries T11 rear hub with the reliability of a titanium freehub body and steal axle then paired it up to a Alchemy ELF front hub with it’s wide hub flange spacing and super light weight.

The Pacenti SL23 rims have not been around all that long but are getting rave reviews. They are wider than usual and will let Callum run lower tyre pressure for better grip and cornering as well as better comfort for the long miles on the unknown roads.

Spokes are DT Swiss Aerolite’s with black alloy nipples holding the package together for years to come.

A nice finishing touch was the names of his kids Leo and Eva on the rims, for when this proud farther is having hard times being away from the family overseas.

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”.

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

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

From an anonymous benefactor…

…comes the Lion of Flanders. The envelope was post-marked London but he now resides on the Cool Wall.

New couch cushions!

James dropped by this morning with these two cushions….him and his wife handmade them as a wedding present for Erin and I. Stoked!

Malcolms Flite clinchers with ceramic King R45 11 speed hubs

I built Malcolm a very similar pair of Flite clinchers last year but with a new Colnago C59 on the way with DuraAce 11 speed he wanted a second set.

This time we used a 35mm front wheel to compliment the 45mm on his other wheelset.

A 45mm rear rim adds some depth, stiffness and aero.

DT Swiss Aerolite bladed spokes keep the weight down.

Chris King R45 hubs with ceramic bearings and the new 11 speed freehub body – a great looking and sounding hubset.

Afzals DT Swiss 585 rims with ELF and T11 hubs

Afzal is a bigfella who needed a pair of durable, stiff wheels for his titanium frame. These wheels will see daily use in Malaysia.

We selected the Alchemy ELF front hub for it’s wide flange spacing and light weight and paired it to a White Ind T11 rear hub. The T11′s titanium freehub won’t get damaged by the cassette with use (meaning cassettes come off the freehub body easily) and it’s wide flange spacing builds into a stiff rear wheel.

DT Swiss Aerolite spokes keep the weight and aerodynamic drag down, and brass nipples add durability.

DT Swiss 585 rims are perfect for larger riders as they’re very stiff and have good durability. They’re also lovely to build with which is nice for me :-)

Afzal must be either a Rapha or T-Mobile fan as he wanted magenta decals :-)

1797 grams is much lighter than most low-spoke count, disposable ‘factory’ wheels.

PNP Wheelworks MTB Champs sale

We’re sponsoring the PNP Club Championship and SuperD race this weekend on the awesome trails in Wainuiomata.

If you’re racing we’d love to build you a new pair of wheels and will take 10% off the regular price. This is valid on any of our mountain bike wheels with Stan’s or WTB aluminium rims as well as our Enve carbon wheels.

Interested? Get in touch and we can talk about what components will suit you best.

http://www.pnp.org.nz/events/pnp-wheelworks-mtb-champs/