Wheels on Fire

The latest set of wheels is the first set to come out of the MakeWork grant. I’ve had this set in mind for some time now. Basically it is my rather loud response to the current trend of little red accents on mostly black wheels or bikes. I had the rims and hubs powder coated (painted) RED. The rims are deep section, Velocity B43 and the hubs are Miche fixed track. I used 32 spokes in black, with a half twist at the third crossing. The twisting of spokes has a few functions. In the case of track wheels, it makes the wheel much stiffer (faster). It essentially makes the flange of the hub three times the size, without adding weight. And it looks pretty cool too. I can do a full twist as well, but that's kinda overkill, unless there is a disc brake involved.

Equipment within MakeWork

I’ve had a plan in place for a while about what would be purchased. I have most of the spokes that I need already but I would like to get some 15/16 double butted spokes and nipples for the various weight sensitive projects. I’ll also be getting a variety of nipples in various colors. Rims are a major part of all this. Mavic is a long time favorite of mine. Spank is a new favorite. Velocity and I are old friends as well. Ghisallo is an option that we already have in stock. Time will tell about Stan’s No Tubes. Apparently they don’t like to call people back. Hubs are the priciest parts. So I’ve given this a great deal of thought. Not just any hub will do. There is much to be considered. The overall design determines how the wheel will function as well as the look of the end product. Also to be considered is ease in maintenance.  I think it is reasonable to expect that I will not be the only person to work on these wheels. So with that in mind I like the idea of hubs like Victoire, Hope and Ringle. Those are likely to be the hubs I order first.