Friday, April 10, 2009

Cyclocross Wheelbuilding



I've got a sore knee at the moment, so I'm taking some time off the bike to let it (hopefully) get better. The last day or two I've been putting that extra time to good use by lacing up next season's cross wheels. It's a boring job, but strangely cathartic - plus, the vid I posted below is good for motivation.

The wheels are looking great. I've got three pairs, specs as follows:
2 pairs Planet-X superlight hubs
1 pair Hope Pro III hubs (in blinging red)
DT Supercomp spokes
Mavic Reflex CD rims - all 32 holes


The DT Supercomp spokes are like a cross breed between Competitions and Revolutions. They're triple-butted, so they're light, but they're not quite as noodley as the Revolutions, so they're easier to build with, like Competitions - ideal for a ham-fisted numptie like me (I've only built one pair of wheels before, so this is all pretty much new to me).

I'm building them for next season's cross bikes. I've not got the bikes yet, but wheels... sorted. The plan is to have tubs ready and on wheels for all conditions, so with my carbons as well, I can have two pairs set up for mud, and two pairs set up for mixed conditions. At the start of the season I'm also goign to have one pair set up with slicks - I figure if it's dry enough to ride slicks, you won't be changing bikes, right?

Check out the vid below, I found it on CrossJunkie - it reminded me of what it's all about!

Superprestige overzicht 2008-2009 from jef cleemput on Vimeo.