Wheelie

Hand-built wheels are my training “hoops” of choice (with apologies for use of word hoops to BikeSnobNYC). Mavic Open Pros, black. 32-hole. Three-cross. Rear ‘hoop’ tied and soldered. On Dura Ace hubs. Shazam. Truly bomb-proof. I wish I could build wheels myself. I have a great buddy in San Diego who built me the set who wrenched for the U23 Team at the Tour of Georgia, as well as Team Gerolsteiner there before the race (and team) caved under. I’ve never seen him work, but I imagine it is similar to this video, courtesy of Andy Waterman. Wheelie, aka Wheelbuilding Timelapse, is the latest crave.

Wheelbuilding Timelapse from Andy Waterman on Vimeo.

If you like coming to BikeCrave regularly, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed or think about how to make a difference with just a Penny per mile. Thanks for visiting!

Clean but never squeaky I’m pretty bad about keeping a clean bike. @RickieRainwater on Twitter is not. He rides a red pro Team Nemo Viner. Nemo is spotless. How else could she get a seat at the kitchen table? Viner hails from Italy and they sell primarily in the UK countries in Europe, making the sight...
On form Anyone who races or does ultra distances wants to be on form. There’s nothing better than riding your bike like the wind at the opportune moment: the last 200 meters of a criterium, up the 7-mile climb with 7% average gradient, on the back half of a double or regular...
Over under Sunglasses and helmet straps. Oh, the burning question of over and under. Do helmet straps go under sunglasses? Or is it acceptable to wear them over sunglasses? These are potential cycling fashion land mines. Wear incorrectly, and you could be jettisoned from the Saturday group ride (just kidding). Mismatch them,...
Made in France If you’re like me, you’ve been geeking out pretty hard on the Tour de France and the Lance-Alberto-Astana saga. Hey, Americans tend to root for the home team. It’s a matter of national pride. So check this out: While Phil and Paul go absolutely ballistic calling the Tour on Versus...
Summer colors If the Tour de France was a Broadway production, it would win the Tony Award for best use of color in costumes – and maybe best special effects. The colors that accompany the whirring peloton take the mind into a virtual artist studio of water colors, oils and simple charcoals...