I still get excited with each set of these I build. I get a lot of customers who come to me complaining of Zipp hub problems such as short bearing life and needing constant adjustment. This is not terribly surprising as Zipp really builds race wheels more than anything but many many people use them to handle the bulk of their training too. While I think Zipp makes some amazing rims that can handle training volume their hubs leave something to be desired, especially if you spend much time in the rain. To get my customers the best of both worlds I really like how building a Zipp to a White Industries T11 works out, not only are the hubs incredibly durable but they roll really really well so you end up with wheels that are fast enough to win any of the worlds biggest races but durable enough to train on day in and day out!
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There is something especially satisfying about building the same set of wheels you own (other than color) for a customer! White Industries T11 hubs paired with Velocity A23 rims is of my favorite do it all road/gravel/cross/commuter sets of wheels you can make. I have had this same combo for a couple years and have done everything from fast (to my standards) road rides to mountain biking and even some horribly slushy commutes that I was sure were going to give the hubs trouble but sure enough they still spin just as smooth as new. 945 grams for a disc brake ready dynamo wheel is not bad! The build is a SON28 ISO disc hub laced to a NoTubes Alpine rim tied together with DT Revolution spokes>
This wheel will be doing some big miles riding brevets. Talk about a great set of road wheels for heavier riders or those with some nasty roads to navigate, these even are tough enough to make a light weight set of tandem wheels! Velocity Deep V paired with Shimano 105 hubs laced with DT Competition spokes and black brass nipples.
Built some wheels for a racer buddy of mine. He wanted light and he got it. 575 grams for the front and 1010 grams for the rear. The rear is running a power tap hub which is why it is fairly heavy compared to the front.
The rims are from one of the "China carbon" companies out there and the front hub is from bikehubstore.com It certainly does not look like the most durable hub out there with some rather small bearings but if you are building a race wheel, replacing bearings once or twice a year is not that big of a deal. Other than the tiny bearings it looks like it should hold up well. We all know, if you race cross, you like pain. Well, going SS will not only save you from replacing expensive shifty bits after one too many crashes into mud but it will give you just a little more pain since clearly you can not get enough if you make it past a race or two.
The White Industries ENO eccentric hubs are the most elegant and durable solution to the question of how to tension your chain on a bike with vertical dropouts when you go single speed. Throw a WI trials freewheel, DT Competition spokes, Velocity A23 rims and a fixed cog in case you really feel the need for pain and you have one hell of a cross set up. Talk about bang for your buck. Road bikes are notoriously easy on hubs but we all want light/fast/good riding/durable wheels for not a lot of money. Remember that light strong cheap, pick 2, saying? Well, with these wheels you get a pretty light wheelset that is also strong and reasonably priced. Tiagra hubs to keep cost low but are good for tens of thousands of miles with proper care, laced to Velocity A23 rims with double butted DT spokes and alloy nipples make for a very solid wheelset. These specific wheels are for a super friendly regular at the shop who is looking for an edge to help him make his ascent on Pikes Peak (14,100 ft) before this season is over. Best of luck Bob, I expect to see these on the summit!
Canadian Couple came in looking for a wheel that can handle around 40 miles a day commuting in the great white north after he had worn completely through his brake track. Nothing good hanging around the shop so I had an excuse to build him another wheel. CR-18 laced to an older XT hub packed fresh with new bearings/grease should be up to the challenge.......ehh
John had a better run than most with these wheels, he got nearly 12k miles out of them before he started breaking spokes on both wheels, add in a worn brake track on both rims and it is time to lace new rims up. Since the hubs had recently been rebuilt there was no reason to get rid of them so I sold him on lacing in Velocity A23 rims since a large part of his long commute is very rough roads and his bike does not have room for much bigger than a 23 on the front this will improve his ride a fair bit along with be a pretty durable wheelset. Everything came together great and he can't wait till morning for his first ride.
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Chris Murray
Obsession, or passion? Who am I to judge? Either way I simply love building wheels for those who appreciate quality! Archives
June 2018
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