Three wheelbuilding tips that are often overlooked:

(1) Set spoke elbows
Spokes will give maximum service life and strength if the elbow is firmly set against the hub flange during building. If not, spokes may appear to “loosen up” and their fatigue life may decrease, resulting in premature breakage. When a spoke is set loosely into a hub, it should lie about 15 deg. above the angle directly to the target rim hole. That’s the amount that the spoke will need to be bent to conform to its position.

When designing a spoke there are two factors to consider: 1) strength, meaning reliability and fatigue life, and 2) hub fit. Unfortunately, some shapes that seem to improve hub fit can actually decrease strength and fatigue life. Therefore, there must be a compromise in the final spoke design to account for these two factors.

The spoke design is complicated by the fact that many hubs have different shapes and proportions. Read more →

Here is some advice we dispensed at Wheelsmith in Palo Alto, back in the day. Much of its content is courtesy of Brett Hansen whose coaching insights and good humor were a big part of that era:

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Pedaling smoothly requires finesse, not strength. Strength is the power by which you go fast, but going really fast takes strength coupled with pedal action finesse. Pedal action finesse must be learned. The idea is to apply an even pressure while pedaling smooth circles. To do this you need to go beyond the basic instinct of simply pushing down by doing specific exercises to improve efficiency. To begin training yourself towards smoother pedal action, you need to keep in mind: Read more →

I keep a small inventory of this fine machine in Seattle, along with spare parts. If you’re interested or have questions, please visit our store.

The machine comes complete, including a manual describing function, maintenance, and trouble shooting.

What are its features? Read more →

The Morizumi SCT (Spoke Cutting and Threading) machine is a marvel of simplicity and compactness. Originally designed at Asahi Spoke Company (partner of Wheelsmith for the first 20 years), now it’s manufactured by a nearby machine shop founded by former Asahi engineers.

Not that portability is vital, this tool can be stowed in the space of an 8″ cube. As a consequence, I’ve taken it to numerous events and clinics.

The disassembled SCT machine.

The history of technology is sprinkled with seminal inventions. Some are actually useful devices, ends in themselves. Others are more so catalysts, enablers for developments to follow. The bicycle owes its existence to a number of clever 19th century ideas: the tensioned wheel, pneumatic tires, the roller chain, tubular steel, etc.

The last half of the 20th century witnessed a number of important improvements and additions to the bicycle. Advanced materials, suspension systems, aerodynamic improvements, and biomechanical refinements have added to the bicycle’s efficiency and usefulness. Yet, one important device has single handedly made possible most of the trends we associate with modern cycling. And, astonishingly, it remains virtually unknown. I’m speaking of the Phil Wood Spoke Machine.

The Phil Spoke Machine.

Read more →

Update: We have since stopped stocking Ghisallo wood rims. To purchase, please visit their online store.

Wood was the exclusive material for racing rims for over 70 years. All Classics, Tours, Olympics, and Championships were contested on wood. If retro style posters, such as “Drinkers and Smokers,” were colorized from black and white, one of the biggest shocks would be the wood rims.

I stock 3 models:

• Corsa (330g), 36H, 700C tubular (for sewup tires)
• Elegant (420g), 32H or 36H, 700C tubular (for sewup tires)
• Sport (560g) 32H, 700C clincher (for wired on tires)

Here is the Corsa model.

Read more →

This article, written by Spence Wolf, first appeared in AMERICAN CYCLING, June 1966 (pg. 19). Images by Wheel Fanatyk.

Hand made tires are a necessity for the racing cyclist, and for other cyclists who want the utmost in response and easy pedaling. They are expensive, thin, and vulnerable to the atmosphere and to damage from the hazards of the road. However, their life can be extended considerably by proper care and maintenance.

Racing tubulars are made by winding a fine thread on a drum, much as an electrical coil would be wound. The thread is then coated with liquid latex. After the latex has “set” for a number of hours, the thread is held together by the latex and becomes a fabric. This fabric is cut off the drum on an approximate 45-degree angle and laid on a table with the latex side up, forming a long, narrow parallelogram. This parallelogram is trimmed to proper length and folded in half lengthwise and well rolled. Then the triangular ends are placed one on top the other and rolled, forming the “splice” and making the fabric into a band. If the splicing is properly done you cannot see where it is located. The further procedures necessary to completing the tire do not concern this article. What is of interest is that the fabric is not vulcanized, but is held together by the air-dried latex. Latex is readily dissolved by petroleum (and other) solvents and nothing containing these solvents (such as rubber cement, oil, gasoline, etc.) should be allowed to touch the fabric of the tire. Using gutta (rim cement) to hold the tire on the rim is all right because the tire’s rim tape protects the fabric of the tire from the gutta.

Here is André Dugast, circa 1992, with (right to left) raw fabric, trimmed casing pieces, stitched tires, and finished tires; ready to ride. All steps traditionally done by hand.

Read more →

Tubular, or sewup, tires provide the ultimate ride for a modern road racing bicycle. Because the tire is sewn together around the tube considerable weight is saved in the tire’s construction — no beads of sturdy wire or cord are needed to grip the rim, and in the rim — simplified because the tire is bonded by cement. Its use is critical to the reliability and performance of the system. Over 100 grams are usually saved per wheel between equivalent tubulars and demountable clincher wheels.

Because the tubular wheel system predates our era of user-friendly, danger-free engineering there are numerous idiosyncrasies related to their use that you might not expect.

There is no adequate way to “teach” all the important practices and exceptions that one needs to fully utilize tubular tires. However, we wish to state some of the more basic and obvious do’s and don’ts. Just remember, only a lengthy and detailed “apprenticeship” to a practicing expert in a club or team setting will cover the many considerations you should know.

Few technical skills in cycling will bring you so close to the experiences of our forefathers than mastering tubular tires. And little else in equipment can so transform and invigorate your riding. Read more →

I wrote this piece for the February 1985 issue of BICYCLE GUIDE magazine, pg 16-17, 106. So please forgive a few details that are owed to its vintage. Also note, all the wood rim makers listed have ceased production except for Ghisallo.

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In our never-ending search for better materials, the current rage is the space-age group of substances known as composites. Composites consist of microscopic filaments, which are bonded by glue into dense layers sandwiched around lighter materials. Perhaps the best-known composite system is the surfboard, in which styrofoam is covered with a thin layer of fiberglass and polyester resin to create an immensely strong but light structure. Composites using carbon fibers are currently revolutionizing aeronautics, as well as sports equipment such as tennis racquets, skis, golf clubs, and fishing rods. And the wheels that contributed to our Olympic track team’s success were also constructed with composite materials. Read more →