Some exciting news.  I'm happy to announce partnership with November Bicycles to build custom wheels with the new Rail 52 carbon clincher rims.  More information on those rims can be had HERE.

Also, I will be including a sample bottle of NFS (NixFrixShun) chain lube with purchases of carbon wheels and my Signature alloy wheel builds.  I have been using this chain lube for a while now and thinks it's the best stuff out there.  It runs cleaner and longer than the rest.  My drivetrain is shockingly silent!

Pics and more to follow.

The Alchemy UL rear hub, a deeper look

I would just like to let you know that I got a chance to completely tear down one of the UL hubs under the direction of Jeremy himself.  Suffice to say, the internals are revolutionary.  Like his front hub, the goal was to get the bearings as close to the dropouts as possible.  The outer load-bearing bearings are closer to dropouts by a large margin.  Look where the NDS bearing is here.  It's right behind that dust shield.

For comparison, here is a Tune hub which is similar in design to most hubs.  There is a long axle end on the left side before the hubshell bearing.

Here is the most revolutionary aspect of the Alchemy UL hub.  The drive side bearing is right behind the axle end.  The bearing connects the axle to the hubshell body, not the cassette carrier.  This means that you could technically assemble the hub without the cassette carrier (freehub) and still ride the wheel with full weight.

What you see above is the hub assembled without the cassette carrier.  There is the bearing you can see on the left side of the hub (same as top picture) and the bearing right behind the axle end on the right side.  The right side bearing is under that bearing bore (silver) which is directly connected to the hub shell.  The entire assembly fits inside the cassette carrier.  As a result, the cassette carrier no longer carries any of the rider load.  All the cassette carrier does is transmit pedaling torque.  The outer bearings above support the load of the rider much like the two bearings of a front hub.  The two systems act independently.

Here is another advantage.  While pedaling the outer bearings above are the only two bearings that spin.  Typically, all the bearings of a rear hub spin on other designs.  That is usually 4-6 bearings creating more drag while pedaling.  The Alchemy hub will spin with less drag as a result.  It's a brilliant design that takes the design of a rear hub to a level never seen before.

What does it all mean?  Think outboard bearings for the crankset.  The closer the load supporting bearings are to the ends of the axle, the less unsupported axle there is and in turn the system is stiffer.  I'm quite confident that this hub will allow for at least 4 fewer spoke than a given component choice with other hubs.  This is crucial to builds with lower spoke counts.

The Alchemy UL rear hub.

The Alchemy UL rear hub.

Here's the first Alchemy UL rear hub built up.

Hub weighs 194g.  The build features the Pacenti SL23 rim using Sapim CX-Rays on the left and CX-Speed on the right side.  Wheel weight is 776g.  

I will have Jeremy explain the features of his new hub.  Better to get it from the source.

Stay tuned.

Some built up pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Here are some pics of the rims build up to White Industries and Alchemy hubs.

They are here! (Pacenti SL23 rims)

So I got my first run of rims.

I built up the first set to be put through its paces.  I never like putting new components in the hands of customers before I get some first hand experience with them.  First two rims weigh 450g and 452g with decals in place.  They built up with even tension and were easy to true.  I didn't have to fight the rim at all.  I'll report back after I get some more miles in on them.  I did had a preproduction rim I was testing since September.  With about 1200 miles on some horrible, construction riddled pavement, all went well.

The build you see here is what I like to call my "GT" signature build.  I use Alchemy hubs as the best foundation for a set of wheels.  These hubs are the current model, but future builds will be with the Alchemy UL as they become available.  The spokes are Sapim CX-Rays with the exception of Sapim CX-Speed for the right, rear side.  CX-Speed spokes are bladed like the CX-Ray, but are made from a heavier gauge than the CX-Ray.  They are about 1g heavier per spoke.  The added material makes them more resistant to stretching which in turn increases the lateral stiffness of the wheel.  Modern rear wheels have to make a lot of room for the cassette which is the Achilles heal of a rear wheel.  My answer to that is stiffer spokes where they are needed most.    Other custom options include Chris King R45, Tune or White Industries T11 hubs as well as 24-28 spokes for the front wheel and/or a 28-32 spokes for the rear wheel.  My "GT" build is available to all riders without having to shoehorn them all into one design specification.  The build below weighs 1420g as shown.

(It was too late at night for me to start cleaning up the bike for the inaugural run in the morning.  The roads are so messy here anyway;-)

Ergottwheels proud to be a part of the 2013 Rim Roundup published by Fairwheel Bikes.

Ergottwheels proud to be a part of the 2013 Rim Roundup published by Fairwheel Bikes.

I'm am honored to work on the 2013 rim roundup with Fairwheel Bikes.  This project was intended to educate people on some of the most popular options out there for road bike wheels.  Information is given about the dimensions of each rim as well as a brief rundown on out opinions of them.  I hope you find this useful when choosing the rims for your next wheel build.

http://fairwheelbikes.com/cycling-blog/products/2013-rim-roundup.html

Eric

The Pacenti SL23

The Pacenti SL23

http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/12/21/pacenti-debuts-wide-shallow-aero-road-tubeless-rims/

It is with great pleasure that I finally get to talk about the newest rim available.  The Pacenti SL23.  This rim has been in development for quite some time now and I've been testing a prototype since September.  The rim is 24mm wide by 26mm tall.  More on the benefits of rim wider rims can be read here.

http://fairwheelbikes.com/cycling-blog/products/2013-rim-roundup.html

The Pacenti SL23 is available for custom builds and I will be announcing a signature "GT" build feature this rim.  The rim is only available in black at this rim.  Details to follow.

My test rim that's been on the road since September.

Some new business

I thank all of you that are here following me.  I will have some great news in about a month.  Start saving now;-)  I've been testing out what I believe to be a great addition to my offerings. 

This is the new Velocity A23 rim shape.  It is now tubeless ready, but you can still use standard tube/tires.  The new shape gives a more secure hold to a tubeless tire, makes is easier to mount, and helps prevent burping.  Burping is a sudden pressure drop when the bead loses temporary contact with the rim bead.  My rims come with Veloplugs (still fits this rim) installed unless you want tubeless tape.

I've been working on new logos.  My goal is to have them in a reflective material so those of us that ride in the dark have some added protection.  During the day they look like standard decals.  I hope to have the larger decals available in black or white reflective material.  They are cutouts like the Enve SES rims.  For standard alloy rims I will have a white on black reflective decal.

Don't peel them off!

daytime

nighttime

 

Does you wheelbuilder do this?

Part of selling wheels is servicing them.  Rest assured, I run a full service operation.  It takes the correct tools to do the job right.  You don't want to purchase $600 hubs only to have someone monkey around with the wrong tools and warp the bearing bores.  Make sure you buy from someone that knows what he is doing.

ENVE Composites rims.  Last summer ENVE Composites launched their Smart Enve System (SES) rims.  These rims were designed with the help of Formula 1 aerodynamicis, Simon Smart (hence the name).  The goal is to have better aerodynamics than ever before with a twist.  The rims generate less torque in crosswinds so you can run a deeper profile than you normally could for the given conditions.

I spent last season on a set of the SES 6.7 rims built up to Alchemy hubs.  Long Island is a great place to experience variable wind conditions.  I routinely ride within a stone's throw of the Great South Bay on the unsheltered roads of Heckscher State Park.  Here, no matter which direction the wind is approaching from, you get experience headwinds, crosswinds, tailwinds, and gusts from every direction.

The behavior of the wheels is very predictable.  There is a gentle push, but there are no surprises even from the worst of gusts.  The trickiest of conditions is a headwind when the gust varies a few degrees.  The wind wants to steer the bike from a few degrees then immediately snapping off to the right.  I've ridden other rims in the 65-66mm depth in these same conditions and the difference is absolutely there.  I can ride in front of the pack or a couple of centimeters behind someone's wheel and hole my line better.

The fit and finish of the SES line of rims is second to none.  They have a satin luster with stealthy, decals on top.  You won't feel like a rolling billboard if you leave the decals on.  The brake track has a slightly rough texture to aid in brake modulation performance.  The rims don't have the feeling of sudden grabbing rather they are linear.  You can safely add pressure to the brake levers and not worry about locking up the rear wheel any more than alloy rims.  It doesn't hurt that the rims come with ENVE's own composition brake pads.

Are these wheels for you?  Let's talk.

Welcome.  I'll start out with some tools of the trade today.

Spokes go through here first.

Spokes need this.

Rims get a chamfer before assembly.

This is where I make it happen.