Wheelfest 2010

Been a little while since the last update, but there's a good reason. My Lenovo netbook's screen hinges began to crack, so I had to send the little guy back to Lenovo for warranty repair. Props to Lenovo for sending me a box next day, covering shipping to and from, and finishing the repair in less than a week including shipping time.

Anyway...

Remember those 400 pieces of wire that cost me 300 bucks? Well I've been boasting to folks that I have all the parts for my unbuilt frames sitting around in bins, except the wheels, and while I did already have the parts, they needed to be laced up into proper wheels, so after the spokes came in I set to it. 7 wheels in 2 days. My fingers are sore!

First up, 217 Sunsets and XTR M910 hubs. Here I've assembled all the goodies onto the dining room table, in my own little warped celebration of Thanksgiving.

Blink and I'm done! The rear laced up and tensioned.

And then football started, so I migrated to the back porch so I could build my wheels and watch USF fall to Pitt. That is the lucky hat. It was not so lucky this day, although I blame myself though, as I wasn't sitting in front of the big TV rubbing the logo and repeating to myself, "Please, Please, Please."

At least the wheel worked out great.

All mounted up on the new home, the WTB. I had a set of M950 XTR hubs and Sunsets on there originally, but they are pretty advanced in age and mileage, plus the front is 1 cross lacing on that set, so I've retired those to light duty work and these 3 cross, M910/Sunsets will see trail work on the WTB.

Da front.

Phase two. This is a rear to match the already built front wheel that I had for the Rocky Mountain Avalanche It is a 130mm converted Deore DX HG hub, in 32 holes and laced 3 cross to a Mavic 717 in black. The Mavic 717 is a great rim for vintage bike builds like this because they are subtle and without the label, very hard to discern as a modern rim. The profile of a 717 is the same as a 217 though, and the Deore DX takes the same spoke length as the M910 XTR, so I can use spokes from the lot of 400 to lace this sucker up too. All the wheels I built this weekend have essentially the same measurements and take the same spokes. Shimano hubs and Mavic 217 or 222 rims, and the spoke lengths are 264 front and 262-260 ND-D rear. Clear as mud? Good.

Next up, on Sunday, Deore DX 135mm 8 speed converted hubs and blue Mavic 222 rims, for the Brodie. These 222's are a step down from the 217's, but they are still fine rims, and the slate blue color makes them perfect for the Brodie. 3 cross and 32 holes, like the others, and the wheels turned out great.

I also laced up a fresh set of Deore DX and Sunsets for the singlespeed white EWR, but I neglected to take pictures of those suckers. I'll snap some when they are on the bike. That EWR is going through some other major modifications too, so the next time I post that sucker is will be a departure from what I've shown before.

SO...M910/Sunsets (2 wheels), Deore DX/Sunsets (2 wheels), Deore DX/222 Blues (2 wheels), and a Deore DX/717. Seven wheels in 2 days. And I'm spent!