Planet X Superlights

Geoff was after a new set of race wheels.  We happened to have some Planet X R50 rims hanging around, so we coupled them up with some unbranded 'superlight' hubs, in red.  We went for a mix of DT competition and Sapim race spokes, which add a little more strength abd stiffness over their thinner cousins.  Bare wheel weight was around 1350g.  We completed the package with Schwalbe Milano tubs, C-4 stainless steel QRs and a chorus 11 speed cassette.  This made for a very good race wheelset, at a very resonable price.

PMP2

28h PMP hubs in dark blue on Ambrisio Crono rims with Sapim spokes and Vittoria pave tubs.  These wheels took a hammering in the annual Ras Dhun na NGall, over some rough roads around Ardara.

Another Raleigh

This one was for Alice.  A Raleigh Equipe, built with gears for a bit more versility.  Most of the parts were salvaged from spares. 

Raleigh single-speed conversion

Olans Raleigh single speed conversion.  Shoddy job on the handlebar tape has now been replaced ;o)  We are now working on a road bike for Olan, which should be ready in time for his first attempt at the maracycle.  http://www.cooperationireland.org/supportus/2011/maracycle

Planet X Superlight

Planet X 20mm carbon rims/Dati superlight hubs/Sapim lazer spokes (24/20).  The bare wheelset weighted a featherlight 1033 grams on the digital scales (yeah - both wheels!).  There was a slight concern about the rigidity of these wheels when they went out, given the weight and low spoke count.  But they build held up well and they have been put through their paces in a couple of local races.  In fact, the feedback is that they were very solid.  Nice.
The owner is offering these for sale now, including tubs and skewers, for a very attractive price.  Contact henderson.marty@gmail.com if interested.

Scorpio!

Raleigh Scorpio single-speed conversion for Aaron.  Originally, we wanted to strip and repaint the frame, but in the end it was just left in its battered state to make it less nick-able in the city.   We took it for a test ride before handing it over, and it rides very smoothly for such an old bike.  And its got a scorpion on the seat tube...  sweet....

16:8 prototype

This spintec hub has been specifically designed for building with 16 spokes on the drive side and 8 on the non-drive.  The rim is a kinlin niobium 30mm.  Its possible to build the same configuration with a normal 32 hole hub on a 24 hole rim.  The theory says that building a wheel with half the number of spokes on the non-drive side will allow even tension on each side.  A normal 1:1 road wheel will always have lower tension on the NDS due to the wheel dish.  Theres some serious physics involved in the forces put on wheels in general use.  We're not sure this provides any benefits over a normal spoked wheel, as a good hand built wheel will be as strong and stiff as you want it?  But this one has been test ridden by ourselves and it seems to do what it says on the tin - smooth, stiff, light (840g for the bare wheel).  We went for a 3x pattern on the drive side, and radial on the NDS - the result looks a little like a crows foot from the side.  There are many different configurations with this set-up, but we went for pairing the crossing spokes on the drive side against the one radial spoke on the other.  We'll keep riding this and hopefully have more to say over extended usage.