GSAstuto
Maximum Pace
- Oct 11, 2009
- 974
- 253
I built this wheelset on a whim. I had a set of Gokiso 32H hubs for testing and already built them up on a variety of rims to test (another separate thread). But then I got a few sets of CB Italia Rims (wood) to play around with. I really wanted the Ghisalo rims - but they are distributed through a Japanese distributor who marks them up beyond all f*ng belief. CB Italia suffers no such nonsense and in fact encouraged their US distributor to sell to me at a reasonable 'dealer' rate . So much for politics - on to the build.
Hubs - Gokiso 2nd generation. A little more cleanup non the shells and the newest freehub which has like a bazillion engagement points actuated by a Mr. Coffee Fusion Reactor double-throw-down, Hurst 4 on the floor pawl system. Smoother than an 8-Track with the Temptations on board.
Rims - CB Italia Vigorelli. It's been around since the 40's. I used to race these on track. They have a certain , say, je ne sais quoi (or Io non so che cosa) about them.
Spokes - Since I was using Japanese hubs I thought it would be pertinent to lace up with Hoshi spokes. I chose the DB 14-15 (NJS) version as a likely candidate.
First build out of the box and the front was fine, but rear was a taco in waiting that reminded me of some damn fine cilantro salsa procured from the finest Ptomaine Ptommies in Inglewood. I let them set for awhile.
Second build out of the box was inspired by more esoteric patterns. How can I increase the NDS stability and tension without the DS going into Warp Factor 7 conniptions? I tried every lacing pattern in the book suitable for 32H and beyond. Nothing really felt right.
Third build - with the front stable and standing properly, I decided to go back to basics and just use a 3X DS with 2X NDS and 15-15 on the NDS. Voila! I massaged the wheel into place like coaxing a cobra from its basket. It came into 'being' at about 85kgf on the DS and 45kgf on the NDS. A little more tweaking and I got a stable 90-95 out of the DS without warbling. This gave me a reasonable standing NDS and I was fine to mount some rubber.
For this first version I'm running Challenge Parigi Roubaix. They are handmade by orphans in Thailand and I sincerely hope that each tire buys them a book! If not - then please donate to Gary's Beers for Books! Challenge is the <old> Clement cum Vittoria cum who the hell knows from Italy-in-the-80's. Anyway. Most of the world's latex came from Indonesia and Thailand so it just made sense to locate the tire factories there. The Challenge PR is such a 'handmade' tire complete with lumps, bumps and tread imperfections expected from workers who have actually never ridden a single tire they've made.
Because I'm pretty sure these tires will have the half life of the same roadents [sic] that travel Rt 20 as I do, I taped them to the rim with Miyata tape expecting quick and easy replacement.
The ride --- Ok already. yes, well, they are smooooooth. In a way that is hard to describe unless one remembers the smoothness of a very well chilled Gin on leaded glass with a single (mind you) Olive, pimento intact. Wooden rims / wheels are nearly impossible to true to the same roundness as carbon or alloy - but you can make them sing. And when you do - they are full on Jazz. Combined with the Gokiso hubs which soak up the small imperfections and lend a superior glissandi between the 'notes' , you are talking pure music on the road.
On my regular commute (the aforesaid RT 20) I can hold the same speed no issues whatsoever. And, in fact, feel like pushing a bit more just 'because'. Like Rambo IV where John Rambo takes on the entire Burmese Army.
The smell : This combination imparts a nose that is somewhat akin to roasted walnut and Squirrel hair in the fire when you brake. In other words - there is no mistaking when you put the binders to the wood. Whether comforting or alerting is up to you. But I'm enjoying watching the sidewalls burnish to their natural dark sheen. Now If I only smoked Nazionali I could light one on the rim after the descent from Val d'Isere, take a sip of Grappa from my flask and be on my way!
Hubs - Gokiso 2nd generation. A little more cleanup non the shells and the newest freehub which has like a bazillion engagement points actuated by a Mr. Coffee Fusion Reactor double-throw-down, Hurst 4 on the floor pawl system. Smoother than an 8-Track with the Temptations on board.
Rims - CB Italia Vigorelli. It's been around since the 40's. I used to race these on track. They have a certain , say, je ne sais quoi (or Io non so che cosa) about them.
Spokes - Since I was using Japanese hubs I thought it would be pertinent to lace up with Hoshi spokes. I chose the DB 14-15 (NJS) version as a likely candidate.
First build out of the box and the front was fine, but rear was a taco in waiting that reminded me of some damn fine cilantro salsa procured from the finest Ptomaine Ptommies in Inglewood. I let them set for awhile.
Second build out of the box was inspired by more esoteric patterns. How can I increase the NDS stability and tension without the DS going into Warp Factor 7 conniptions? I tried every lacing pattern in the book suitable for 32H and beyond. Nothing really felt right.
Third build - with the front stable and standing properly, I decided to go back to basics and just use a 3X DS with 2X NDS and 15-15 on the NDS. Voila! I massaged the wheel into place like coaxing a cobra from its basket. It came into 'being' at about 85kgf on the DS and 45kgf on the NDS. A little more tweaking and I got a stable 90-95 out of the DS without warbling. This gave me a reasonable standing NDS and I was fine to mount some rubber.
For this first version I'm running Challenge Parigi Roubaix. They are handmade by orphans in Thailand and I sincerely hope that each tire buys them a book! If not - then please donate to Gary's Beers for Books! Challenge is the <old> Clement cum Vittoria cum who the hell knows from Italy-in-the-80's. Anyway. Most of the world's latex came from Indonesia and Thailand so it just made sense to locate the tire factories there. The Challenge PR is such a 'handmade' tire complete with lumps, bumps and tread imperfections expected from workers who have actually never ridden a single tire they've made.
Because I'm pretty sure these tires will have the half life of the same roadents [sic] that travel Rt 20 as I do, I taped them to the rim with Miyata tape expecting quick and easy replacement.
The ride --- Ok already. yes, well, they are smooooooth. In a way that is hard to describe unless one remembers the smoothness of a very well chilled Gin on leaded glass with a single (mind you) Olive, pimento intact. Wooden rims / wheels are nearly impossible to true to the same roundness as carbon or alloy - but you can make them sing. And when you do - they are full on Jazz. Combined with the Gokiso hubs which soak up the small imperfections and lend a superior glissandi between the 'notes' , you are talking pure music on the road.
On my regular commute (the aforesaid RT 20) I can hold the same speed no issues whatsoever. And, in fact, feel like pushing a bit more just 'because'. Like Rambo IV where John Rambo takes on the entire Burmese Army.
The smell : This combination imparts a nose that is somewhat akin to roasted walnut and Squirrel hair in the fire when you brake. In other words - there is no mistaking when you put the binders to the wood. Whether comforting or alerting is up to you. But I'm enjoying watching the sidewalls burnish to their natural dark sheen. Now If I only smoked Nazionali I could light one on the rim after the descent from Val d'Isere, take a sip of Grappa from my flask and be on my way!