Wheel Build Success

I left work early yesterday because of this cold I have (poor me). After I got home I laid on the couch and watched The King of Kong. A very good documentary about the quest to get the world record score in Donkey Kong. I recommend streaming it via NetFlix.

Anyway, afterward, all alone in the house with just one dog, I decided that this was the perfect chance to pull out the rim, spokes, nipples and hub and lace up the wheel.  (The other dog is recovering from an expensive TPLO surgery. Alms for the poor?) I have laced a wheel in the past but it was two years ago and under bike guru consultation.  This time it was all solo and some help from a bike repair manual.  I used a standard 3 cross pattern.  It took me probably longer than it should but in about 90 minutes it was done except truing. 

• The rim is a gold, aluminum, Velocity Deep-V, 700c, 32 spoke with machined side walls. 
• Spokes are silver, steel, DT Swiss. 
• Hub is a silver, aluminum, Surly, 100mm O.L.D., 32 hole with solid axle.

Wheel build

After waiting three months for the rim to arrive my new gold anodized Velocity deep-V rim finally showed up at Percys. So, yesterday I went up to the shop and got a lesson in wheel building from Wheel-Building Jedi Master Percy.

I now have laced up my first rim to a Surly fixed gear hub with 32 DT Swiss spokes. The wheel looks sharp as hell and will be going on to my Raleigh (1,2). It took about two hours to finish and afterwards it was pretty obvious that I will eventually need to get a new bike for such a sweet rim. One thing at a time.

Thanks Percy.