Certificate Of Unoriginality
If the best things in life are free, Messrs Lennon and McCartney must’ve just been given a huge bag of top-grade cocaine and were off their little chops when they wrote that one. There are plenty of great things in life that are free, the outdoors, mountains, air, but no-one is giving away bicycles, cocaine or bourbon last time I checked (and I did check… was lucky to get away with a warning, on several occasions).
You see, there are things, there are good things, and there are really good things. You can chip in for a case of Woodies with a couple of mates, get smashed down at the footy fields and probably cause some property damage on the way home. You could buy a bottle of Jim Beam, mix it with Coke and drink it from a plastic cup in the shed while listening to AC/DC. Or you could acquire a bottle of Maker’s Mark, drop in an ice cube or sup it straight from a tumbler, while reading Tolstoy in front of the fireplace in your slippers. There is a difference, and usually, you pay for that difference.
I’m sure there is plenty to be gained from riding around the park on a department store bike, for most people. We call these people ‘ordinary’, i.e they are not bike riders. Bike riders will quickly eschew the Huffy and buy a ‘good bike’ to get to work on, ride in local events and maybe tootle around on some trails occasionally. They are happy with their $1000 machine, and why not? There’s not too much wrong with those bikes. But Cyclists don’t do this as a sideline, and having equipment that not only functions, but adds a certain refinement to the activity not only enhances the physical experience, but more importantly the mental one.
This is why companies like Wheelworks exist. While catering to a minority of people who ride bikes, they are sought out by those in the know, whose tastes and requirements go beyond that of just ‘getting around’. They exist because we like things to not only work, but work well, and to add a good helping of form to function, garnished with that little bit of spice that sets the ayahuasca apart from the oregano. Their wheels may be built by hand like many others out there, but as we witnessed, their meticulous methods add yet another dimension to the already personalised touch that machine-built hoops can only aspire to.
No matter what methods are used in production, the taste test always is the true marker of quality. These wheels ride great. You want semantics? You need me to legitimise their quality with terms like “laterally stiff” and “marketably compliant”? Or should I just tell you that they felt great in corners (stiff), accelerated well (but not with the ‘snap’ of ultra-light ‘climbing wheels’), were fantastic at speed in strong winds (aero effect of the 35mm rim, and there’s a 50mm option if you want even more buzzword for your buck) and matched my bike perfectly (prompting lots of questions from other gear geeks). If I had to pigeonhole this wheelset, I’d think it’d be a great crit racing wheel due to the incredible cornering, and a great all-rounder for anyone who just wants a well-made, unique wheelset that is easy to forget about and just ride.
The Maker brand is becoming conspicuous by its presence in these parts, and infiltrating the wider community of connoisseurs off-shore. It’s the same path that Jack Daniel trod all those years ago, from a backwater to the world. Because when word gets out, quality can’t be ignored.
Check out the Maker website for more info.
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View Comments
@RobSandy
The Lagavulin 16 year is possibly the finest whiskey routinely offered for sale, however if your taste runs to islay whiskey you might find any of the many, much cheaper, Jura offerings to your liking, plus you can get a jersey to match which is a win win.
@Puffy
HED Belgium is what the tubular rim is called.
@dark42echo
It's certainly the best I've had. I bought a bottle after I finished my last degree.
I'm fond of Jura, as a budgetus option.
@ameezy
Damn! Two fuck ups in two articles. I'll get me coat.
@Puffy
I've HED wheels, the Ardennes and Jets, and race 'em both. Training, racing... whatev... they're fast, light and solid.
Two things I've yet to spring for: carbon wheels and power meter.
Brett's Jaegher was smoking' hot to begin with and these wheels are perfect complement to the bike. Gorgeous. How could a person not wanna ride every day with that bike in the stable?
@tessar
The Belgium is also a clincher - I know, I built some for myself. Great rims.
The Ardennes is the name of the wheelset that uses the Belgium rims, in case that's the confusion...
@RobSandy
I agree that the 16 y-o Lagavulin is a fine offering. However...
The Lagavulin and the 25 year old Bunnahabhain are both absolutely delicious - each in its own peculiar way. And while on the subject: if you should ever come across the cask-strength variety of Aberlour called 'A Bunadh', go for it. That one is at the top of my list, next time I'm at an airport.
@ErikdR
My mouth is actually watering. In the same way that I can't afford the bike or componentry I want, I can't afford to buy the whisky I want. In truth, if I had to choose I'd buy bike bits. Whisky is sadly temporary.
@RobSandy
True dat - but I just realised that I've had the Bunna 25 for more than half a year now - and the bottle is still almost half full. It's certainly not a matter of superhuman self-control on my part, either: a dram like that just has 'special occasion' written all over it - and I can nurse even a tiny glass for an hour or more. Sniff, sniff...
But yes: If I were forced to choose between good whiskey and good bike parts, the bike parts would win, hands-down.