Meet your Maker
The wheel has always fascinated me, and why wouldn’t it? It’s one of the oldest known inventions, with the earliest archeological example believed to be about 5500 years old. They get us from point A to point B every day, one way or another. Without the wheel, we’d be reduced to walking. It’s not natural. So when I got the chance to have a look at the Wheelworks team and their slick operation in action, I was more than a little excited. And the best part? I get to ride them!
I headed over to the salubrious Wellington beachside suburb of Lyall Bay to meet up with Wheelworks’ owner Tristan Thomas, a transplanted Canadian and former engineer who started the company in 2008 and has been churning out wheelsets in increasingly large numbers ever since. Recently Wheelworks have launched discipline-specific branding for their wheels, with the mountain bike side dubbed Flite and the road builds under the Maker moniker.
Tristan and his right hand man Gavin McCarthy ran me through the build process, and if you think it’s just a matter of chucking some spokes in and giving them a few turns, well you’d be very far from the mark: the process Tristan has developed over the years is one of precision, order and involves more than a few tools and tricks that most other builders wouldn’t even know of. I’ll do my best to run you through the steps as I watched my Maker/White Industries/DT x Velominati wheelset come to life.
I’ll be putting some time on these wheels over the next month or so and will bring a full ride report after that.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
Thanks for the insight into how these guys roll. I could sit and watch a master wheel builder all day, fascinating stuff.
Very pretty Brett. Looking forward to hearing how they ride.
I've also just got some lightweight carbon wheels. Vision TC24s with a quoted weight of 1280g. So far so good, they haven't collapsed under my bulk and seem to be very nimble.
Are those the T11's? Fucking gorgeous in chrome, I've been eyeing a set for myself actually. Looking forward to your report on them sir.
You ruined those wheels by going with clinchers. Disgraceful, especially for a Keeper.
I want that truing stand!
@frank
True story!
Ooh boy, having a set of wheels built up right now as well. Hoping they'll be ready for Le Tour mid-summer rolling.
@frank
Centrimaster, I think. Not too common in North America but I've heard good things about them. German quality for significantly less than P&K Lie.
@frank
Well, beggars can't be choosers! Tristan sells mainly clinchers to his clientele, and if I were actually buying these wheels I'd buy clinchers because A) I don't race; B) Practicality for everyday use and C) see A and B.
Or maybe I'd say "fuck A and B" and go with the heart, not the head...
Serious wheel envy.
And couldn't agree more on the part about the most important part of any shop activity. At least four times daily, whether in the shop or not.