Revolution Wheelworks

2011 Cross Wheels

2011-07-15T18:28:00.001-07:00

Update: As of 10/24/11, all options are available and in stock.

We have quite a few new options for cross this year. Some details and availability are still up in the air but I wanted to get the info out as soon as possible so folks can plan. Some are available now but not yet on our website. If you'd like to order any of the following items or get on a waiting list for those not yet available, just let us know (info@revolutionwheelworks.com).

I'm really excited about the options this fall since there's pretty much something for everyone. We have wide rims in both tubular and clincher, alloy and carbon, standard width rims, disc options in 130 or 135mm spacing, and single speed options.

I feel like we're pretty good with our stock right now but if history is any guide, we'll start running out of things by mid-September. Some of the carbon options in particular usually get snapped up pretty quickly for cross season.

REV-25X
Alloy Tubular
Price: $460
Weight: 1500 grams
Availability: Now
Depth: 25mm
Width: 19mm
Spokes: 24/28 Sapim Race/ Laser (CX-Ray Upgrade: $100)
Hubs: REVWW Signature Hubset

REV-27X
Alloy Clincher
Price: $460
Weight: 1500 grams
Availability: Now
Depth: 27mm
Width: 19mm
Spokes: 24/28 Sapim Race/ Laser (CX-Ray Upgrade $100)
Hubs: REVWW Signature Hubset

REV-20X (tubular)
Alloy Tubular
Price: $560
Weight: 1500 grams
Availability: Now
Depth: 20mm
Width: 23mm
Spokes: 24/28 Sapim Race/ Laser (CX-Ray Upgrade $100)
Hubs: REVWW Signature Hubset
*Note: Rim shape is optimized for cross tires. Road tires will not work.

REV-20X (clincher)
Alloy Clincher
Price: $560
Weight: 1500 grams
Availability: Now
Depth: 20mm
Width: 23mm
Spokes: 24/28 Sapim Race/ Laser (CX-Ray Upgrade $100)
Hubs: REVWW Signature Hubset

REV-50X
Carbon Tubular
Price: $960
Weight: 1410 grams
Availability: Now
Depth: 50mm
Width: 21mm
Spokes: 24/28 Sapim CX-Ray
Hubs: REVWW Signature Hubset

REV-33X
Carbon Tubular
Price: $1260
Weight: 1210 grams
Availability: Now
Depth: 33mm
Width: 23mm
Spokes: 24/28 Sapim CX-Ray
Hubs: REVWW Signature Hubset

REV-38X
Carbon Tubular
Price: $1260
Weight: 1310 grams
Availability: September
Depth: 38mm
Width: 23.8mm
Spokes: 24/28 Sapim CX-Ray
Hubs: REVWW Signature Hubset
*Note: Rim shape is optimized for cross tires. Road tires will not work.

Additional Options:

REVWW Signature Disc Hubs in either 130mm or 135mm rear spacing ($50) - Available late August

SS hubs: White Industries ENO (standard or eccentric) ($0) Matching H2 front hub ($50)

White Industries H2 / H3 Hub upgrade: $150

Black Spokes (CX-Ray only): $50

Inventory and Lead Time

2011-07-01T20:08:00.001-07:00

We are swamped! We are pretty well stocked for all of our models and should remain so through at least the beginning of cross season. However, lead time for builds will generally be about 2 weeks for the foreseeable future. If you need something in a hurry, let us know and we'll try our best but in general, figure on 2 weeks.

Odds & Ends

2011-06-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

We'll be adding a few more wheels to our line up shortly and you'll see details on those in the next few weeks. In the meantime, I'm trying to clear out some random custom sets we have in the shop and some tires. Feel free to contact me with any questions, if this blog post is still up, you can assume that the product is still available.

First off is a custom set that was built a few months back for a buyer that backed out. It's a set of the REV-50s built up with black White Industries hubs (H2 front & H3 rear). The freehub is Campy and is compatible with 11 speed. I don't have a scale handy at the moment but the White hubs are a few grams heavier than our standard hubs. White makes beautiful hubs and the titanium freehub is a nice touch on these. These normally go for $1110, but I can do this set for $900.

Next is a rear REV-27 built for a single speed with a White Ind. ENO hub (black). I was going to put this on my SS cross bike but went with another option. A freewheel was threaded on but it was never ridden. It uses 28 CX-Ray spokes laced 2 cross. Normally $320, this one is $250. I can add a matching front wheel for $200.

Lastly, I have several cross tubies that I'd like to clear out. There are a few options from Tufo but most are Challenge Grifo and Fango, mostly 32mm and one set of 34s. $70 each or $130 for any pair.

Free shipping on all the above.

Philly Endurance Sports Expo

2011-02-25T18:41:00.000-08:00

We'll be at the Endurance Sports Expo at the convention center in Oaks, PA this weekend. If you're in the area, make sure to check it out and stop by our booth.

http://endurancesportsexpo.com/

REV-27X

2010-11-23T17:24:00.000-08:00

We've made a few changes over the past few months to our alloy line up and I'd like to use a few posts here to outline the changes and introduce the new wheels, starting with the REV-27X.

For better or worse, the cycling industry has become increasingly specialized in the last 10-15 years. This, of course, extends to the wheel market and componentry in general and while many of these "innovations" are cause for celebration - cross canti's that actually work! - a lot of it can be overkill. 10 years ago, a Cat 3 racer with a TT bike and 4 sets of race wheels would be the subject of derision. Now, it's pretty much the norm. I'm not going to howl too loudly about all this since A. I'm a Cat 3 racer with more bikes and wheels than I care to mentally count at the moment, and B. I own a business that clearly benefits from this trend. However, I'll be the first to admit that for most of us, one decent bike with one good set of wheels is really all you need.

In that spirit, we've put together the REV-27X. It's not going to be the best wheel for any one thing, but I'm confident that it's the best wheel for everything. If your budget is around the $500 mark and you're looking for something that will be equally suitable for racing, training, cross, hills, crits or whatever, the REV-27X is a great option.

The price is $460 for the set and at just over 1500 grams, it's still lighter than most wheels at twice the price. This is $100 less than most of our alloy wheelsets and to hit this price point, we didn't skimp on quality. The hubs are the same signature REVWW hubs we use on all our wheels and the rims are the same 27mm deep aero rims we use for the more expensive REV-27. Like all our wheels, they are carefully built to order by hand (most likely my hands). The savings are in the spokes. The spokes we use for the REV-27X are not cheap by any means but the Sapim CX-Ray spokes we use in most of our other wheels are just extremely expensive.

So what about the spokes? The front wheel uses 24 two crossed Sapim Laser spokes. The Laser is a 2.0mm round spoke that is swaged to 1.5mm in its middle section. It's just as light as the CX-Ray and it's actually more aero than many larger bladed spokes. It's also very flexible which is important in terms of fatigue life. The rear wheel uses the same Laser spokes on the non-drive side but we opt for the Sapim Race spokes on the drive side. The Race spoke is, again, a 2.0mm round wire but the center section is only swaged to 1.8mm. This makes it a bit heavier and, more importantly, a bit stiffer. The drive side of a heavily dished rear wheel is where lateral stiffness is most wanting so even the marginal benefit of a slightly stiffer spoke is desirable. Using a heavier spoke on the drive side will also require additional tension from a lighter spoke on the non-drive side. Since the non-drive spoke tension on a dished wheel is never as high as we'd like, this is also beneficial.

Those benefits aside, the main reason we use Race spokes on the drive side is to achieve proper spoke tension in the first place. Since the center sections of the Laser spokes are so thin, the spokes are prone to twisting at higher tensions. As such, I'm not comfortable taking them beyond 90kgf when working with them. This is perfect for a front wheel and more than what is achievable on the non-drive side of a rear wheel but it's not high enough for the drive side.

But enough about spokes, here are the complete wheel specs:

Revolution Wheelworks REV-27X
Price: $460
Weight: 1510 grams
Rims: 27mm deep by 19mm wide alloy aero profile.
Hubs: REVWW signature sealed bearing hubset
Spokes: Sapim Laser Front & non-Drive, Sapim Race Drive - silver
Nipples: Sapim Polyax, Brass - silver

We have hubs!

2010-10-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

Everything is back in stock as of 20 minutes ago and our website should be updated in the next day or so. If you've already paid for a set, expect to get an email with a tracking number later this week or early next week. If you're interested in picking wheels up at Granouge this weekend, let me know ASAP so I can build them by Friday. Otherwise, build times should be about a week(ish) for any orders in the near future.

Inventory Update

2010-09-07T04:23:00.001-07:00

After a crazy August, we're out of stock in just about everything. We can do REV-50s and REV-30Ls but we only have a few left of each. We'll be getting more supplies at the end of September / early October so we'll be fully stocked by then and we'll even have some new stuff to announce.

Changes to Alloy Line up

2010-07-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

Over the next few months, we'll be making some changes to ultimately simplify our alloy line-up. The first thing to announce is a price change. Starting September 1st, all of our alloy wheels with CX-Ray spokes will be $560. A modest increase to be sure, but we wanted to give plenty of notice.

Secondly, we'll be removing the REV-22L from the website. It will still be available as an "off-menu" item but since the straight REV-22 with the 24/28 spoke build is more appropriate for 90% of our customers, it'll be the only wheelset we list on our site built on the 22mm rim going forward. We'll also be changing the build slightly to use alloy nipples on the front and non-drive side to keep it as light as possible. The new published weight will be 1325 grams for the set.

We'll also be changing the standard build of the REV-25x to a different spoke spec. In the past, we've used the Sapim CX-Ray across all models because it's simply the best spoke on the market and this allowed us to keep our inventory straightforward. The cost of the spokes, however, can be prohibitive and given it's intended use, it was the hardest to justify the cost on a wheel meant to be a somewhat budget friendly alloy cross tubular. So, going forward, the standard build for the REV-25x will use Sapim Laser (14/17) spokes on the front and non-drive rear, and Sapim Race (14/15) on the rear drive side. Since the Laser spokes weigh the same as the CX-Ray, the total weight of the wheelset is only 20g more at 1480g for the set but we can lower the price a full $100 to $460. The CX-Ray build option will still be available as an "off-menu" option.

We have a few other changes to the line-up coming down the pike but that's all I'm at liberty to say for the moment.

I'm Back

2010-07-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

I'm back and everything ordered while I was gone is shipping early this week. Everything is in stock and builds are running about 4-5 days at this point, which is probably a reasonable turnaround for the next few months as we expect to be busy in the run up to cross season. I also need to start giving myself deadlines for this blog. I have about a dozen or so drafts started about everything from new product announcements to rants on why ceramic bearings are pointless. One day I'll find the time.

Ten points to anyone who can tell me something interesting about the wheel in the picture below.

Status Update

2010-06-10T04:53:00.000-07:00

We currently have everything in stock and build times are running about a week.

I will be leaving for vacation on the 25th of June and will be back on July 9th so if you need something prior to mid-July, get your order in sooner than later.

Philadelphia International Championship

2010-06-03T19:40:00.000-07:00

If you're at the the TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship this Sunday, stop by the Revolution Wheelworks tent on Lemon Hill and say hello. We'll be serving up some burgers, dogs, and cold beverages with our friends from Human Zoom Bikes and Boards.

Here's a link to the course map:

http://www.procyclingtour.com/maps.htm?pab=1_3

29er Wheels and SS Options

2010-04-03T05:58:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I mentioned the introduction of some "off-menu" options. These have primarily been developed as additional options for the teams we work with but since pre-season orders are now taken care of, we can expand these offerings somewhat. They won't be available through our website and I can't guarantee they will always be in stock but if you'd like a set, just send us an email and we can take it from there.

That said, we'd like to introduce the REV-29er:

This is a disc brake only 29 inch diameter cross country wheelset. My primary disciplines in the sport are road and cross but I do love to ride and occasionally race my mountain bike. Since I have way too many bikes and prefer to minimize the time I spend maintaining them, I typically err on the side of sturdy and low maintenance vs "how light can we comfortably make this" when it comes to my mountain bike. So what we've come up with is a sturdy XC wheelset that should get you through everyday use with without incident and still provide plenty of performance come race day. It's got 32 three-crossed spokes front and rear paired with eyelet-ed rims but still comes in at the same weight as the Mavic C29ssmax (1750g) and is quite a bit less expensive.

Full Specs:

Rims: 32h Alloy w/ SS eyelets. 18.2mm internal width. 475 g. Can be converted to tubeless with Stans or Cafelatex.

Hubs:

Similar design to our road hubs but with additional seals between the end caps and bearings. Traditional 9mm dropouts.

154g front

280g rear

Traditional 6 bolt disc mount

Spokes:

Black Sapim Laser (2.0/1.5/2.0) spokes up front and non-drive rear and Sapim Race (2.0/1.7/2.0) spokes on the drive side. Alloy nipples on the front and non-drive side.

Total weight is about 1750g and the price is $550 for the set.

We can also do this as a single speed by utilizing the White Industries ENO (standard or eccentric) hub. It's a great hub that takes a standard BMX or White Industries freewheel. The weight for the disc version is about the same as our geared hub and since there's no dish to the rear wheel I use the Sapim Laser spokes on both the drive and non-drive sides of the wheel so that shaves a few grams.

We'll get some pictures up as soon as we can.

Supply and Demand

2010-03-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

We seem to have continuous problems with the supply side of the equation. Every time we think that we have the problem of running out of stock taken care of, we realize that we were a bit premature on declaring victory on the issue.

In the past, the problem was forecasting demand on our part. We were, and are, a growing business and scaling production is a challenge for any enterprise. This is a good problem to have and since increased demand equals increased cash flows, larger and more frequent stocks of inventory can be purchased and the problem takes care of itself.

Unfortunately, we're not the only ones who seem to have an imperfect ability to anticipate demand. Just about all of the suppliers we work with are working on a backlog due to higher than anticipated demand and/or unexpected production delays. While this is clearly a good sign for our business and the industry, it is nonetheless extremely frustrating for all involved. These issues should be worked out in the next couple of weeks, but in the meantime, here's where we stand:

REV-22L - Only a few left. Once they are gone they should be back by the first week in May.
REV-22 - Plenty Available. Allow 1-2 business days build time.
REV-25x - Plenty Available. Allow 1-2 business days build time.
REV-30L - Only a few left. Once they are gone they should be back by the first week in May.
REV-30 - Plenty Available. Allow 1-2 business days build time.
REV-50 - Should be back in stock in the next two weeks. Hoping to have an exact date soon.
REV-50X - Only a few left. Once they are gone they should be back by the first week in May.

PowerTap Options - Back ordered models should be here soon but I'm waiting to hear back on a certain date. We have a few models on order for stock but depending on the model/drilling/freehub options you need, it may take up to 4-6 weeks for delivery.

Again, my sincere apologies to anyone affected by these current delays. And since, I'm tired of using this blog to announce what we don't have in stock, watch this space in the coming week for some additional "off menu" wheelsets that we can build for you.

REV-50 backordered through late March

2010-02-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

One of these days I'll add some more interesting content here but for now, a few housekeeping issues. Until we get our next shipment of carbon around mid-March, we're out of the REV-50. Feel free backorder it through the site. Let us know your T-shirt size and we'll send something to hold you over until the wheels are available to ship.

The REV-50x are still in stock for now and even though we market them as a cross wheel, they're a great crit or "classics" wheelset, especially for larger or more powerful riders.

And speaking of early season races on crappy roads, the REV-25x is another of our cross tubular wheelsets that's great on the road.

2009 Cyclocross Recap

2010-01-17T05:55:00.000-08:00

This post is way overdue but things have been unexpectedly busy in the off-season so far. Not a bad thing by a long shot this blog has been easy to overlook. In any case, while my personal results were pretty poor by any standards, the racers we put on our wheels had some fantastic results.

Wins:

Valentin Scherz
Hillybilly Hustle
Highland Park CX -UCI
Wayne Scott Memorial CX @ Fair Hill
Spring Mount CX
Staten Island CX
Capital Cross

Kristin Gavin
Wayne Scott Memorial CX @ Fair Hill
Capital Cross

Bill Elliston
Horseshoe Scramble
Hidden Valley CX

Podiums

Valentin Scherz
3rd Granogue - UCI

Nikki Thiemann
2nd Capital Cross
3rd Green Mountain CX Day2 - UCI

Kristine Church
3rd PA CX State Championships

Bill Elliston
2nd SCCX Sussex County Cross
2nd Staten CX

I've probably missed quite a few results and along with these standouts there were countless top 5s and 10s in some of the nations most competitive cross races. Added to that are the many results posted in the amateur ranks by our racers in our sponsored clubs and customers across the county. I'm extremely proud of all our sponsored athletes and teams and while my chances of personally winning races are pretty low for the foreseeable future, it's a great feeling to have talented riders winning on wheels I've built.

And what are results without some incredible photos? Here's a sampling courtesy of Anthony Skorochod of cyclingcaptured.com

Shipping Map

2009-12-02T20:52:00.000-08:00

If you're ordering wheels as a holiday gift, please note the service map below to make sure you leave enough time for shipping. Most wheels are in stock and can ship the next business day but some orders may take 2-3 days prior to shipping. If you need a wheelset for a gift and are concerned about the timing, contact us so we can prioritize the build and discuss shipping options.

All Models Are Back In Stock

2009-11-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

A few models are available to ship immediately. Otherwise, figure a 2-3 day build time.

Mid Atlantic World Championships

2009-10-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

Granouge and Wissahickon were contested under some of the worst conditions that I can remember for the races. A nor'easter arrived here Wednesday night and didn't quit until Sunday afternoon. As expected, the races were pretty muddy, especially Granouge.

Valentin Scherz had a great weekend winning the U23 class each day and finishing 3rd overall in the elite race on Saturday behind Trebon and Wicks and 5th on Sunday.

Photos below are courtesy of Anthony Skorochod of cyclingcaptured.com. Anthony is a great guy who puts in long days at most area races making even the lowliest C-racer look like a pro.

Nikki Thiemann on the REV-50x on her way to 9th at Granouge. She finished 10th the following day at Wissahickon.

Kristine at Granogue on her way to a muddy 20th on her REV-30s. She finished 15th on Sunday. I know some folks like the mud but this does not look fun.

Kristin taking a clean bike from Charles on her way to 11th place. She finished 12th at Wissahickon on Sunday.

Mike Festa rode his REV-50x to 2nd on Saturday and 5th on Sunday in the B-race. To give you an idea of how bad the conditions were, the B-race had 22 DNF's and 28 riders who paid to enter but didn't bother showing up.

David Lowe looking for a clean line on his steath 25x's. I'm pretty sure they were the first one's I built and I never got around to putting decals on them.

Thanks for looking. I'll try and post some pics from Wiss if I have time later this week.

Another Weekend, Another Win

2009-10-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

Mike Festa took the win at the Iron Cross Lite B race on Saturday on his brand new pair of REV-50x cross wheels. You can read his race report here. I should mention that this was his second cross race ever and his first win in the discipline so you're not allowed to call him a "sandbagger." I'm probably going to have to get used to seeing his name well above mine in the results this season but as long as he's doing it on our wheels, I'm cool with it.

Congrats Mike!

Update: Two Wins! I missed this one initially, but Lenore Pipes also won the Elite Women's race at the Richmond Festival of Cross on her REV-50s. Congrats Lenore!

Stress Relief

2009-10-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

Gone Till November

2009-10-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

I should have an exact date in a few weeks but for now, we're looking at late November to have the REV-22, REV-25x, REV-30 or REV-50x back in stock. The REV-50 is available and makes a fine cross tubular for lighter riders. The REV-50x is available to rent from Echappe Equiptment and any rentals through Echappe earn you a $50 credit towards any of our wheels.

Gloucester, etc.

2009-10-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

Lots of racing this past weekend and lots of our wheels out there so the results are getting hard to keep track of. Our Elite Women, Nikki Thiemann and Kristin Gavin had a fantastic weekend in Gloucester with Nikki placing 8th and 10th and Kristin placing 12th and 7th. Nikki was racing on a set of REV-50s and Kristin was trying out a lighter carbon prototype that we're testing for the road next year.

I stayed closer to home and did the Hillbilly Hustle in Elmer, NJ. It's a laid back race on a great course and one of my favorites every year. I just barely got into the top 10 in the B race thanks to being able to stay upright on a technical course.

I'm also very happy to announce that we'll have Valentin Scherz from the Swiss national team racing on our wheels while he's stateside this fall. He arrived earlier last week and quickly got himself a win on Sunday at the Hillbilly Hustle. He rode a set of REV-25x's to victory this past weekend but once the glue cures, he'll be racing on another set of prototype carbon wheels that we're testing.

(Photo courtesy of Rita Berson. Valentin is the one who looks like he's about to win a bike race. I'm the one holding the beer.)

2 Sets of the REV-50x left

2009-10-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: These are gone. We'll have more by late November

I had a chance to sift through our inventory and was able to build two more sets of the REV-50x. These are the only ones left until late November. They're listed as "back-ordered" on our website so please contact us before ordering to make sure they are still available. If this post is still up, you can assume that I still have at least one on hand.

Inventory Update

2009-10-01T05:56:00.000-07:00

The run up to cross season has pretty much wiped out any model built with a 24/28 hubset. So we're essentially out of the REV-22, REV-25x, REV-30 and REV-50x. I may be able to build one or two sets of the 50x next week so contact me if you're interested. All of these models are listed as "back ordered" on the website. You can feel free to put an order in but they will probably not be shipped until late November.

Until then, the REV-22L and REV-50 are in stock and the REV-30L should be available within a week or so (still waiting on some back ordered spokes).

If you're still looking for cross wheels, the REV-50 is a fine choice for most lighter riders. In fact, when I realized we were getting low on the REV-50x, I had no qualms about putting all of our sponsored riders on the REV-50 instead. With a lower spoke count, it's not quite as stoutly built as the 50x but it's still sturdier than most of the carbon tubulars out there. Similarly, I have no problems with recommending the REV-30L as a suitable cross clincher for all but the heaviest riders.

Setting up Your Cyclocross Brakes

2009-09-25T18:56:00.000-07:00

Last year, I set up my new cyclocross race bike from scratch, piece by piece. It was the first time I've done so in about 7 years and for the most part, I was very happy with the bike. This year, aside from testing some new wheels and tires, the only thing I'll be changing is the brakes. I decided to post the details here since it may be instructive to some of you and proper brake set up does effect rim longevity.

Initially, I had the bike set up with TRP Eurox brakes. They are relatively light and inexpensive and the design is straightforward enough. Unfortunately, I just cound not get them set up to work very well. The most obvious problem was the lack of toe adjustment. Most cantilevers use smooth post pads that can be toed simply by bending them in a vice. A bit crude but it works. These however, use posts with a pad holder for standard road cartridge pads. Convenient, but less adjustable (they have since corrected this with an adjustable toe pad holder). In any case, it's not a big problem since any smooth post canti pad will work with them.

The bigger problem for me was that the geometry of the brake had the pad very close to the canti post and there was no vertical adjustment available. The pad had to be angled sharply upwards to meet the rim. Ideally, the pad will hit perfectly perpendicular to the rim with an appropriate amount of toe-in. This was impossible to achieve with these brakes.

This is bad in two ways: 1) Brake performance is subpar and 2) The rim receives added stress due to the smaller contact patch of the pad, leading to premature rim wear.

To be fair, this may not be an issue for all bikes. Canti posts may be set higher on other frames and forks that may make this less of an issue but for my particular set up (Cannondale CAAD 9 with Easton EC90 fork) there was no way to make these brakes perform to my standards.

So what to replace them with?

I decided that my brakes for this year would need two things: toe adjustment and pad height adjustment. The two brakes I was considering with these features were the Avid Shortys or Paul Neo Retro/ Touring Canti.

Initially, I thought I'd go with the Avids. They are a good bit cheaper and work well. Additionally, they use road cartridge pad holders with V-type adjustment features making them very convenient for set up and pad changes. The did have one issue that ended up being a dealbreaker: no straddle cable. Normally, I wouldn't really care but I had been using these super awesome novelty straddle cable holders that I found in a dusty bin somewhere, a relic of early 90's when mountain biking was trendy and V-brakes had not yet gained dominance (I think there were also some purple annodized peace sign straddle cables in the bin with them and I can only assume they will stay there for all of eternity).

But the Paul's had issues as well. I did like the low weight and great retro looks and the ability to use the stonger Neo Retro model on the front and the calf saving Touring Canti in the back. However, the brake pads, standard V-brake rubber, were not as appealing as the Avids. Luckily, Avid sells their Shorty pad holders separately and after a quick addition of the glorious Swissstop Yellow King inserts, I was in business.

I rode the bike with the new brakes for the first time this past weekend at Charm City. These are the best brakes I've ever used, hands down. They were quiet, predictable and smooth, even with brand new carbon rims and much better and quieter than my bike last year with alloy rims.

A few models are out of stock

2009-09-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

Like all sensible Europeans, everyone at Sapim takes a break during the month of August. As a result, we're running short in a few lengths for the CX-Ray and are unable to build a few models for the next week or so until we get some more spokes in. We are effectively out of stock in the following models: REV-25x, REV-30L, REV-30 & REV-50x. Feel free to backorder the wheels through the site. As soon as the wheels are available, I'll contact you to let you know when they will ship.

We're also starting to run low on hubs in the 24/28 drilling so there may be some addtional inventory issues going into the fall. We should be fully stocked in everything by late November.

Even when we're out of stock this fall, you can always rent the REV-50x for cross races this fall from Echappe Equipment. Rentals are $50 for the day and anyone who rents through Echappe gets a discount code for $50 off the purchase of any of our wheels.

Cross Season is Here! Weekend Recap

2009-09-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: David Lowe (I think so anyway since I stole it from his blog)

The first major race weekend of the season has come and gone and it was a good one for us. While I couldn't make it to Trexlertown for the first round of the MAC series, I did get to Baltimore for Charm City. The Evil Empire, er... C3 put on a great event that seems to get bigger and better every year. It's one of my favorite courses and the perfect event to kick off the season.

Our sponsored riders were out in force this weekend. The HumanZoom/PBR women had some great results with Kristin Gavin getting 5th both days on her 25x tubulars paired with Grifo XS tires. Nikki rode the REV-25x with Fangos to an 8th place finish on both Saturday and Sunday. Kristine Church rode a set of the REV-30s to 16th place on Saturday and 18th on Sunday. A stealth set of REV-50s may or may not have won the elite women's event both days but I'm not sure how much I can say about that one.

Ken Dietch (REV-50x) rode to 14th on Saturday and 25th on Sunday in the B-Masters races and David Lowe (REV-25x) held his own with the fastest old men out there to finish 11th and 10th over the course of the weekend.

Gabe Lloyd (REV-50) of Echappe Equiptment rode in the elite mens race to 26th on Saturday while nursing a wrist injury. Bill Elliston (REV-50) finished 15th in the elite race on Saturday and 22nd on Sunday.

Bill is a long time professional in the sport and we're excited to partner with him. He has brought his many years of experience in road and cross racing to his role as a coach with Elliston Coaching. If you're local to the area and looking for good coach, I highly recommend checking him out.

My race went well considering my complete lack of training this summer. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had a first row starting position thanks to last season's points and I think I ended up somewhere in the top half of the 125 rider field. My cross bike, which I hadn't riden since January, performed flawlessly and I'm extremely excited about a pair of prototype cross wheels that I'll be testing this season.

The next MAC weekend will be Granouge and Wissahickon and we'll be sponsoring and exhibiting at the Wissahickon race. I can almost guarantee that we'll be sold out of cross wheels by that point but feel free to stop by and check out the wheels in person.

Lastly, I offer this to all of the good men and women working in the pits this cross season:

Does Heavier Equal Stronger?

2009-09-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

It's often the case that adding material, and therefore weight, to a component will make it stronger and more durable. With rims, for example, this is generally true. So does a heavier wheel always make for a stronger, more durable and more resilient wheel? No. Anytime we have an opportunity to make a wheel lighter while maintaining the same or greater durability, we try to take it. Our alloy cross wheels, the REV-25x, for example weigh 1460g. Not spectacularly light but given what they are built for, they are significantly lighter than most other alloy wheels being sold for cyclocross use. So how do we make a stronger, lighter wheel? We've carefully sourced all our components but much of the credit goes to the often overlooked spoke.

Invisible components

Next time you're looking over some mid to high range road or mountain bikes, check the specs to see what headset, bottom bracket and cassette are used. Are they on par with the other components on the bike? Probably not. These are very important components but most manufacturers will source them as cheaply as possible since most people won't bother to look at these parts in much detail. Spokes too, are largely invisible to the consumer. Most people can differentiate between round or bladed and silver or black, but that's about it. The subtle variations in thickness, forging techniques, nipples, etc. and the associated benefits and costs are easy to overlook. It's no surprise then that most manufacturers will use cheap spokes to cut costs.

We use Sapim CX-Ray spokes for all our wheels. These are the gold standard for spokes and are very expensive. What makes the CX-Ray so great is that it is both the lightest available steel spoke and also the strongest and most aerodynamic. Most wheelsets in the same price range of ours use much cheaper spokes. A straight 2.0mm (14 gauge) spoke weighs about 7 grams. A CX-Ray spoke weighs about 4.5 grams. On a 24/28 spoke wheelset, this is a weight difference of more than a quarter pound. Aerodynamic advantage is more obvious. Round objects don't go through air very well. Oval objects do. A round spoke with a 2.0mm cross section will be significantly less efficient than and oval spoke with a 0.9mm cross section.

But wouldn't a thicker, heavier spoke be stronger?

When discussing shear strength (the force needed to cut through it) yes, the 14 gauge spoke is stronger. Generally speaking though, when we throw around terms like strength and durability with regard to spokes, we are talking about fatigue resistance. And no spokes has been tested to have better fatigue resistance than the CX-Ray. As the wheel rotates, the spokes at the bottom of the rotation lose tension to some degree. Each spoke on the wheel is cycling from a lower to higher tension with every rotation of the wheel. These constant stresses on the spoke will eventually lead it to fail, typically at the spoke head or where the spoke leaves the nipple. Straight gauge spokes have the least fatigue resistance. Their uniform thickness does not allow them to efficiently absorb the stresses that a wheel experiences as it rotates and the spoke will break much sooner than a more flexible spoke. The CX-Ray is 14 gauge (2.0mm) at the spoke head and nipple threads but swaged (or butted if you will) to 17 gauge (1.5mm) at the center. That butted section is then forged to an oval shape that is 2.3mm x 0.9mm. This makes for a very flexible spoke that is much better at absorbing the stress that the wheels experiences as they rotate under load. There is a reason that top mountain and BMX racers insist that their wheels are built with these spokes and it doesn't have much to do with their aerodynamic properties.

The nipples are also important. Unlike just about every other nipple on the market that leaves the rim at a fixed angle, the Sapim Poly-ax nipple allows for a subtle angling of the nipple as it leaves the rim. This allows for a straighter path for the spoke from the hub to the rim, resulting in less stress to the spoke.

So why isn't it more widely used?

As I mentioned before, it's very expensive. The CX-Ray costs more than 8 times as much as a straight gauge spoke by Sapim and more than 10 times as much as straight 14g spokes from Asian suppliers. These costs can be hard to justify when the buying public has very little knowledge about what makes one spoke better than another and when the stronger spoke is paradoxically much lighter than the weaker one. Being a smaller manufacturer (I can only build so many of these things), we can ignore the mass market and give our customers a bit more credit when it comes to evaluating our products based on the important details that are often lost in the marketing of most products in this industry. This topic probably deserves its own post (and every time I try to write it, it comes out way too arrogant) but I genuinely believe that there are a lot of bad products out there simply because they are designed around what consumers think they want instead of what experts know is best (cheap ceramic bearings is a good example of this).

How can we use such expensive componentry on such reasonably priced wheels?

I've answered this here to some extent but it basically comes down to selling direct to the consumer and disciplined cost management. We're a very good size for what we do. We can purchase our materials in large enough quantities to maximize economies of scale, minimizing variable costs. But since we're so small, fixed costs can be kept to a minimum. We're happy to grow our business organically so we have no debt to service or outside owners to please and we don't have to sell too many wheels to sustain our operations.

Truing Wheels with Thin, Bladed Spokes

2009-09-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

All of our wheels are carefully built to tight tolerances and appropriate, equal tension. They are stress relieved before finishing. Even so, they may need the occasional tweak with a truing wrench. While I suspect most of you will be taking these to your LBS for such service, if you're familiar with the process and have the right tools, there's no reason why you can't do it yourself. If you've only worked with round spokes in the past, however, your tools and technique may need to be adjusted.

Thin, bladed spokes like the SAPIM CX-Ray that we use must be held in place when turning the nipple. Otherwise, the spoke will just twist right along with the nipple. Sapim does make a tool for this, but in my opinion, it's an overpriced piece of plastic with limited utility. I like to use it when working with internal nipples on our carbon rims but with traditional nipples, the tool needs to be placed too high on the spoke to really be effective.

The spoke holder I most prefer for this is made by DT Swiss for their aerolite spoke. Since the spoke dimensions for this and the CX-Ray are essentially the same, I find it works just as well for either.

As you can see, this is a sturdy piece of steel that holds the spoke at its base, allowing one to turn the nipple without twisting the spoke, even at high tensions.

As for the wrench, a 4-sided model with clearance for the holder is recommended. I use the Park Tool SW-20 but I'm sure there are others out there that fit the bill.

2-sided:

4-sided:
DT spoke holder and Park SW-20 at work:

Muur & Berg

2009-08-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much time to add meaningful content to this space... and I still don't. Thankfully, friend, teammate and repeat customer Ken Dietch has offered a hell of a ride report after taking his REV-30s to the cobbles of Flanders. Thanks Ken!

-JK

So if your wife says, "I have a weeks confrence based in Bruges, Belgium, if you would like to go, lets get a miles ticket and meet me over there...." You should probably make that plan. I stuffed the R-3 SL in a bike box and jumped at the chance. Woody from Cadence and Chris Pagoda had told me all about riding over there, and I figured I could take a day when Kelly was at work to ride a chunk of the Ronde course.

Here's the skinny on riding over there. 1. You can take a train with your bike. Anywhere. 2. There are 900 miles of marked bike only paths in west flanders alone. All you need is the map to get from point A to point B. 3. The town of Oodenarde has a center of the tour de flanders mueseum, with 3 marked routes totalling 260K that you can ride hitting all of the major climbs for the classics...... 4.Every road has a marked path as well.

I planned my route from Bruges to Oodenarde. Once there, I would link up as many climbs as possible untill i had to get back to Bruges.

This is the Market Square where the Tour starts.

This is a cycling map of the area. You figure out how to get from point A to B by matching up green # signs. Ride from sign to sign, you can't get lost easily. On a 106 mile ride, I was on roads with cars 3 miles.

The bar in the museum of the Tour de Flanders in Oodenarde. 'Nuff said. Cycling on wide screen from opening to close, Belgian Beers on tap, Frites, and Old kits from winners of the tour on the wall. Best bar in the world??????

The pitch of the Koppenberg: 20%. If you have ever gone up the one in philly at the beginning of the towpath, double its legnth, make the cobbles worse, and imagine 100,000 fans..........I asked Brian Walton about this from Cadence. He said the climb isn't the hard part. Its the 5k before on roads just as narrow as everyone is drilling it to get to the front that hurts

Ground eye view of cobbles

Have to give massive shout-out to JK and Andy at Revolution. These things are great! Rev-30 built on a Powertap SL+, They never skipped a beat on some of the harshest terrain you can ride a road bike on. I rode a set of 23mm tires, I'll bet on a set of 27 mm Pave tires they would be even better. I will be training for Cross on these, and racing on a set of Carbon Revolutions this year........

Yup....these are the same roads they race on. Now start bitching about yellow line rules........

The old Kwermont. 2.4K of this...........

Cross Packages

2009-08-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

As of now, our cross packages are no longer available. Thanks to everyone who took advantage of the package deals but I'm going to have to end it since Challenge tires and low geared cassettes are becoming harder and harder to find as cross season rapidly approaches. Hopefully we'll be able to put these together again next year and maybe do some road packages this spring.

We're also starting to get low on the REV-25x and to a lesser extent, the 50x so I'd recommend placing your order sooner than later if you need at set for the fall. Build times are running 3-4 business days.

Review Roundup - REV-22 & REV-30

2009-08-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

This post is a few weeks overdue at this point but we do have a couple of reviews out there for some alloy wheels to share (REV-50 and 50x reviews can be found here and here).

A review of the REV-22 from Mark Albrecht of Ski Bike Junkie can be found here.

And David Lawson of SoCal Cowbells has a review of the REV-30 here.

Both blogs are worth adding to your reader.

Thanks guys. Glad you like the wheels!

Team Sponsorship

2009-08-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to those of you who have contacted us regarding sponsorship. Supporting grassroots racing programs, especially cyclocross, is a very important aspect of our business. At this point, however, we are at maximum capacity with the number of teams we can support and will not be able to entertain any additional requests for the foreseeable future.

We are pleased to have an exciting line up of teams and athletes from all over the country for the '09-'10 season and look forward to using this space for race reports throughout the rest of the year.

Back

2009-08-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

After a week on the beach in South Jersey, I'm back. Everything is in stock so we're back to a somewhat normal schedule of building and shipping within two or three business days of receiving an order. I did have to bring a few wheelsets with me to keep on track but I did have some help.

She's starting to get the hang of it but can be easily distracted.

Anyway, while I was in South Jersey, cyclocross season was getting an early start in the opposite corner of the state. Without the time to build team wheels and glue tires on them, I had to give Nikki a set of 22Ls with some Maxxis clinchers and wasn't able to find anything for Kristin to race on. Still, they were able to finish 2 and 3 respectivly at Spectracross for the Friday evening round. Over the next month, I'll be sure to get our fleet of cross wheels together so they have some respectable tubulars to race on.

Some great photos of the event can be found here and here

REV-30 vs. the REV-30L

2009-08-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

We've had a new model, the REV-30L, out there for a few weeks and it's quickly become our most popular offering so I figured it needed a proper introduction. And since it's similar to our REV-30, we might as well compare the two.

So what's the difference?

It is built on the same 30mm aero profiled rim as the REV-30 and the same hubset as all of our wheels. The main difference is the spoke count. The 30L is built using 20 radial laced spokes in the front and 24 twice crossed spokes in the rear and the 30 is similarly laced but uses four extra spokes per wheel for a 24/28 build. The 30L uses alloy nipples on the front wheel and non-drive side on the rear. Brass nipples are used on the drive side. The 30 uses brass nipples all around. The 30L weighs about 1460g for the set and the 30 weighs about 1525g.

Why do I want a set?

Since the rim profile makes for a sufficiently stiff and durable wheel, most riders can get away with the lower spoke count. The purpose of the 30L is to be a great all around race wheel and a daily trainer for lighter riders. It's lower spoke count and aero profile make it a great clincher for TTs or Tri's for those of us who would rather do without the expense and hassle of carbon wheels. Cross winds should not be an issue for anyone but the lightest of riders.

Like the REV-30, the REV-30L is a very versatile wheelset. A good balance of lightweight, aerodynamics, strength, stiffness and affordability. Larger riders, those looking for a cyclocross clincher (yes, I'll admit there are some situations that call for clinchers on a cross bike) or riders with a habit of breaking things should take the 65g insurance policy and go with the REV-30 over the REV-30L. The higher spoke count of the REV-30 will also make it a bit stiffer if that's a consideration. Additionally, I can build the REV-30 with a 2x front lacing - let's call it the REV-30x. This is an especially good option for cross since the crossed spokes will make for a somewhat more resilient wheel over rough terrain.

Those of you with too much time on your hands may have noticed that the picture of the REV-30L on our website is of a wheel with a 24/28 spoke count. Indeed, this a picture of the REV-30. We haven't had a chance to get the REV-30L in the studio for some proper photos. While I'm on the subject I should also note that all the photos of our wheels were taken prior to switching over to the Sapim CX-Ray spoke. So, the wheels you pull out of the box will look even prettier than the ones you see on our site.

A Week Off

2009-07-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

I will be heading to lovely Jersey Shore for a much needed week of vacation on August 1. I was hoping to have a bunch of wheels pre-built that Andy could ship out in my absence but things have been a bit busier than expected so that is likely not going to happen. Anything ordered before midnight on Tuesday will be built and shipped by the end of the week. Orders placed after that point will be shipped once I get back. I'll still be checking my email all week so if you have any questions for us, don't be shy. Thanks.

Enabling the Addiction

2009-06-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

Update: As of 8/25/09 these packages are no longer available. Maybe next year.

The nice thing about cyclocross is that you can get into it without too much cost. Throw some skinnier tires on your mountain bike and sign up for the nearest "C" race. Stop by the LBS and get one of the many entry level options out there for cross, and along with a passable race bike, you'll end up with a versatile commuter as well. My first cross bike was an old touring frame I got from a coach with a bunch of mismatched parts I found at a swap meets.

Thing is, once you get a taste of cross and it goes from "something to keep me active in the off-season" to the highlight and focus of your racing schedule, excuses to buy more and expensive bikes and equipment make themselves apparent and even the most frugal among us tends to amass quite a collection of cross stuff.

Assuming you have a decent frame and components, wheels and tires are probably the most important x-factor in how the bike performs so allow me to highlight a few scenarios where upgrades could be in order:

That off-camber at Granouge where your tires couldn't hook up (even though you were running your clinchers at a precarious 34 psi) and you lost a few places as you slid halfway down the hill and into the course tape. Could have used some nice supple tubies.

The next day at Wissahickon where you dropped the pressure to 31 psi and pinch flatted coming onto the pavement transition and you didn't have a spare set of wheels in the pit. Again, tubulars and/or a spare set of wheels, would have really helped.

At the Mercer cup mud fest where your box section rims got bogged down in all that mud and sand. Could have really used some deeper carbon rims to mitigate the mud bog vacuum effect.

And again at Mercer where the course was so unrideable that you had to carry your bike for half the race. Those heavy stock wheels weren't making it any easier.

Now that I have some horrifying, race ending scenes rattling around in you head, let me offer some solutions and enable your addiction. Introducing the Revolution Wheelworks cross packages: The most cost effective way to out fit your "A" bike, your pit bike and maybe even your other pit bike and make sure you always have the right tire for the course.

Package 1: The Cross Package

2 sets of REV-25x cross tubulars - Retail: $1040
2 sets of Challenge tires (choose from Fango, Grifo and XS) - Retail: $360
4 Wheelbags - Retail: $140
2 SRAM OG1070 cassettes - Retail: $190
1 set of Swissstop Yellow King brake pads - Retail: $50
2 pair of REVWW socks (included with wheels)
Shipping: $70

Total: $1850
Package Price: $1600 ($250 savings)
Use the savings on: Enough PBR to last you and your team for the entire cross season.

Package 2: The C2 Package

1 set of REV-25x cross tubulars - Retail: $520
1 set of REV-50x carbon cross tubulars - Retail: $960
2 sets of Challenge tires (choose from Fango, Grifo and XS) - Retail: $360
4 Wheelbags - Retail: $140
2 SRAM OG1070 cassettes - Retail: $190
1 set of Swissstop Yellow King brake pads (included with 50x)
1 set of valve extenders (included with 50x)
1 Spoke tool for internal nipples - Retail: $15
2 pair of REVWW socks (included with wheels)

Shipping: $70

Total: $2255
Package Price: $1900 ($355 savings)
Use the savings on: Yeungling for the team and a few cases of DogFish Head 90min IPA for you.

Package 3: The C1 Package

2 sets of REV-25x cross tubulars - Retail: $1040
1 set of REV-50x carbon cross tubulars - Retail: $960
3 sets of Challenge tires (choose from Fango, Grifo and XS) - Retail: $540
6 Wheelbags - Retail: $210
3 SRAM OG1070 cassettes - Retail: $285
1 set of Swissstop Yellow King brake pads (included with 50x)
1 Spoke tool for internal nipples - Retail: $15
1 set of valve extenders (included with 50x)
3 pairs of REVWW socks (included with wheels)
Shipping: $105

Total: $3155
Package Price: $2595 ($560 savings)
Use the savings on: Victory Lager for the team and a few cases of Ommegang for you.

Package 3: The World Cup Package

1 set of REV-25x cross tubulars - Retail: $520
2 sets of REV-50x carbon cross tubulars - Retail: $1920
3 sets of Challenge tires (choose from Fango, Grifo and XS) - Retail: $540
6 Wheelbags - Retail: $210
3 SRAM OG1070 cassettes - Retail: $285
2 sets of Swissstop Yellow King brake pads (included with 50x)
1 Spoke tool for internal nipples - Retail: $15
2 sets of valve extenders (included with 50x)
3 pairs of REVWW socks (included with wheels)
Shipping: $105

Total: $3595
Package Price: $2895 ($700 savings)
Use the savings on: A flight to Belgium for some world cup action.

The packages aren't cheap but of you look at all you're getting, I think you'd have to admit that it's a darn good value. Considering that you can easily spend $3000 for one set of race wheels and tires, $2900 for 3 sets isn't too bad.

These packages won't be on our site (not yet at least) so just email us if you are interested. We'll talk about tire choice, gearing options and possible substitutions. Challenge tubulars tend to get scarce once cross season gets in full swing so ordering early is advised. Also, you'll want to give us about a week to get the whole shebang together for you. We'll try to stock as much as we can, but we may run out of certain tires and/or cassette options and need a few extra days to order them. I can't guarantee that the package deals will last forever (or even through the duration of cross season).

Tubular glue is conspicuously absent from the packages as I don't have a ready source for Mastik One.

Pricing on the REV-25x assumes a build with Sapim CX-Ray spokes since we're almost out of the PSR 1420 spokes we originally used.

Mavic R-Sys Deathwatch

2009-06-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough week for Mavic as the R-sys explodes under the many of the nation's prominent tech editors. First we had bikehugger's David Schloss, whose first generation, non-recalled R-sys rear wheel lost all it's non-drive spokes. He points out that these spokes are the same as the ones on the front wheel that were recalled and wonders why the rear wasn't replaced under the program as well. The sad truth, of course, is that these recalls only happen when something catastrophic (like having your front wheel dissolve without warning) is likely to occur. Since the rear wheel did use metal spokes for the drive side, even if all the non-drive spokes were to fail, the wheel would not collapse. You might still crash, and the wheel would, of course, be ruined, but the consequences would be less dire. Still, the argument that the rear wheel should have been included in the recall was a valid one.

Then, yesterday, Velonews editor Ben Delaney renders the point moot when his post recall R-sys front wheel explodes while making a left turn. He includes lots of damning pictures and eyewitness accounts to refute Mavic's claim that it was most likely "user error." The fact that a prominent publication would post to their site such an indictment of a major advertiser should give anyone pause before plunking down $1400 for a set of wheels that is more likely than most to break one's scapula.

Today, others have joined in. Dan Seaton at gearratios.org expresses the frustration of many current R-sys owners who wonder what the hell they are going to do with their wheels at this point. BSNYC adds his trademark wit and turn of phrase to the topic and also points out that Competitive Cyclist has already stopped selling the things. I'm sure others have voiced opinions as well, but that was just a sampling of what came across my rss reader in the last 48 hours.

My guess is that the R-sys will not be around much longer. They haven't been selling well to begin with and the constant stream of bad publicity certainly doesn't help. The question is whether they will be recalled again or just left to die. This does leave current owners in a bind. On the one hand, they may benefit if there is another recall and Mavic ponies up with something useful. The more likely scenario is that the wheel will be discontinued, and the current ones, no longer inspiring the confidence required of race wheels, will languish on Ebay. It's not a good sign that you can already get a brand new set of the premium version at $600 below retail.

Filling in the Corners

2009-06-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

The bulk of our sales at this point come from word of mouth referrals. We want people excited about our products and telling their friends about us, so grassroots sponsorships have been an important part of our business model. Our sponsorship program has grown tremendously this season and we're just about at capacity but we are looking for teams in certain locations where we're lacking exposure. Specifically, New England, the Pacific Northwest and Colorado. We're looking for teams that are respected in their communities and have a strong focus on cyclocross. Junior programs are a plus. Winning races is always a plus but I find winning somewhat overrated (probably because the last race I won was 8 years ago). But really, we'd much rather have our wheels under pack fill who are eager to share a beer after a race than some jerk who happens to be really fast.

Riders on sponsored teams get a solid discount, schwag, opportunities to test new models before we bring them to market and as much support as we can afford to give for races the team puts on.

The goal here is to establish long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with great teams. If you'd think your team would be a good fit, please fill out our sponsorship application here and send it to info (at) revolutionwheelworks (dot) com.

Gluing Tubulars

2009-05-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to make this a tutorial because you can find plenty of those all over the web - here, here & here (okay, not that last one) and I really don't have much to add to the subject. Once you do it a few times, you'll realize how straightforward it is. The best way to learn is from someone who knows what they are doing so grab a six pack of good beer and make nice with a local mechanic.

I will try to answer a few questions we've gotten and make a few suggestions. So first off, type of glue: Vittoria Mastik One is what I use. Others will work but I've found this to be the best.

Tape: With the possible exception of the glue / tape combo method for cross tires (I don't personally use this but I've seen it done with success and I hear it's all the rage in Belgium), I do not recommend tubular tape for our carbon rims. Tufo tape is really, really strong and I've seen it actually pull away a layer of carbon when taking the tire off the rim. To my knowledge, no one has had this happen with any of our rims but I've seen it happen to a variety of others and I wouldn't want to chance it. If this does happen to you while using tape, we would not consider this a warranty issue but we would be able to rebuild the wheel for you under our very reasonable rim replacement program.

If you do decide to use Tufo tape on any wheels, it's important that you only use Tufo tires or tires that are similarly constructed. Tape depends on a very strong adhesive that holds the center of the tire to the rim (as opposed to glue that depends on a strong bond at the edge of the rim). This can be problematic for tires with a visable seam down the center or any type of coating on the base tape.

Never use only tape for cross tires. Without the edges glued down, there is a good chance that dirt and water will eventually seep in and when contaminants are added to low pressure and off cambers, the result is likely to be a rolled tire.

A Note on Listed Weights

2009-05-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

We're not sure how some other manufacturers come up with the weights they list for their wheels or other componentry but it's no secret that the published weights for many products in the industry only seem to exist in an alternate reality (or maybe on a planet with less gravitational pull?).

Our wheelset weights are as follows:

REV-22L 1290g
REV-22 1350g
REV-25x 1460g
REV-30 1530g
REV-50 1360g
REV-50x 1400g

This may sound crazy but the weights we list here and on our site are derived from a strict process where we actually weigh the wheels. There is, of course, some slight variation so we take the average of many wheels built in the same model and round up.

Approximately 75% of the wheels we sell will arrive slightly lighter than the listed weight. Of the ones that arrive on the heavier side, we guarantee that they will not be more than 2% heavier than the listed weight. We can guarantee this because each wheel is weighed before we send them out the door. Therefore, the allowable range that our wheels could weigh is as follows:

REV-22L 1264-1316g
REV-22 1323-1377g
REV-25x 1431-1489g
REV-30 1499-1561g
REV-50 1333-1387g
REV-50x 1372-1428g

Our Sponsored Athletes

2009-05-25T08:10:00.000-07:00

Nikki Thiemann and Kristin Gavin are two of the nicest women you'll ever meet... right up to the point when they tear your legs off and kick your ass with them.

We're very excited to announce that these elite riders on the HumanZoom / Pabst Blue Ribbon squad will be riding our wheels for the '09/'10 cross season (and hopefully beyond). In their first season at the Elite level, Kristin and Nikki finished 3rd and 4th in the super competitive MAC series (And on clinchers, no less!). Their focus for this fall will continue to be on the Mid-Atlantic, but you'll also see them competing at some of the larger UCI races throughout the country.

While they will have our standard REV-50x and REV-25x cross specific wheelsets available to them, we also plan on getting some prototypes under them for some testing in the harsh conditions of cross.

REV-30 - Out of Stock

2009-05-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry to say that we've exhausted our inventory of the REV-30 wheelset. Supplies are on their way but it looks like they'll be out of stock until late June or early July (I should have an exact date soon). By the end of this summer, these inventory hiccups should be less of an issue.

And now for the good news: For as long as we're out of stock on this model, we'll be offering them for pre-order at $50 off. So yeah, $450 - not a bad deal for having to wait a few weeks.

We also have the spoke upgrade to Sapim CX-Ray available for an additional $40. If you're interested in this, just drop us a line and we'll send you an invoice.

Revolution Wheelworks REV-50 Review

2009-05-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

In short:

"Verdict

These wheels are maybe 95% as good as Zipps, for 42% of the price. Unless you're lighting cigars with twenty dollar bills these babies are hard to beat."

Full Review Here

Hub Details

2009-05-20T19:55:00.001-07:00

We've been getting a lot of questions on our hubs lately so I thought it best to address it here with a post.

Like the other components in the wheels, the hubs use a simple, proven design. Part of the reason we can keep our costs down is because we have no interest in engineering complex, proprietary parts. We simply take our pick of the best technology available and, as is true of many things, the best option tends to be the simplest.

The front hub is 82g and consists of a forged aluminum hub shell, a 10mm aluminum axle, two aluminum end caps and a pair of quality Japanese made sealed bearings.

The rear hub is 222g and also uses a forged aluminum shell and has a larger (15mm) aluminum axle for increased stiffness. Again, sealed bearings of high quality and easily found sizes for quick replacement when needed. The freehub body uses a standard 3 pawl design with 34 engagement points. It is made of alloy and can be quickly exchanged between Shimano and Campy (10 speed only at this point). I did a post related to this a while back.

The main drawback with alloy cassette bodies is that they tend to get marred by the cassette after a while. This can be mitigated by using steel (heavy) or titanium (expensive, still somewhat soft and heavy). Instead we chose to simply make them easily removable and have replacements available at cost ($40) in case they get too chewed up.

Keep the questions coming! If we get a lot of similar inquiries, I'll try to address them here. We are generally quick to respond to all emails the day we get them but things have been getting pretty busy. If you contact us and don't hear back within a couple of days, feel free to assume it got lost in the shuffle and send it our way once more.

Inventory Update

2009-05-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

Right now we're fully stocked and wheels are shipping next day. We've even got PowerTap SL+ hubs in stock so those can be built to order within a few days.

That said, we are running very low on a few of our alloy rimmed models, especially the REV-30, so if you're considering one of these, get your order in quickly. If we do run out of anything, we should be fully stocked again by late June/ early July.

Changes to Carbon Wheels

2009-05-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

We're making a few slight but important changes to the REV-50 and REV-50x. First off, price. Going forward, they will be $960 instead of $900. So what do you get for the extra $60?

Spokes.

Yes they came with spokes before and the spokes we used (and will continue to use on our alloy wheels for now) are excellent. Going forward, however, we will be using Sapim CX-Ray spokes which are widely recognized as the best spokes on the planet. So what's the difference?

Well, on the face of things, not much. Although they both start out as a block of stainless steel in Sweden and they both end up as a bladed spoke weighing about 4.5 grams, the Sapim gets there in a more refined manner. When examined up close, you can tell the Sapim has a nicer finish to it so aesthetics is one advantage. As a builder, they are easier to work with and even though you probably don't care about that, I do. They have a slightly more aero profile. If you cut one in half you would see that the profile is actually ovular instead of rectangular and an oval is more efficient through the air than a rectangle any day. They have also been tested and approved by just about every top level pro team out there and perform exceedingly well in fatigue tests. Unfortunately, they are also the most expensive spoke on the planet (carbon spokes don't count becuase they are stupid). In our initial estimation, they would have added about $100 to the price of a wheelset and we couldn't justify the cost. Since then, forces of economics have combined to make switch affordable so we are going for it.

Plus, they're made in Belgium so you'll have that much more mojo going for you in cyclocross or over cobbles.

But that's not all

Along with the best spokes in the world, we are also including the best brake pads in the world. Swissstop Yellow King pads will be included with every set of our carbon wheels. These pads provide incredable performance in both wet and dry conditions and eliminate a lot of the braking issues that are commonly associated with carbon rims.

They can also be used with great success on alloy rims and are a great choice if you are switching between the two. Whereas most pads would require you to sand off a layer before using them with carbon rims, the Yellow King compound resists picking up shards of alloy. Just take a quick look to make sure nothing offensive is in pad, wipe with a damp cloth and put on your race wheels. Please note that if you are using them with some gnarly old alloy rims that have been around the block a few times, this may not apply so always take a close look at the pads before using them on your carbon rims.

We stock all models of pads available so we can accommodate just about any kind of brake you are using for either road or cross. Just make your selection on the drop down menu when ordering. These pads themselves generally sell for about $60 per set so right there, you're getting your money's worth.

But wait, there's more!

We will also be including a set of valve extenders with each of our carbon wheels so that should save you $15-$20 by not having to buy them somewhere else.

I should also note that we will eventually be transitioning all our wheels to Sapim CX-Ray spokes (and therefore raising prices), probably by the end of the year. If you want a pair of any of our alloy wheels built with these before then, just email me. It will take a few extra days and cost a bit more but we can work it out.

REV-22 vs REV-22L

2009-05-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

A common inquiry we get is riders asking for guidance to choose between the REV-22 and 22L so I figured it deserved a post.

So what's the difference between the two?

They both use the same hubs, rims and spokes but the main difference is the number of spokes. The 22L is built using 20 radial laced spokes in the front and 24 twice crossed spokes in the rear and the 22 is similarly laced but uses four extra spokes per wheel for a 24/28 build. The 22L uses alloy nipples on the front wheel and non-drive side on the rear. Brass nipples are used on the drive side. The 22 uses brass nipples all around. The 22L weighs about 1290g for the set and the 22 weighs about 1350g.

So which one is right for you?

The 22L was built to be as light as possible. It is not for everyone and is probably not the best choice for most riders. The 22mm rims are surprisingly stiff and resilient given their low weight - much more so than other rims of similar weight we've tested. Even so, at the lower spoke count, larger or more powerful riders will likely notice some deflection while sprinting or climbing. If you are generally hard on equipment or ride often on lousy roads, these are probably not for you.

Lighter riders, such as most women and juniors (not to mention those skinny freaks that fly uphill) should find them a compelling option and very affordable compared to wheels of similar weight and quality. The weight of the bike, especially rotating weight, will make a greater difference for lighter riders. A 17lb bike is 13.5% of the weight of a 130lb rider but only 9.4% of the weight of a 180lb rider. It therefore becomes much more important for lighter riders to seek out the lightest possible equipment as it will make a greater difference. Most reasonably priced wheels, however, seek to appeal to the largest possible market and are therefore overbuilt, leaving smaller riders with wheels that are much heavier than they need to be. This is what we had in mind when designing the 22L.

I'm a pretty light guy (140) and these are the wheels I ride the most. I rode them mercilessly through a full season of cyclocross and continue to use them on my road bike as training and commuting wheels. I don't recommend that anyone else use them this way (we have much better options for cyclocross wheels) but I can say that I've been very happy with how they've held up so far.

For most riders, even lighter riders looking for a stronger training wheel, the Rev-22 will be the more appropriate option. At 1350g, it is still a very light set of wheels and the extra assurance, strength and stiffness afforded by the eight extra spokes should make them more attractive to a broader audience. If you are getting hung up on the extra 60g, think of it this way: Similarly priced wheels generally come in around 1700g per pair. If you swap them out with a set of 1350g wheels, I guarantee that you will notice a significant difference. If you then swap out those for a set of 1290g wheels, you probably won't notice much of anything.

What about the REV-30?

If you are looking for an all-purpose clincher that can be used for racing, training or cyclocross (please consider tubulars for cross, you won't regret it) the REV-30 is an excellent choice. It is still a lightweight set of wheels at 1530g per set and with a 30mm deep, stiff aero rim and 24/28 build using brass nipples, they are damn near bulletproof. Although the rims may not accelerate quite as quickly while climbing, they will be faster over a rolling course thanks to their aerodynamic advantage. This is also a great rim to pair with a PowerTap hub for use in both training and racing.

So hopefully this clears a few things up. As always please do not hesitate to email, twitter, or call with questions.

22Ls Ridden to Victory at Collegiate Nats

2009-05-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Emma Bast of Mount Holyoke College. She took the win in the D2 Collegiate National Championship RR in Fort Collins, CO on Friday while riding her REV-22Ls.

If you're riding our wheels and winning races, please let us know about it.

Oprah made me do it

2009-05-04T20:08:00.001-07:00

For what it's worth you can now follow us on Twitter:

www.twitter.com/REVWW

I make no promises that doing so will be useful or enlightening in any way, but hey, why not?

Rev-50 Update

2009-04-28T10:02:00.001-07:00

The Rev-50 will be back in stock shortly. All pre-orders will ship on
or before Monday May 11. The last day for the pre-order discount will
be Friday May 8.

More from Battenkill - Rev-30 Review

2009-04-22T20:58:00.001-07:00

This one comes from David Lowe, one of our sponsored riders on Team HumanZoom/PBR. He took the Rev-30s to the dirt roads of Battenkill and you can read his review here.

Weekend's Racing

2009-04-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

Just coming off a big weekend of racing here. We had a number of riders testing out our wheels at Battenkill on Saturday. For those of you who are unfamiliar, it's an epic race over a punishing course that includes many less than perfect road (and not quite road) surfaces.

It's the perfect race to rent some wheels through Echappe rather than abuse your own and that's exactly what a few racers did with our Rev-50 and Rev-50x.

You can read the full account here.

I also want to say a big thank you to everyone who participated in the Lower Providence Crit on Sunday. Congrats to Margaret Smigiel who won the amateur woman's race and took home a set of the Rev-22's for her efforts.

PowerTap Pricing

2009-04-16T20:14:00.001-07:00

All PowerTap wheels come with the Electropack (head unit, etc). If, for example, you already have an ANT+ Sport compatible device and don't need the Elecktropack, contact us for alternate pricing.

We build the rear wheel with SAPIM CX-Ray spokes if using the SLC+, SL+ or PRO+ hub. We build the rear wheel with SAPIM Race (or DT Competition) spokes if using the ELITE+ hub.

Check out the SARIS site for details on the hubs or contact us if you want to discuss available options.

By the Power of Grayskull...

2009-04-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a quiz:

Which of the following pictures is most appealing to you after a nice hard ride or race:

A)

B)

C)

D)

If you chose D, there is probably something wrong with you. But that's okay because Revolution Wheelworks is now offering PowerTap builds!

We will gladly build the SLC+, SL+ , PRO+ and ELITE+ wireless models on any of our alloy rims and the any model except the ELITE+ on our carbon rims. All PowerTap wheels will be built to order so it may take up to two weeks to ship depending on our stock and how busy I am.

We will have details and pricing on the site soon but if you have any questions in the meantime, please contact us.

Oh yeah, here's a cool He-Man clip:

Reminder: Rentals Available

2009-04-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to put a quick reminder out there that rentals of the REV-50 and REV-50x are available through Echappe Equipment. So even though we're out of stock in the REV-50 through mid May, you can still rent a set in the meantime. The $50 off coupon after you rent still applies while we have the wheels marked down for pre-order so in theory, you can order a set of the REV-50s for as little as $750 and still be able to race them (through Echappe) in an early season race. Check out their site for more details.

Who Likes Data? Part 2 - Value Quotient

2009-03-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Alright, those charts in the last post were pretty cool and all but I I felt like I was missing something. If a wheelset is the same weight or less for the same price or less, that is obviously a good thing. But I wanted a number that could summarize the data into one value that would allow me to easily rank the wheels and let me know exactly how much better one is versus another from a value standpoint.

Enter the Value Quotient. Actually, since it's a statistic I'm making up myself, let's give it a cooler name. How about the Awesomeness indicator? Maybe not - I'll keep thinking on that one. Suggestions are welcome.

Anyhow, here's how it works:

Value quotient = (weight of fictional "base wheelset" minus weight of actual wheelset) divided by price of actual wheelset.

The weight we use of for the fictional base wheelset is 2000g. This basically centers the data so we don't have to worry about negative numbers throwing things off. You can think of this wheelset as the crappy set of wheels that came on your stock bike that you'd desparately like to upgrade.

The value quotient is the weight savings of the upgrade divided by the cost of the upgrade. Put simply, grams saved per dollar. Or, more simply, bang for your buck.

Again, weight and price are not the only reasons to buy wheels. Aerodynamics, build quality, strength, bearings, coolness of logo, etc. should be factored in as well. Price and weight, however, are the only two objective points so it's a good place to start.

Who likes data? Part 1 - Low Profile Alloy Clinchers

2009-03-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around with some IBM provided tools that make data look pretty. It's not entirely well suited for what I'm using it here for but it is still fun to play with. I basically pulled together prices and weights for several dozen wheelsets out there. There are obviously many other factors to consider but no other ones that are completely objective. I tried to make my list as comprehensive as possible but it's a crowded market out there so I'm sure I missed a few.

First off, we have a scatterplot comparing low profile alloy clinchers. The two points that look like outliers towards the bottom (low price) left (low weight) are the Rev-22 and 22L. Otherwise, the data is as expected, lower price correlates to higher weight. Mouse over data point to see details.

Next we have the same data in a matrix format that looks pretty cool:

Okay, so it doesn't look very cool here because I can't get it to play well with blogger but if you click on it, it will take you right to the site where it becomes much more useful.

I'll try to post some more of these that show other wheel segments.

Bad News, Good News

2009-03-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

I am sorry to say we are temporarily out of stock in the Rev - 50. We have more materials on the way and we plan on having them back in stock by May 15th. This is poor timing, given that road season is already underway, and we apologize for the hiccup.

But fear not, your patience over the next few weeks will be rewarded. All pre-orders for the Rev-50 will be $100 off until May 15th. That's right, only $800 for a super sweet pair of carbon wheels. These things don't really go on sale so take advantage while you can.

Little Things: Skewers

2009-03-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

We don't include the weight of the skewers in our published wheel weights. This is because no one else does. If we did, all of our wheelsets would weigh 92 grams more.

Most wheelsets come with heavy steel skewers because they are cheap and often overlooked. To find a set that is under 100g, you normally have to use expensive titanium shafts.

Now, when you are looking to make a part lighter, you can usually do two things: use a lighter material or use better engineering on the original material. It's almost always better to find an engineering solution because exotic materials mean either less strength, higher cost or both.

So, for our lightweight skewers, instead of titanium shafts, we use hollow steel shafts. Still strong, still light but much less expensive.

Hub how to: Freehub Replacement

2009-03-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

So what's involved with removing / replacing the freehub? It's very, very simple. Whether you want to lube up the pawls (recommended each year - 10W30 will suffice), switch from Campy to SRAM / Shimano (or vice versa) 0r replace a worn freehub body ($40 if you need one), it shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Here's how we do it:

Remove end cap.

Place a 5mm wrench in each end cap. Try to apply leverage to drive side so that cap comes off first.

You'll notice (green arrow) that the multitool I'm using here is named "The Cooter." This is a TREK tool that was originally named after Ben Jones character on "The Dukes of Hazzard."

Mr. Jones was apparently none too pleased with this use of his fictional namesake because soon after the tool was released, a TREK rep came into the shop I was working for at the time and gave me a box full of these things because they were no longer allowed to sell them. They were immediately rebranded as the "TREK multitool." I still have a half dozen of these - they are quite handy.

Okay, so now you have the end cap removed. "But wait," you say. "I've incorectly applied too much leverage to the wrong end cap and the one I wanted to remove is still there."

No worries, just find a 10mm allen wrench and stick it into the end of that nice big 15mm alloy axle.

Another twist of "The Cooter" and you're good to go. Once the end cap is removed, just pull off the freehub. Take a look at the hub. Make sure no pawls are stranded inside (green arrow) and make sure the little silver washer (red arrow) is still there (sometimes it likes to stick to the freehub as you pull it off).

This is a good point to show that there are 34 engagement points on the hub body and 3 pawls on the freehub.

Okay, so now you've cleaned up and oiled the old freehub or have a replacement ready. Simply slide it back on and twist counter clockwise as you seat it onto the hub body. Replace the end cap and tighten with a 5mm wrench. Tighten securely but don't over-torque.

That's it! Super easy - just like I promised. Eventually, I'll show how to completely disassemble the hub and replace the bearings. It's pretty straight forward as well but for most of you without ownership of a bearing press, you'll want to take it to your LBS for this.

Supply

2009-03-06T04:55:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are interested in getting wheels early this spring, I just wanted to give you a heads up that we are running low on a few models. The 50, 50x, 25x and 22L are in somewhat of a short supply. We will be ordering more materials shortly but there may be a window of unavailability for those models this spring. For now, it looks like we have plenty of the 22 and 30 models.

Tubeless anyone?

2009-03-02T18:53:00.000-08:00

World class grip, punk rocker, all-around good guy and tubeless apologist David Lowe has been doing some testing for me on the Rev-30s. His instructions are to mount up some Hutchinson's using Stan's sealant and rim strip and beat the hell out of the wheels to see if he can get the tire to burp. More testing is necessary but so far, the results are positive. More to come.

Carbon Clinchers? Nope.

2009-02-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

We've gone back and forth on the idea of offering a full carbon clincher. And we've had a fair amount of inquiries around this. We had plans on putting together some prototypes this spring but for now, we've decided against it.

Here's what we're thinking:

Would people buy them?
Yes. The siren song of pretty carbon rims paired with a natural aversion to tubular glue make them a quickly growing segment of the market. If we did put one out there, a 40mm deep set would likely weigh between 1550 - 1600g and be priced between $1000 - 1100, making them a very competitive option. So yes, people would buy them and yes, that's usually the only justification needed to bring something to market, but hey, call me a lousy capitalist.

Do I want to build them?
I can only build a finite number of wheels so I really try to only design and build wheels that I can see myself riding and racing. So...

Do I see a reason to ride or race carbon clinchers?
Frankly, no. Obviously they are going to be more convenient than tubulars. When it comes to race equipment though, should convenience really trump weight and price? I tend to think not. Any set of carbon clinchers is going to be at least 200g heavier (+ weight of tubes & rim strip) than the comparatively priced tubular option and any degree of convenience is not worth that kind of rotating weight.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that clinchers should never be used. Tubulars would be a pain in the ass to use as training wheels everyday. But since there's really no reason to use carbon wheels as training wheels, why bother with clinchers?

There's also the possible safety issue. The wrong combination of hard braking could cause excessive enough heat to blow the tire off the rim and that would obviously be a bad thing.

I can't say for sure that we'll never change our views on this, but for now, that's our reasoning. Feel free to tell me I'm way off base on this one. In the mean time, if you really really want a set of carbon clinchers and no one can convince you otherwise, I'd recommend checking out options from EDGE compostites and Reynolds. They are going to be pretty pricey but they are some of the lightest and most durable options out there.

FAQ - Part 5

2009-02-20T19:43:00.000-08:00

Previous FAQ installments available here, here, here & here.

Why use bladed spokes on cross wheels or climbing wheels? Why use hidden nipples on a cross specific wheel?

Sure, aerodynamics may not be the most important consideration when choosing a climbing wheel or cross wheel but it still matters. And you if can make a wheel more aerodynamic without increasing weight or compromising strength, doesn't it make sense to do so?

First off, let's talk about the pointlessness of building a wheel just for climbing. With the exception of uphill TTs, very few wheels are ever going to be ridden exclusively uphill.

Generally, you're going to have to ride to the hill in order to climb it and then down the hill you've climbed. So, aerodynamics and solid braking are always going to be considerations.

Our 22L generally weighs in at 1280 to 1300 grams. There are surely lighter wheels out there but not too many offer the cost and braking advantages of an aluminum rim. None of them will be anywhere near our price of $480 and most use round spokes based on the flawed assumption that aerodynamics doesn't matter on a lightweight wheelset.

Now with cyclocross, aerodynamics arguably matter less but you're still out there moving at a decent rate of speed and you're also less likely to be in a pack compared to a road race so better airflow doesn't hurt. In my experience, bladed spokes also clear mud more easily. We also recognize that even though we build the 50x and 25x for cyclocross, a lot of our customers are looking for a more solidly built road wheel and some people will use them on both their road and cross bikes (although that's a lot of gluing and ungluing for my taste).

Now, as for the hidden nipples on the carbon wheels go: yes they are more aerodynamic. The farther out on the diameter of the wheel you go, the more aerodynamics are going to be a factor. That said, they are 10x more expensive than traditional nipples and more difficult to work with when building the wheel. Maintenance will also be an issue since you will need to remove the tire to true the wheel or replace a spoke if needed. So, if aerodynamics were the only benefit, hidden nipples would not be worth the cost.

There is, however, a much more important consideration: strength. I've seen a lot of carbon rims either fail at the spoke hole or "pucker" at the spoke hole after hitting a pothole, curb, log, etc. With traditional nipples, you need to drill a relatively large hole in the rim bed. With spokes at high tension, the stress on the rim is concentrated around the edges of this hole. By drilling a smaller hole and using a larger hidden nipple, this stress is spread out over a larger surface area, minimizing the chance of damage upon impact. Using hidden nipples on an alloy rim would provide the same benefit but to lesser degree - the chance of a rim failure is less and cost to replace the rim is lower.

As for the issue of maintenance, we use a conservative build for our carbon wheels 20/24 spokes for the 50 and 24/28 spokes for the 50x. We also build carefully to tight tolerances. It depends a lot on your riding style, weight and other factors, but the wheels should not need to be trued too often, if ever, unless you've really knocked something out of whack.

When sponsors collide

2009-02-17T19:45:00.000-08:00

I read with interest an overview of the team Ouch bikes on cyclingnews.com today. It's definitely a nice bike and I'm sure it rides admirably but you have to admit that it is on the heavy side at 16.2 lbs compared to what other top teams are riding. Most of the other teams are safely within the UCI weight limit (14.9) to the point where they are free to add non-rotating mass in the form of useful things like SRM cranks or PowerTap hubs in order to make the bikes "legal."

So where is this heft coming from?

"Carbon tubulars still hold a firm upper hand in terms of weight, though, as the clincher setup still gives up at least 500g in comparison."

Yeah, 500g - safely over a pound in rotating weight. I thought that had to be a misprint so I checked and sure enough, the Carbone SLRs are listed at 1600g, 415g more than the tubular version. Add in the weight difference between clincher/tube/rimstrip vs. tubular/glue and a total difference of 500g is certainly reasonable.

So why not use tubulars or lighter clinchers? Sponsor obligations. Bear with me here because this is one of those rare instances where you can say to yourself, "Thank god I'm not a fully sponsored professional cyclist."

You see, the tire sponsor for Ouch is Maxxis and the wheel sponsor is Mavic. These are fine brands in and of themselves. But, Mavic doesn't really make a light, aero clincher (who does?). Maxxis makes some really great road clinchers and I'm personally a big fan of the Raze for a cross clincher. For some reason, though, they hate tubulars and have no interest in manufacturing them (or putting their logo on someone else's). And that's how Floyd and friends get stuck with an extra pound of rotating handicap as they make their way around the state of California.

In other Mavic news, judging by the wheels ridden by Ag2r at the AToC, it looks like the new R-Sys will still use carbon spokes but use a blend of woven and unidirectional fibers (the recalled version was completely unidirectional). This should, in theory help prevent catastrophic failures. Woven carbon is more resistant to impact because if it is damaged in some way, the damage is limited to the length of the weave. The woven fibers around it can easily pick up the slack. Unidirectional carbon, while having its own benefits, does not have this protection. If the fiber is damaged at any point, the entire length of the fiber is compromised. This is why, in the original iteration, a teeny bit of damage to one spoke could cause the whole front wheel to fail.

FAQ - Part 4

2009-02-16T20:20:00.000-08:00

Previous FAQ installments available here, here & here.

What is your return policy? warranty? crash insurance?

If you open the box, remove the wheels (but do not ride them) and decide that for some reason, you do not want them, you can return them within 30 days for a full refund minus shipping. Your wheels are under warranty for defects in parts and labor for one year. Please contact us and we'll do what we can to make it right. We are honest, reasonable people and operate under the assumption that you are an honest, reasonable person. We do not sell "crash insurance." Instead of charging you now for insurance that may be useful in the future, we offer a no-fault rim replacement plan that any of our U.S. customers can take advantage of if something unfortunate arises. Details of the plan can be found here & here but basically, if you break your wheel(s) for any reason and the hub is unaffected, we will rebuild the wheel for you at a very reasonable cost.

How can I remove the rim decals?

What's wrong with our decals? You don't like the logo? The colors don't match your bike? Just ride faster and it will all be a blur anyway. Seriously, you just made our design guy cry and now I have to coax him out of the corner with fruit roll-ups and hot chocolate.

But, since you asked, here you go: We use rim decals that are sturdy, UV resistant and should look great on your wheels as long as you want them there. However, should you choose to cruelly disassociate yourself from us, just start at the corner and slowly peel. Don't use a screwdriver or anything drastic like that. There should be little or no residue left but if there is, acetone or goof-off or any other solvent that is safe to use on tubular glue should be fine. Be careful though because many solvents are not safe to use, especially on carbon rims.

I live outside the US. Can I still purchase wheels from you?

Maybe. Contact us through the site for more details. Canada is no problem although shipping may take a few more days and customs could cause delays and additional costs. Please research customs laws and tariffs for your country so that you are aware of potential headaches and costs that could occur. International shipping is through USPS and generally takes 6-10 days. Shipping will cost between 40 to 100 USD. We will provide you with a "coupon code" to account for the additional shipping when you checkout through the site. Due to the high cost of shipping, our rim replacement program does not apply to international orders.

At this point, we can not ship wheels within the European Union because our rims do not have a rim wear indicator. Yes, they'd probably get through customs without anyone noticing or we could just write "rim wear indicator" with a Sharpie on the braking surface but a law's a law and we don't scoff at such things.

FAQ - Part 3

2009-02-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

Part 1 available here. Part 2 here.

Who builds your wheels?

I do. Me, Jonathan Kahler - all of them. For now. At some point, we may need to hire or contract with someone else but we're not in a hurry to get there. I got into this business because I like to build wheels and I'm very particular about how the wheels are built.

Actually, I'm surprised we don't get this question more often because even though we use "hand-built" as a selling point, unless I know whose hands are building the wheels, I'd rather have them built by a machine. I'm not going to sell you a line about how wheel building is an art form involving black magic and alchemy but it does take skill, effort and patience. The quality of the build is just as important as the quality of the componentry. Every wheel I build is trued and tensioned to very tight tolerances. Each spoke is checked with a tensiometer many, many times and since it's my reputation on the line with each wheel we sell, I'm very careful about what goes out the door.

What makes you different from other direct to consumer wheel manufacturers?

We make better wheels at a better prices and our wheels look cooler. We believe this to be true but we are admittedly biased. Take a look at our specs and prices; talk to someone with firsthand experience. As a guiding principle, we don't put a wheel out there if there is something better and less expensive already on the market. We don't have a lot of time and money to spend convincing you that our wheels are a better value, so instead, we just make them a better value. If you come to a different conclusion, purchase wheels from someone else. You won't hurt our feelings too much.

Rev 50x Review

2009-02-10T19:47:00.000-08:00

Cyclocross Magazine just posted a preliminary review of our carbon cross specific tubular, the Rev 50x. Check it out by clicking on the header above. A full review will appear in an upcoming print issue. If you're not familiar with Cyclocross Magazine, it's the greatest magazine ever and you should subscribe here.

FAQ - Part 2

2009-02-08T20:12:00.000-08:00

Part 1 available here.

Do your wheels ever go on sale?

Generally, no. We operate on pretty slim margins and price our wheels fairly, based on what it costs us to produce them. I guess we could follow the example of other direct-to-consumer outfits and come up with arbitrary and inflated "retail" prices and then "discount" our wheels so that they are always "on sale." We feel that this would be insincere and disingenuous and we would not dream of insulting you with such a transparent ploy.

It's getting late in the year. When do next year's models become available?

Rest assured, from time to time, we will come out with new products and tweak existing ones. The timing of such changes will not be based on an arbitrary date on a calendar. No one is breathing down our necks, forcing us to increase revenues by X% by enticing you to replace a perfectly good product with one that comes with more hype and a new decal, and we don't have a marketing department full of people we need to keep busy with such tasks. When we do make changes to our products, they will based on common sense, new technologies, availability of materials and rider feedback.

FAQ - Part 1

2009-02-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

Frequently Asked Questions

So, in an effort to make answering emails a bit easier for me and to allow people to get to know us a bit better, I've put together some answers to common questions. I'll try to do one or two a day until I run out. If you have any more for me, please let me know.

Who are you and why are you here?

This question has been partly addressed here & here. Basically, instead of basing our wheel designs on what can be done or what market research suggests that people want, we are making wheels that we would want to ride at a price that we are willing to pay. So let me answer by trying to articulate our philosophy when it comes to bicycle equipment.

The law of diminishing returns can be applied pretty easily to bicycle racing. We are lucky in that we participate in a sport that allows us easy access to the exact same equipment that pros are using. If you have the cash, you can go right out and buy the bike that was purposely built for elite superhuman riders to conquer the monuments of our sport. Will you be able to utilize the full potential of the machine? Probably not. As a mere mortal, you may get a teeny performance advantage on the $10,000 bike compared to the $3,000 bike but it's extremely unlikely that the $7,000 difference will keep you from winning races. I'm not going to begrudge anyone who wants to spend that much on a bike. Someone has to and I appreciate that those consumers keep the industry afloat and allow companies like Cervelo to have the cash to front a ProTour team.

My point is that you can achieve 99% of the performance of the top level stuff at 50% of the price. This is what we aim for when we design and spec our wheels. We hit that sweet spot that gives you a strong, light and fast wheel at a very affordable price. Now if you ride our wheels and take a close look at the specs, you'll find that they are lighter, stronger and more aerodynamic than wheels that can cost much, much more. This brings us to the next question.

Why are your wheels so cheap?

Please, we prefer inexpensive. Or better yet, "Why are your wheels such a fantastic value?" Well, thank you for asking. The answer is twofold: 1. Low Overhead 2. Direct sales.

First, we maintain fairly spartan operations. We do very little in the way of expensive marketing and prefer to grow slowly by word of mouth. Having low fixed costs allow us to sell our wheels to you for not a whole lot more than it costs us to buy the components that they're made of.

This leads us to our second point: we sell directly to you. If we went with the traditional multi-channeled sales approach, we would manufacture our wheels and sell them to a distributor who would mark them up and sell them to retailers who would mark them up and sell them to you. We skip a few steps and just sell directly to you for about half of what we'd have to charge if using the traditional model. Is there anything wrong with that model? No. We would never disparage distributors or bike shops who provide extremely vital services to the industry and to you, the consumer. In fact, as soon as you are done purchasing wheels from us, go directly to your local bike shop, and use the money you've saved to purchase a cassette, some tires and maybe some fresh bar tape.

Try before you buy

2009-02-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

Want to demo our wheels before committing to a purchase? We've partnered with Echappe Equipment to allow you to do just that. You may have seen their little blue stickers at races across the country or even at the occasional World Cup. This season, you'll find them at races such as Battenkill, Fitchburg and the Verge NECX Series. If you'd like to try them at another event, simply have them FedEx the wheels directly to you. Both the Rev-50 and Rev-50x are available. The price for a rental is $50 for the first day and $10 for each additional day.

If, after your demo, you'd like to purchase a pair, contact us for a $50 off discount code to cover the cost of the first days rental.

Fashion vs. Common Sense

2009-01-27T20:56:00.000-08:00

There is a great piece on Pez today related to wheel building. Common sense when it comes to bicycle wheels seems to be in short supply lately so it's encouraging to see things like this. Can anybody guess what "pretty wheels" they are using as the comparison? There's enough clues to narrow it down.

Wheel Pictures

2009-01-15T20:51:00.000-08:00

We're working on getting some additional, higher resolution pictures on the site, but until then, please enjoy the following:

REVww22L

REVww25x

REVww30

REVww50

REVww50x

Many thanks to Tony Stewart who did a fantastic job for us.

Another Season In the Books

2008-12-30T15:18:00.000-08:00

Well, cross season is just about over. I still have one more race next month but I've already begun the process of losing the form that I had from the fall. The feedback we've gotten from the racers on our wheels has been great so far and we saw very few problems throughout the season, despite hard use on a variety of terrain and difficult weather conditions.

Personally, I raced on the 22L's all season. This is the lightest wheelset we make and we market it as a climbing / road racing wheelset for lighter riders. When we set weight guidelines for our wheels and suggest appropriate usage, we tend to be very conservative. When it comes to testing the wheels, we try to be pretty brutal. The idea is to under-promise and over-deliver and hopefully, make everyone happy. This is why I chose to race a low spoke, sub 1300g set of clinchers this season.

Happily, they did great. I would show them no mercy and check them for signs of stress after each race. I had to give a quarter turn of a spoke wrench once or twice, but after most races, I'd put them in the stand, give them a spin and throw them right back on the bike.

One spoke was replaced in the course of the season, after Granouge. On the first lap, after going down hard on the turn before the run up, a few of the many many b-racers behind me ran over me and my rear wheel. I got up to finish the race and nothing was broken but I did notice that one spoke was bent enough to warrant replacement.

The Beacon race in Bridgeton gave me an excellent opportunity to test the bearings and hub seals. A light steady rain developed into a full on downpour by the time my race started. Throw in the sandy soil and many trips through "the beach" and the conditions were pretty epic. I assumed I'd have to take apart the hubs to clean out the grit after the race but was pleasantly surprised to see them rolling like new after hosing off the bike.

Although the wheels performed admirably (and made for a super light cross rig), they'll be staying on my road bike from now on. The ride quality of the clinchers, even running them in the low 30s, was noticeably lacking. In just about every race I did this season, the thought went through my head at some point: "I wish I had tubulars right now."

My next project will involve testing out some tubeless setups. Our clincher rims are fairly shallow from bed to hook so they should work well with a Stan's set up without having to put too many layers of sealing tape on the bed. Stay tuned.

Website

2008-12-17T19:40:00.000-08:00

Hey, the website is up. Actually, it has been for a while but know we've added some professional pictures and a secure online store. See for yourself at www.revolutionwheelworks.com

Racing at Charm City

2008-09-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Our wheels got a great workout last weekend at Charm City cross thanks to the HumanZoom / PBR cross team. Here are a few pictures. More can be seen at demoncats.com.

Ken took it to the B-masters with our carbon tubulars:

I'm opting to ride our 1300g climbing wheels to see how they hold up to grossly inappropriate usage:

Dave was flying in the Elite Masters on the alloy cross tubulars:

Chad rode the alloy tubulars to a top 10 finish in the Elite race:

They're Here!

2008-08-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

Everything is in and we're working hard on getting wheels built for stock and getting the website up. They look great so far. I'll have some pictures posted shortly.

A Note on Weight Limits

2008-08-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

The rider weight limits on our wheels are as follows:

170 lbs

REV 22L

200 lbs
REV 50
REV 22
REV 30L

230 lbs
REV 25x

REV 30
REV 50x

Rider weight limits for any wheels (and most other componentry) are more or less arbitrary and fairly meaningless. They should be used as general guidelines to determine which set can take more or less punishment and which sets certain riders should think twice about.

In truth, there are many, many factors that go into the likelihood of a rider trashing a pair of wheels. Weight is certainly a big one, but so is riding style and general maintenance. A 200 lb rider who is careful with his equipment and rides with a degree of finesse is more likely to get a longer life from his wheelset than a 150 lb rider who over inflates his tires and rides through potholes with reckless abandon and with a good amount of torque.

In any case, these limits are not enforced by myself or anyone else. The one year warranty on obvious defects will still apply if you ignore our weight limits. If you break a rim, we will still honor our 5 year rim replacement deal regardless of your weight. That said, our wheels are designed for bicycle racing and we won't pretend that we offer "something for everyone." If you are a larger rider who has a history of breaking lightweight componentry, you may want to look elsewhere.

Rim Replacement Plan

2008-08-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

Most wheels -and just about everything else - seem to come with some kind of extended warranty plan available. I generally try to avoid purchasing unnecessary insurance and the last thing I want to do is sell unnecessary insurance. Revolution Wheelworks will not be selling extended warranties. That said, we do want our customers to have the confidence to race their wheels hard without the worry of breaking them. To that end, we offer our Rim Replacement Plan. If you break a rim for any reason, including abuse, neglect or forgetting that you left it behind your car before backing up, we will rebuild your hub with a new rim and spokes at a very reasonable cost: $300 for carbon rims, $150 for alloy. This also includes return shipping and is available for 5 years from the date of purchase.

The Mark of Trade

2008-08-02T06:52:00.000-07:00

Prototypes!

2008-07-16T20:45:00.000-07:00

Prototypes of the of the Road 2.2 and Road 5.0 wheelsets have been built. The weights are slightly less than expected which is always a plus.

An Introduction

2008-07-16T03:23:00.000-07:00

Last June, I was fortunate enough to find myself on vacation in the French Alps. We had timed our arrival in Annecy with the conclusion of the Dauphine Libere. After riding a portion of the day's stage and watching the finish, we came back to hotel to find that Mavic and the Suanier Duval team had taken over the courtyard and lakeside bar. They were having a press event for their new wheelset, the R-Sys.

These events are fairly typical of the industry: Tech editors from various cycling publications are put up in a nice hotel, plied with free booze and gourmet food, mingled with a few sponsored pros, and taken for a ride on the new product the following day. From there, the journalists borrow heavily from the manufacturer's press release to write an "objective" review which generally runs next to ad placed for the product.

I wandered around a bit, hoping to score a free beer and maybe a conversation with a pre-Chipotle David Millar. Neither he, nor anyone else speaking English, were in attendance so I just made my way over to check out the new wheels. The big news was obviously the carbon spokes: large hollow rods that borrow from wagon wheel technology to work in both compression as well as tension. I can't say I was terribly impressed. Although they make claims on stiffness, they aren't terrifically light - Mavic claims 1355g - and they looked about as aerodynamic as, well... a wagon wheel. The mechanic in me always looks at new products with an eye towards serviceability and one of the first questions that came to mind was, "How do you replace a spoke once one of them breaks?" It turns out that that's probably the last question you'll be asking if you're unlucky enough to break a spoke.

Later in the year, as cross season became imminent, I found myself lusting after a pair of mid-section carbon tubulars. Light weight, low tire pressure and the ability to quickly shed mud and sand: Exactly what I needed to finish last in the B-races in style. To my disappointment, the availability of cross specific carbon wheels was pretty slim and I'd have to fork over at least $1700 - $2000 for them. Even if I did have the money, would I really be able ride full bore over rocks, roots, curbs, mud and sand on a pair wheels that would cost more to replace than my wife's engagement ring, without a nagging paranoid feeling running though my head?

I decided that the bicycle industry, especially in regard to wheels, has gone crazy. Retail prices bear little resemblance to how much the components actually cost. Each year we see innovation for the sake of innovation. Engineers answer the question of "Why?" with "Because we can" instead of "Because we should." Marketers take over from there and make wheels like the Ksyrium look cool enough to make you forget that you're spending $950 on two heavy parachutes for your bike. I don't intend to keep picking on Mavic - there are countless other examples of rolling idiocy.

I decided to find out if it was possible to produce wheels that are durable, lightweight, aerodynamic, serviceable and affordable. To make a long story short, myself, my business partner and many friends along the way found out that yes, it is. The result is Revolution Wheelworks.