[Staff Wheels] What’s Your Wheels?

Our bikes are the partners that carry us far, and the wheels that hold them up have endless possibilities.

In fact, when it comes to wheels, there's the option of a hand-built wheel: choosing parts to suit the rider and building it up from scratch.

The great thing about a hand-built wheel is that you can find the best possible form taking everything into account: how you ride, the ride feel you like, how it suits your bike, and even your budget and timeline.
To get there, you need to do some soul-searching.

Where do I want to go? How do I want to ride?...
Wheels built after that kind of soul-searching will take us to wonderful places.

So this time, we're introducing wheels that each of our staff built after plenty of that soul-searching.

They've also each picked a recommended wheel from Gorilla Spun, our hand-built wheel line at Circles, so let's take a look!

Dragon’s Wheels

Why I chose these wheels

I wanted to build something inspired by the low-profile rims I often saw around 2011, when I started riding road bikes. Narrowing it down to something simple and light, with an offset rim available for the rear, I settled on the combination of VELOCITY A23 / A23 OC!

And since my frame is a CIELO by CHRIS KING Cross Classic, I went with CHRIS KING R45 hubs without a second thought.
*The R45 is still being made in 28/32h, SLV/BLK.

I also considered how force is applied while riding, and since I personally like carrying loads at the rear, the weight distribution too.
The front is built 28H with single-butted spokes, prioritizing ride quality.
The rear is built 32H with plain-gauge spokes, so it can handle rear loads.

Thanks in part to the CHRIS KING hubs, the wheels pick up nicely when you start pedaling, and they feel light and really easy to handle.
When I stop pedaling, the way they just keep gliding along feels amazing.

Why I chose these tires

For tires, I went with the ULTRADYNAMICO Cava Race.

The 700×33C width is spot on: fast, but with just the right amount of cushioning. So far I really like them.

I basically run them with tubes at around 3.0 bar front / 3.5 bar rear, and maybe it's the lightweight sidewalls built for ride quality and the original race compound, but at lower pressures they ride as nicely as a tubeless-ready tire.

Recommended Gorilla Spun wheel

Recommended if, like me, you're after wheels that roll along light and easy!

GORILLA SPUN Build Wheel [VELOCITY A23 x VELOCITY Race Hub]

Shibuya’s Wheels

Why I chose these wheels

The WILDE Dark Star has tire clearance up to 29×2.6″, so I picked the Blunt35, whose rim width suits 2.4 to 2.6-inch tires!
The Blunt35 is light yet durable, perfect for me since I wanted to ride hard.
For the hubs, since I want to rip trails, I chose the Deore XT series for its specs and value for money.

Since building them I've been using them hard on mountain rides, and they roll really well. I'm very happy with them!

Why I chose these tires

I ride from home to the trails, so I chose a tire with low knobs that also rolls well on the road.
The WTB Macro felt durable in both the knobs and the sidewalls.

Personally, I really like how the tan color matches the frame.

Recommended Gorilla Spun wheel

It's built to MTB standards, so it's recommended for anyone who, like me, wants to use it for playing in the mountains!!

GORILLA SPUN Build Wheel [VELOCITY BluntSS 29″ x VELOCITY MTB Disc Boost Hub]

That was Shibuya!

Daisaku’s Wheels

Why I chose these wheels

These are wheels I built for commuting. Shifting troubles are common, and I didn't want them happening on my daily commute, so I chose an internally geared hub: the shifting mechanism is built into the hub, so it holds up well against damage from falls and against rust and grime from wind and rain.

With a dynamo hub, it's so easy not having to worry about charging your lights, and the wide, bright beam even on pitch-dark roads is the best!
I can't imagine going without a dynamo anymore!

Why I chose these tires

Since I planned to ride only on pavement, I chose them for smoothness and for the comfort of riding without worrying about bumps.
WTB tires are light and supple, with a fairly soft compound.
Among them, the Horizon is a near-slick with almost no tread, and wide enough that you don't have to worry about bumps!

Recommended Gorilla Spun wheel

It works with both quick-release and thru-axle, so you can swap it between bikes!
The sense of speed you get from a lightweight rim is something special!

GORILLA SPUN Build Wheel [VELOCITY Aileron x VELOCITY Race Disc]

There are still more staff we haven't gotten to, so that'll be next time!!
Stay tuned.