Shoutout to the bike shop in Denver that still builds wheels by hand

I visited this little shop called The Hub last week while passing through Denver. The owner showed me how he tensions each spoke by feel and sound instead of using a digital gauge. He said he learned from his dad back in the 70s and refuses to use machine-built wheels for custom orders. Has anyone else run into a shop that sticks to old school methods like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

lee_barnes703d ago

I mean, the interesting part is that these hand-built wheels actually hold up better on longer tours because you can true them by hand on the road with nothing but a spoke wrench. Felix488 brings up a fair point about safety, but the trade-off is that you're not relying on a machine that might not account for the exact rim and hub combo you're running. Maybe it's just me, but that kind of adaptability on a trip through the middle of nowhere sounds worth the risk.

felix4884d ago

by feel and sound instead of using a digital gauge" - man, that sentence gave me chills. I mean, I get that old timers have their secrets, but to outright refuse digital tools for something that critical? That's a whole other level of trust in your own hands. A wheel built wrong can literally kill you on a descent, and he's just going by the twang of the spokes? That's either insane or genius, and I'm leaning toward insane but also kind of respecting it. I'd be too scared to commute on those wheels, but I bet they ride like butter.