Double Cross’s new tires showed up a few days ago and I got around to installing them today. While I was at it, I performed some other routine maintenance. I built her current wheels about five years ago, and they have traveled thousands of miles, so I put them in the truing stand to have a look. The front wheel was still perfectly round, with about 1/64th inch of wobble – no adjustment required. The back wheel needed a few minor tweaks though. It takes the bulk of my weight, and it’s a lot of weight. I’m what bikeys call a Clydesdale (heavy duty), at well over 200 pounds.
Wheel-Building
That’s one of the reasons I build my own wheels. The cycling industry is hyper-focused on light weight and a lot of bicycle wheels are under-built. Tires and wheels are the most important components on a bicycle. If they fail, bad things happen. I built my first wheel about a decade ago, after getting hit by a car. I survived the Corolla encounter without a scratch, ( one advantage of being a Clydesdale, I suppose) but my rear wheel looked like a taco.
I bought a new rim and all the tools required to rebuild the wheel and I enjoyed building it so much that I couldn’t stop, I just kept building them. I’m working on a shiny new set presently for a single speed build. Wheel building is a wonderful mix of science and art that I find very satisfying. A well-built bicycle wheel oozes beauty and balance. It may just be the finest invention of mankind.
“Stay at the centre of the circle and let all things take their course.” ~Tao Te Ching
Circles and Cycles
The circle is a powerful symbol that represents wholeness, unity, and the divine. It has no beginning or end; it symbolizes oneness, reminding us that we are part of a greater whole. The continuous loop represents the cycle of life. In many cultures, it’s seen as a symbol of divine perfection. The symmetry and balance are often associated with the divine order that governs the cosmos, like the sun and moon, which have been worshipped by different cultures for eons. The circle represents the cycles of nature, experienced in the changing seasons.
In numerous spiritual traditions, the circle represents an individual’s journey towards destiny. It symbolizes the integration of different aspects of the self and achieving inner harmony – and as a bicycle wheel, it’s an engineering masterpiece. Building bicycles and bicycle wheels is almost as much fun as riding them, but not quite.
I purchased a few other new pieces of kit for my trusty steed along with the tires. A carbon mini pump has a new home on the side of the water bottle cage, and a new handlebar bag provides a place to stuff the windbreaker when it warms up in the middle of the ride. While I was attaching all the new accoutrements, I cleaned off all the caked on dirt, dust and grease. Double Cross doesn’t look like new but she looks pretty good after tens of thousands of miles.
Test Ride
Now it’s time to go for a test ride to see how “Baby’s New Shoes” handle the High Plains gravel. Only limited time this morning, so a short 20 miler up around the “Old Wells” seems like the way to go. The Wells were a favorite camping spot of the Cheyenne Dog Soldier Society, who held there lodge meetings there a few centuries back, before European Immigrants infested the region like a plague of locusts.
I waited until the sun was well up, so no extra clothes were required. I did throw an energy bar into the new handlebar bag but I never felt the urge to indulge. I seen more Falcons and Hawks than forth generation immigrants, so it was mostly a quiet and peaceful ride. The big, black German Shepard at the ranch house just west of the Wells was the only thing that broke the peace.
I seen him coming from a long ways off, all hair and teeth and growls. Legs flying, hitting close to 30 mph, straight at me. I started yelling good boy while he was still 30 yards away, but I’ve had a dozen run ins with this big fella and he’s never been really mean or ugly, just wanted to let me know I was pedaling across his turf and today was no different.
The new tires are knobbies and throw some sand and rock chips. Only a few made it to my chin but it’s something new. The old tires were smooth, so it was never an issue. The thought is they will last longer with all the extra rubber to burn through, we’ll see. It’s just nice to have Double Cross happy with her new shoes, and I’m looking forward to riding many a mile this Fall.
