Sign of a well built wheel
04-04-20, 12:58 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Sign of a well built wheel
So I took the rim tape off of the wheels on my Masi. I had been trying to true them, and the spokes were quite corroded, so first thing I wanted to try was lubricating the nipples and letting that soak in to see if it would loosen them up. Under that I found this:
Almost 30 years, and still doing well. I wish he had signed his work!
the wife said "anal retentive bike guy", I just said: "Nope, just a professional".
Almost 30 years, and still doing well. I wish he had signed his work!
the wife said "anal retentive bike guy", I just said: "Nope, just a professional".
Likes For mgopack42:
04-04-20, 01:42 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: The Urban Shores Of Michigami
Posts: 1,749
Bikes: ........................................ .....Holdsworth "Special"..... .......Falcon "Special".......... .........Miyata 912........... ........................................
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 702 Post(s)
Liked 672 Times
in
420 Posts
Nice !
I had a pair of wheels built by a guy named Vamal at Licktons in Oak Park, Il.. While riding my Falcon on a side street, I was looking at a piece of paper with an address written on it and hit the rear end of a parked car. The fork bent backwards but the wheel was still perfectly true and round.
I had a pair of wheels built by a guy named Vamal at Licktons in Oak Park, Il.. While riding my Falcon on a side street, I was looking at a piece of paper with an address written on it and hit the rear end of a parked car. The fork bent backwards but the wheel was still perfectly true and round.
Likes For branko_76:
04-04-20, 04:33 PM
#3
Pedal to the medal
whats the "288x2", spoke length x 2 cross?
04-04-20, 08:15 PM
#4
1/2 as far in 2x the time
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Northern Bergen County, NJ
Posts: 1,746
Bikes: Yes, Please.
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 499 Post(s)
Liked 285 Times
in
222 Posts
So I took the rim tape off of the wheels on my Masi. I had been trying to true them, and the spokes were quite corroded, so first thing I wanted to try was lubricating the nipples and letting that soak in to see if it would loosen them up. Under that I found this:
Almost 30 years, and still doing well. I wish he had signed his work!
the wife said "anal retentive bike guy", I just said: "Nope, just a professional".
Almost 30 years, and still doing well. I wish he had signed his work!
the wife said "anal retentive bike guy", I just said: "Nope, just a professional".
Neither...
I doubt the markings bear any relationship to the skill of the wheel builder. Perhaps a pre-build shop notation of wheel to be built, and what length spokes were to be used, and customer pick-up date. Glad the wheel is going strong, looks in great shape.
Last edited by Last ride 76; 04-04-20 at 08:19 PM.
04-04-20, 08:20 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,904
Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4806 Post(s)
Liked 3,928 Times
in
2,553 Posts
04-04-20, 08:57 PM
#6
Phyllo-buster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,847
Bikes: roadsters, club bikes, fixed and classic
Mentioned: 133 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2298 Post(s)
Liked 2,054 Times
in
1,254 Posts
04-04-20, 09:42 PM
#7
Senior Member
Frankly, most real bike mechanics would have ripped to shreds anybody pretentious enough to sign their wheel builds. It was a skill that was respected, but also expected. The teasing for being too big for your britches could be merciless. I agree that it was probably just shop notes to make sure the right spoke was used, etc. The date is a bit suspicious though. This was a time that wheel building Artisans were beginning to appear. (
)
)
04-04-20, 11:09 PM
#8
señor miembro
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Pac NW
Posts: 6,623
Bikes: '70s - '80s Campagnolo
Mentioned: 92 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3886 Post(s)
Liked 6,480 Times
in
3,206 Posts
Yeah, but can you look down the valve hole to the perfectly centered hub label, and is the rim label oriented to the drive-side?
04-05-20, 07:28 AM
#10
Senior Member
I have been a real bike mechanic for decades and am going back to it full time as soon as the gov allows us to work again. We sign our wheels. Why? To prove who built it and when so in the future there is no doubt it came from our shop and no question as to the age of the wheel. Of course, we may be lesser mechanics with egos.
Likes For TiHabanero:
04-05-20, 07:59 AM
#11
Senior Member
Thread Starter
yes, sighting the tube hole, you can (or could if you could see better) see Dura Ace on the hub. the labels : Campagnolo is veiwable from the drive side, but since the labels are flipped, the Lambda Strada label is upside down. the wheel (front) is indeed 2 cross. the rear says 286X2 / 291X3 and is 2 cross NDS, and 3 cross on the DS. that is something that I never did back in the day.
04-05-20, 08:04 AM
#12
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,396
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,696 Times
in
2,517 Posts
Hub and rim manufactures don't care about either of these things. It's extremely common for the randomly placed hub logo to be impossible to line up "perfectly". I have no idea why it might matter. I make sure you can't see the hub logo through the valve hole, which is pretty easy because my wheels are being used so the tire is in the way. I don't know who decided this would be the criteria for a well-built pro wheel, but I disagree. I'm sure there are plenty of people that can't build a good wheel that obsess over this. Similarly, those people have built rims onto wheels backwards to get the labels "right"
04-05-20, 10:25 AM
#14
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I guess the real "tell" is that these are 30 years old, and only now getting to the point where new nipples might be needed to true them properly. It may be all that I need to do is replace nipples as needed. The wheel is useable as is, I just like my brakes really close, so it needs tweaks.
04-05-20, 11:31 AM
#15
Mr. Anachronism
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Somewhere west of Tobie's
Posts: 2,087
Bikes: fillet-brazed Chicago Schwinns, and some other stuff
Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 526 Post(s)
Liked 256 Times
in
165 Posts
It appears you used up the last of your paper towels shining the hub.
Guess that means you have plenty of TP.
Guess that means you have plenty of TP.
__________________
"My only true wisdom is in knowing I have none" -Socrates
"My only true wisdom is in knowing I have none" -Socrates
04-05-20, 11:50 AM
#16
Eccentric Old Man
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: BelleVegas, IL
Posts: 719
Bikes: 1986 Trek 520 Cirrus, 1979 Schwinn Traveler III, Trek T100, 1995 Trek 970, Fuji America
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 248 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 173 Times
in
87 Posts
Frankly, most real bike mechanics would have ripped to shreds anybody pretentious enough to sign their wheel builds. It was a skill that was respected, but also expected. The teasing for being too big for your britches could be merciless. I agree that it was probably just shop notes to make sure the right spoke was used, etc. The date is a bit suspicious though. This was a time that wheel building Artisans were beginning to appear. ()
)I have been a real bike mechanic for decades and am going back to it full time as soon as the gov allows us to work again. We sign our wheels. Why? To prove who built it and when so in the future there is no doubt it came from our shop and no question as to the age of the wheel. Of course, we may be lesser mechanics with egos.
Last edited by eom; 04-05-20 at 11:55 AM.
Likes For P!N20:
