The supply drought has been relieved for now and this is the first wheelset out the door. It’s a heater. Beautiful DT Swiss RR511 rims paired with Hope hubs. The rims impart a lot of stiffness due to their V-shaped profile and durability is maximised by using Sapim Force spokes.
SpokeService will close after shipping orders on December 23 and phones will remain off for the remainder of the year. The time is needed for inventory, tool maintenance and government paperwork. Orders placed after noon on December 23 will be held until the last shipment of the year on Wednesday, December 30. No shipments on December 31 or January 1 but normal thereafter.
2021 isn’t looking great in terms of the product pipeline. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if another closure is required on account of insufficient inventory. If you see something available that you plan to use in the next few months, the smart money is to snap it up. C’est la vie.
Here are a few snapshots of the last wheelset of 2020, built with Sapim Force spokes.
Hope hubs don’t have the tightest geometry or the lowest weight, but they’re solid kit for the money. I don’t sell them but they’re easy to find and I don’t mind building yours. Here are a couple of Hope wheelsets built this month — you might see them on the road in different parts of Alberta.
When I started mountain biking all spokes were silver. It’s not as common these days but I think we should bring this look back. This is a set I did last month — they look great.
This build used DT Competitions to lace Hope Pro4 hubs to WTB Asym rims, in this case a 650b (27.5″) wheelset. Asymmetric rims aren’t strictly new but the number and variety of models on the market is improving. The idea is simple — spokes land to one side of the rim instead of the centre. This counteracts the natural asymmetry in rear wheels, resulting in more even tension. I’m a fan.
