Parallel Handbuilt

Built, taped, and boxed this past week for .

I don't generally tag owners of wheels and bikes and stuff leaving the shop, but sometimes I can't resist. James is a rad guy, but personal feelings aside, this is someone who will trash equipment when given the chance... And I mean that in a good way. These wheels will head out on over-the-top training rides, and probably a few races where they will have to ride blindly over stone, gravel, and asphalt all while carrying all of James' bikepacking gear.

Building wheels for any client is a process, and one I enjoy, why else would I do it? But when I get to build wheels for people on any "extreme" of the spectrum, it presents a special challenge... and I love me a good challenge! Spoke tension balance goes from "important" to "paramount" and material choice becomes make it or break it. Literally. This wheelset may not know it yet, but it's got some hard work ahead of it, but if I may be so bold to say: this setup is down to clown.

The DT 240 hub needs no introduction, with palmares longer than my average Insta post. Same story up front with the SON 28 powering a
setup, ofc. And one of my fav's, the beautifully named DT XM421 SS X12 7191M rims ready for duty. (DT hmu for naming advice lol).

If you don't know James, give him a follow. He mostly posts photos of dogs, and sometimes photos of silly ultra-race adventures. 😉

You think that Onyx is a big fan of Simon Garfunkel? You know, being into the sound of silence, and all...?

These trail wheels are heading for a long life of up/down as well as XC and everything in between. Mud, snow (maybe), sand (definitely), and hopefully and bunch of stones and roots... A while working silently, as if at peace with their destiny.

Really truly, the silence of Onyx hubs is such a treat. Almost every client that has used or borrow the loaner set at the shop has come back and ordered a set. Pair the silence with the near-instant engagement and galldarnit you've got some nice hubs.

And did I mention they're made in the Midwest of the USA? Objectively the most beautiful place in the world. 😉

Comments, questions, confessions, whack them in the comments below! I'll even get the first one out if the way for you!

Custom built frames have always been an interesting topic. Well, maybe way back when they were normal, but in the days of mass production, custom frames often fall by the wayside. When ordering a frame like this, you're generally looking at a more involved process and a longer than normal wait for delivery... leaving price out of the discussion for now, at least.⁠
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I've been working more and more often with framebuilders this past year, and mostly because the timeline of these frames is starting to become "normal". Gone are the days of getting a production frame to build your dream bike tomorrow, it's all just taking a bit longer, so that allows myself together with the client to look objectively at different frames and frame options. When delivery times are roughly the same, it gives you the room to weigh the options more evenly.⁠
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This Murmur from Starling is breathtaking... and I know, I hear myself when I say that, it sounds ridiculous. "Breathtaking", how cliché. But as a Murmur owner myself, and knowing all the ups and downs of frame number 62, just seeing what has been done to polish this model some 363 frames later... Joe's been busy in the workshop, oh good god, his work has paid off.⁠
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This frame will head of to the Cerakote'er next week where it will get some colour and protection, and that upon return it will be built into a trail-machine for the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. This bike will help give the high-ceiling to allow this client to up their skills as much as they want, while offering the bandwidth to be a proper enduro machine if need be.⁠
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Shop visit! One of my favourite things that Corona has put on hold is visiting other bike shops and builders to see how and what they're doing. This past weekend I was in Eindhoven briefly and before crossing the river again, we swung in to see Alex of St. Joris and Sputnik fame.

Chatting with Alex is always a treat, we're birds of a feather, nerds that can geek out about the silliest details. Plus, when visiting I get to see all the beautiful things he's been working on. The workshop is still in flux, Alex and Chaim have only recently moved house to this shop.

Frame builders have always been the wizards of the bike industry for me... Flux, silver, brass, steel, all mixed together with FIRE to make a bike. Too hot and you'll burn a hole in the tubing. Too cold and something else bad will happen (I literally don't know... starving the joint?). That's some crazy stuff, and of all the wizards I know, Alex is basically Dumbledore.

Also, I've never read Harry Potter... Is it good to be Dumbledore? I mean it well Alex. 😉

Wild times y'all!

The bike industry in 2020 is a true roller coaster... I mean I guess 2020 is just a roller coaster, and the bike world is just along for the ride.

Normally I'd be celebrating my anniversary of moving to the Netherlands tonight, 5 years y'all! But instead I'm ordering parts for an ever growing waitlist.

I don't have a lot of time for reflection these days, or maybe I just don't make the time, but whenever I get a flash of deja vu, or a little perspective, I'm just amazed at what this shop is and has become. I owe that to the community surrounding this weird little shop, so cheers!

The Netherlands is cool, bikes are rad, y'all are way too nice, and corona can take a long walk off a short cliff.