Project Fixed Gravel Bus

The key to it all. (Image by A. Andonopoulos.)

 I have hinted at this all throughout December and now it is time to share what I've been up to over the past four or five weeks. I will also add the weather was mostly not conducive to being outdoors throughout this period, so it was a good thing to have this to do during the dive into deep Winter weather we experienced. 

Just a quick recap for those new to this story: I had a Twin Six Standard Rando v2 set up geared since around 2022, and for a year or two before that, as a single speed. When tires for gravel started to plump out to the 47mm - 50mm widths I was finding the Twin Six to be lacking as it barely handles a 44mm wide tire. So, I dreamt of retiring the T-6 and ended up replacing the T-6 with my Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4 last September. 

Meanwhile, I had become enamored of riding fixed gear again via my road bike standard Shogun 1000, a 1980's vintage road bike, which has very limited tire clearances. My thoughts began to swirl - What would a fatter tire fixie be like? Then it hit me.....

Build the T-6 as a fixed gear bike, and move the Shogun down the road. So, this is what I have done. This now brings you up to speed on my journey up to the point where this project started.  

The first order of business was to build wheels. 

Thanks to Ari Andonopoulos and Jay Barre, I have this sweet Paul Components fixed WORD through axle hub. It is great Paul Components does this part, because it is not only high-quality stuff, but it is about the only game in town for fixed, through axle, and disc brake all in the same hub. Wacky one-speed rear device indeed!

To build the wheel set I needed rims. Fortunately I had a set of Velocity USA Blunt SS rims just chillin' in my shop. They were waiting for such a time as this! I also needed a front hub. I had used the old original front wheel in the Noble Bikes GX5 before in the Standard Rando, but this wheel was a mismatch from the standpoint of the rim. So, I broke the wheel down and harvested the front Stan;s Neo hub for this project.

Topped off with hand-cut DT Swiss spokes from Ari in the rear, and Wheelsmith spokes for the front, and this set of wheels was ready to go. Of course, I used my "signature wheel set" spoke scheme where I use half black, half silver spokes and nipples. The black spokes on one side get silver nipples and the silver spokes on the other side get black nipples.  

The wheel builds were fairly straight forward and besides one spoke, I had no real issues. Then it came to drive train parts. I had two screw-on fixed gear cogs to choose from. One was an All City 17T but is an 1 1/8th pitch. I also have a Dura Ace, vintage 3/32nds pitch cog in a 16T.  Both are black anodized steel. Not sure how they do that, but they are definitely black and definitely steel! 

I went the all-3/32nds route and so I have the Dura Ace part on the hub. For a crank set I came up with a 172.5mm Shimano 105 triple, Hollowgram crank set and I dismounted the three rings and replaced the middle one with a 39T steel ring from some old road crank set. It is a Shimano ring though. 

This meant I had to modify my Wheels Manufacturing Eccentric insert for a PF-30 shell. The left side bearing has that old, pre-DU(M)B spindle which had a 24mm drive side diameter and stepped down non drive side bearing. I knocked the SRAM specific bearing out, grabbed a Shimano outboard bearing sealed bearing cartridge, a plastic bushing, (top-hat) from same bottom bracket, modified the plastic bit, and used this. It worked perfectly. 

With a new SRAM PC 853 chain it now is locked-in and ready to roll. All I needed now were controls, brakes, and cabling. The handle bar is an old favorite, the Kitchen Sink Bar from Redshift Sports. I also used the same Redshift Sports ShockStop stem I had on the T-6 before I broke it up. A Shimano PRO seat post topped with a WTB Silverado saddle gifted to me recently by MG was the seating arrangement. (Thanks MG!!!) Then old Tektro levers in black were mounted as well. All I needed were cables, housings, and brake calipers. 

With everything but the calipers, tape, and cabling. 

 So, with the year closing out I was on the hunt for some brake calipers. It was the only thing I didn't have yet to make this a complete bicycle. Of course, I needed flat mount brakes, but they also needed to be mechanically operated. This leaves you with precious few options. 

You could do the bougie route. Paul Components Klampers or Growtac brakes (Velo Orange sells them), but we're talking hundreds of dollars for two brake calipers. Then you have the next step down in TRP Spyre brakes. Far less money for sure, but no big drop-off in performance. TRP/Tektro has a lower end version of the Spyre, which is slightly less money. Then you get into the sub-100 dollar per caliper brakes which of the lot, only Shimano is a brand I would trust. 

I hemmed and hawed about what to do. I was texting with Ari a few days before Christmas and he pointed out the half price offer on TRP Spyre calipers from an online store. I ended up ordering those as it put the per-caliper price under $65.00. 

Two days before Christmas. No calipers, but I just couldn't resist a test ride!

 I had strung the cables, but no wires, by a couple of days ahead of Christmas. It was pretty nice out for late December, and I had time, so I decided to go out for a short, brakeless ride. This would be on totally flat terrain and maybe for a few blocks and back, but I wanted to get a read on how this gearing was going to work out for me. I knew it was a little steeper than I had my Shogun set up with. 

I think it will be fine for most flattish terrain, but hills will be interesting! I'll just have to see how it goes over the course of Spring and determine what to do after that. 

 I think if Winter is going away, and for good, (fingers crossed), I will set up a different set of tires, But the 45NRTH Gravdal studded tires will grip ice and snow well. In case Winter comes back again, (more than likely), I'll keep them on. So we will see about tubeless tires at some point. Fenders may appear here in either case. I've got metal Planet Bike fenders or a brand new set of plastic Giant Revolt fenders too. We'll see how things fit to decide there. 

Finished Saturday evening 12/27/25

 Twin Six Standard Rando v2 (2020) in Saffron 

• Size: 59cm
• Frame: Steel (Twin Six never really says what, if anything, is special about their tube set) 
• Fork: Carbon T-6 (Again, no details but it does have internal routing for the front brake cable, Three-Pack mounts, and a 12mm through axle.) 
• Wheels: Hand-built using Velocity USA Blunt SS rims (28 spoke hole drilling), Mix of Wheelsmith (front) and DT Swiss spokes. Spokes in each wheel are all black on one side  with silver nipples, and all silver on the other side of the wheel with black nipples. Three cross lacing. (Guitar Ted Special Wheel build) Hubs are Paul Components WORD Fixed Disc (rear) and Stan's Neo (Front) 
• Track Cog: Vintage NOS black Dura Ace, 16T x 3/32nds.
• Chain: SRAM PC-853
• Chain Ring: Steel 39T Shimano of unknown vintage. (Likely 7 speed) 
• Crank Arms: Shimano 105 10 speed Triple modified for single speed use. 172.5mm length.
• Bottom Bracket: Modified Wheels Manufacturing Eccentric for PF-30 shell. 
• Seat Post: Shimano PRO
• Saddle: WTB Silverado
• Head Set: Enduro MaxHit stainless steel.
• Stem; Redshift Sports ShockStop Pro
• Handle Bars: Redshift Sports Kitchen Sink (46cm)
• Bar Tape: Ergon AllRoad
• Levers: Tektro short pull
• Brakes: TRP Spyre/Shimano rotors/Jagwire Pro housings.
• Pedals Fyxation Mesa MP's
• Tires: 45NRTH Gravdal, fully studded, with tubes. 
• Frame Pump: 1990's vintage Blackburn 

I'll have a ride report up once I can get out with this bike for a decently long ride. Indications are the stiffer T-6 frame will be a big benefit toward making the fixed drive train work its best. Gearing? Yeah..... I don't know yet! 

Stay tuned...  

Friday News And Views (Monster Year-End Edition)

Image from Innova Super Gravel webpage.

 Call It "Gravel™" And It Will Sell:

What happens when you take an XC racing chassis, slap a drop bar on it, and call it a "gravel bike"? Well, apparently you sell bicycles. That is what it looks like judging from a few bicycle brands out there now who are trying to figure out how to "innovate" the gravel bike into something the marketing departments hope you will see as a "must have bike". 

The recently released Trek Checkout, and a few other bicycles like this Innova Super Gravel (shown here) seem to have a very striking resemblance to 29"er XC racing bikes from five to ten years ago. 

I wrote up a comparison of the Trek Checkout with an old Gary Fisher XC Trail bike back at the end of September. If you missed the comparison, it may be enlightening to go back and read the article as it will shed some light on what it is that is going on here with these supposed "category defining" gravel bikes. 

I think this is happening due to a few things. One - Road bikes are encroaching on territory formerly covered by the gravel category. Many road bikes can now fit 35mm road tires, which were "gravel tire" widths in the 2010's. Some road bikes in the "road endurance/all-road" category fit even wider tires. No one wants to call these "gravel bikes", even though for a lot of people out there, this is all they would ever need to ride any road they come across. 

Two - "Gravel" is not everywhere. Many places have back roads, pavement, or dirt roads, but many "paths" cross over to single track/MTB type riding. Wider tires, more aggressive trail geometry, and suspension fit this terrain better. The marketing for the Innova Super Gravel shows it on rocky paths and more MTB/XC type terrain. Actual crushed rock roads (gravel) are no where to be seen.  Perhaps this reflects what seems more enticing to ride and this new style of 'Gravel Bike", which is really just XC MTB with drop bars, is what will motivate folks to pop the credit card number in for a charge. 

Three: "Adventure" was removed from XC MTB bikes when racing-focused products took over and gravity oriented machines became the guise entry level MTB bikes took on, if only in form. Part of this swing toward drop bar MTB is labeled as "adventure biking" because MTB has abandoned this adventure off-road category for years. Bike packing was, and is, a partial beneficiary to this as well. However; the lighter, more svelte "gravel bike" with a suspended front end seems to be filling this void where once the mainstay of MTB was residing. News about the 2026 Focus Atlas adventure bike brings to mind the original Fargo, a bicycle who's tagline was "Adventure by Bike" and which created this drop-bar, MTB based adventure category nearly 20 years ago now. 

All these things are being drenched in "gravel" because this is the magic word which conveys a sense of thrill, adventure, and does not carry the pretenses of road cycling or MTB racing/mountain riding. Even though much of what is being put out there as "new", "category defining" and "adventure" is derivative and old news. 

For more on this, see my take on another bike in this vein below....... 

Guitar Ted Podcast To Take Winter Break:

N.Y. Roll and I recorded the final episode of the Guitar Ted Podcast for this season recently. We will be taking our annual Holiday break and recharging the batteries for another season of the show being planned now. 

2025 was a year of growth, according to our end-of-year stats we received recently from a couple of our podcast platforms. We thank you for listening - if you did - over the past year. I have a review of the year on the podcast which will post the last week of this month, so do look for that. 

Season 4 (!!) will start in January with......well, I don't know just yet! We will come up with something, I am sure. We have received a few great suggestions for the podcast and future episodes, and if you would like to voice your opinions on the direction of the show, please do by leaving a comment here or by email @g.ted.productions@gmail.com. 

Image by A. Andonopoulos

Fixing The Bus

What is my friend Ari holding in his hand here? Well.....it is what I am going to "fix the Bus with." 

Yep! The old Twin Six Standard Rando, or what I called "The Gravel Bus", due to its yellow and black paint scheme, is going to become my new fixed gear bicycle. 

Since I stripped the bike down and used its parts to build up my new Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4, I thought I was just going to sell this frame and fork off. However; I ended up contemplating how I could make a fatter tire fixed gear bicycle. Something akin to the Shogun, but with beefier tires which I could ride on gravel with. This led me to the Paul WORD Fixed Disc Hub and the possibility of converting the Gravel Bus to direct drive.  

Oh....and in case you are not familiar: Fixed gear means you have a cog on a hub which is locked together. You cannot coast. Every inch the wheel travels the cranks are spinning. It is how all bicycles once were in the late 19th Century. Track bikes are still this way. Just thought I'd throw this out there in case you were new to the concept. 

By the way, single speed free wheel bikes are NOT like fixed gear bikes.They are completely different animals. If you have never ridden fixed gear, you should try it out. It really is amazing and you'd get why it is so different straight away. I love riding this way, and so this new build will be getting used quite a bit,, I think. Stay tuned for more on this bike soon. 

Virtual Turkey Burn Ride Recap:

All the reports are in and published. This year we had ten reports and all from the USA. Most everyone had an issue with the big storm which rolled into the country just in time to affect rides for the challenge.

However; I was encouraged greatly because despite the fact many of the challenge takers did not log the mileage to reach a century, either metric or standard, they reported anyway and shared their rides here. I think this is perhaps even more inspiring, since these folks went out in the face of adversity to ride anyway. 

Feedback from the riders was positive and it looks as though many want to participate in this again next year. Whether you reported or not, if you took inspiration from this challenge and rode, ran, swam, or walked outdoors after Thanksgiving, I appreciate this very much. This is the entire motivation for me - To get folks outdoors and trying to stretch themselves a bit physically instead of sitting around, being sucked into the marketing machine, or whatever. Thanks everyone! We'll plan on doing this again next year then!

 

Image courtesy of Knolly Bikes

Knolly Bikes Releases Updated Cache "Gravel" Bike:

The new Cache drop bar bike in titanium is now available from Knolly Bikes, a predominantly mountain cycling oriented company.  

Their geometry isn't anything crazy with a 70.5° head tube angle, 75mm of bottom bracket drop, and 422mm chain stays. But with many companies going wider on tires, you might expect an increase in maximum tire size over the outgoing Cache, and you'd be correct. Now with clearance for a 29" X 2.3" front and a 29" x 2.1" rear tire (1X and 2X), and suspension fork compatibility, ("gravel travel" suspension only), 

Comments: Okay, I don't really care about big tires or not on gravel rides, you can decide on this idea for yourself. However; at the point where companies are going now with 29"er tires, I have to make a demarcation. 

For myself, and going forward, any "gravel bike" with suspension correction and wider than 2.1" rear tire clearance is technically a mountain bike with drop bars. I mean, call a spade a spade.  Personally, I would rather say a bike like the Cache is a "bad Fargo take", or a poor Cutthroat in the case of carbon frames, but this maybe just me being grumpy today. 

Legends Of Gravel (L.O.G. Ride) Update:

I have a few more details to share concerning the April 17th-18th Legends Of Gravel Ride event. Once again - I am not in charge of this ride. So, if you've got beef with anything concerning the ride, I am not the person to bother with those complaints. Just so we are clear.... 

I am being feted at this event, for further clarity, and I was asked to share this information here, since many of you readers of Guitar Ted Productions just might be interested in this subject. 

Finally, the information I was asked to share: An event site is now live and will be updated with specifics on how you can participate in this event if you want to do so. The site is on Facebook, full disclosure, and I know some of you don't travel in the 'metasphere', which is understandable. Have a friend keep tabs on things then. Don't ask me! 

Here is the link. 

Comments: There is a plan for a group lodging opportunity which would cost $100.00/night to stay which includes meals. The ride itself, if that is all you need, is going to be $50.00/person. This is to help defray costs and gets you an event t-shirt. I know, I thought the ride was free at the onset, but I was wrong, and again - I am not one of the organizers. Any event details, costs, or times are subject to change by the organizers. Be aware! 

I think there is a groundswell of interest in this thing, so if you are at all interested it probably would behoove you to pay attention to that Facebook event page. My part in this is to get there and show up ready to ride a couple of days. That is all I am going to do. So, from this point onward I may mention this event in passing, but do not expect timely updates from me. 

From Singular Cycles' social media

The 32 Watch: Singular Cycles Proto

Recently Singular Cycles posted an Instagram story/reel which showed the bike to the left here with the comment: "It's surprisingly normal looking." Reading into it, I assumed this meant "surprisingly normal" because it was a 32"er. I "liked" the post and Sam Alison replied back in a pm confirming my suspicions. I will stop right there. 

Comments: Sooooo...... One would assume this might just be an actual thing, coming from Singular, who are not in the position to just randomly see if something is going to work or not. It would be reasonable to assume this is in an effort to confirm suspicions the idea is marketable.  

I have to thank my brother, MG, for capturing this image. You know, Insta stories go dark after 24hrs. So, here is the evidence which was provided, but only for a short period of time, preserved now for your consideration. What do you think? Would you be interested in something like this? (I have no horse in this race, by the way.)

I think it bears watching. I would be a lot more interested in a drop bar, gravel crusher, but that is just me. I'd want to see wider spaced hubs than 29"ers have. Thinking out loud, I'd want 150mm front and rear spaced. I would think with the longer chain stays this wouldn't be an issue with cranks and it would build a way stronger wheel. The front matching would allow front to rear wheel swaps. You might want this if a cassette failed, or a derailleur failed, and your front, (actually a rear standard) set up with a single speed cog could swap in as a bail-out. Weird? Maybe, but why not? The stronger wheels would be worth the effort with such a big diameter rim. 

And I don't give a rip about telescopic front suspension forks, so there!  

Programming Note: There are two Friday's left in the year. Usually industry news tails off for the holidays, so unless there are compelling reasons to report news or opinions I will likely post end-of-year articles on the following December Fridays. The FN&V will return the first week of January, 2026. 

Have an awesome weekend! Get out and ride those bicycles! 

Friday News And Views

Image Courtesy of Wilde Bicycles

Wilde Announces Dark Star Hardtail, Future Proof Fork:

Wilde Bicycles has released information on their soon-to-be-available Dark Star hardtail and Future Proof steel fork. First, let's look at the Dark Star, which is Wilde's take on an "everyday trail bike".

Wilde founder, Jeffrey Frane says the following about the bike and its his intentions for it:

"It (the Dark Star) bucks the current hardtail design trend of long wheel bases and super slack head tubes. These things make sense to me on my 150mm travel dual suspension bike, but on a 120-130mm travel hardtail I feel they miss the plot. I reach for my hardtail for typically two reasons, one it's the most fun on the tight techy singletrack (which we have a lot of around here) or two because I've got some pedaling to do and I want to do it fast and efficiently. Whether it's a big climb, riding to the trails, a local race, or simply a lot of ground to cover that day 

The Dark Star is built with air-hardened BOSS tubing designed and spec'ed by Wilde Bicycles. The head tube angle is 66° and the bike has sliding rear drop outs for wheelbase adjustability or for single speed set-ups. Recommended fork travel is 120mm - 130mm. The Dark Star is made in Taiwan  by the ORA factory. Dark Star frames start at $1,200.00 and the bike is available as a complete as well. Prices start at $3,600.00 for a Deore equipped bike. Other options are available.

The Future Proof Fork (Image courtesy of Wilde Bicycles)

Future Proof Fork: 

This fork is also made from steel, is Boost spaced, and has a 501mm axle to crown measurement which mimics a sagged 120mm suspension fork. Fork offset is 44mm.

The Future Proof Fork also has rack and fender mounts, the three-bolt accessory pack mounts on each leg, and has a straight, 1 1/8th steer tube so it can be fitted to any hardtail frame.

Tire clearance is for up to a 29" X 2.8" tire as well, so this would be a good fork for the appropriate hardtail in a bikepacking mode. Frane feels this offering is necessary to help keep older hardtails viable for such things as bikepacking, commuting, or for utilitarian purposes. He says in the press release, "We hate the notion that MTB standards change so quickly that in five years your new MTB may be “obsolete” as your trail rig. We don't believe in investing money or resources into anything that won't be useful for decades. This problem is easily solved though." 

The Future Proof Fork might just be the answer to keeping you hardtail viable for years to come. Future Proof Forks go for $250.00 USD. For more on these and other Wilde Bicycle products see Wilde Bicycles site. https://www.wildebikes.com/ 

Image courtesy of PAUL Components

100% Pure Paul Components Crank Arm Sets: 

Paul Components had a daring release on April 1st of their new 100% Crank Arm sets. These are even square taper (!!) which probably will make a lot of younger riders squint and shake their heads. However; square taper cranks work just fine, despite the horror stories you may have heard, as long as you install them correctly. 

The 100% Pure Cranks come in anodized purple, *shown), black, silver, and pewter hues. Obviously, the best hue for maximum power output is purple, (IYKYK), so that is the color you should get. Really.... (HA!)

Arms come in lengths from 155mm to 180mm in 5mm increments. Cost is $308.00 and this is just for the arms. You'll have to get a ring and bottom bracket to go with this. Check out these on Paul Components' website here: 100% Pure Cranks 

Comments: I have run various bikes with square taper crank sets for as long as I can remember. If you get into square taper, you can also find bottom brackets to customize your "Q" factor and clearance with frames, things hard to do, or which are impossible with other types of cranksets.

I was feeling these purple arms would look fantastic on the Honeman Flyer.  I'll have to see if I can scrape up some scratch and get a set. If I do I'm going with 170's this time around. 

Floating An Idea: 

Okay, N.Y. Roll and I have been kicking this idea around and it has come to a point where we need to make a plan or another year will go by without this happening.

We have wanted to do a ride to "The Tree In The Road" for a while now. We also wanted to offer an opportunity to ride with N.Y. Roll and I which would be closer to our friends in Nebraska so they could make the trip with less travel time. I suppose Missourians and Kansans might find a bit more ease in coming with this idea as well.

The Tree In The Road is located near Exira, Iowa which is about halfway in between Des Moines and Omaha, Nebraska. Guitar Ted Productions friend, Rob Evans, has provided a nice route of around sixty-ish miles which we will likely use that starts in Atlantic, Iowa, (I think), but I'll have to get that suggested route from him again. I inadvertently deleted it!

That is not a really big deal, but what is a big deal for some of you would be the date for this idea. N.Y. Roll and I are kicking around the date of June 28th, a Saturday. It would be the weekend before the 4th of July. We are not "set in stone" on this date, but if we do not get a lot of push-back, it will likely be on that date.

One other minor note: I don't have a car, so N.Y. Roll would be toting me and my stuff to this and back again. Part of this plan relies on his availability. Without his assistance, I'm not able to do this, or any other out of town rides for the foreseeable future.

With that I will leave you to consider the idea and, if you care at all, to leave a comment in the comment section or email me your thoughts. Thanks!  

Image courtesy of Adidas

New Adidas Eyewear:

Adidas has a new shield-type eye protection device out now called the SPO108. (Very inspiring name there!)

These have a few variants in terms of colors available, but all feature  lenses that have undergone hydrophobic, oleophobic, scratch-proof and dust-proof treatments. The temples are adjustable for a better fit and the tips are grippy to prevent slipping. This style is also adaptable to prescription inserts.

Suggested retail is $160.00 USD although I've seen links with these going for substantial discount prices. So, look around if you are interested in these. 

Image courtesy of KOM Cycling

KOM Cycling Debuts 1000 Lumen Quick Release Light: 

KOM Cycling just announced a new light which is compatible with Garmin and Wahoo type GPS mounts and their own KOM computer mount. Featuring 1000 Lumens with a claimed 2hr run time, the light also has a 30° adjustment feature so you can put the light right where you want it to be. (The end of the light unit swivels downward) 

This would allow you to mount a GPS unit on the top of the light body, position it so you could see the face of the gPS, yet swivel the light head down so it aimed your light correctly, for instance.

The Quick Release Light 1000 also has five other modes, including three flashing modes. Run times for the nighttime modes are as follows:

• Low Steady 300 Lumens @ 7 hrs
• Medium Steady 600 Lumens @ 3.5 hrs
• High Steady 1000 Lumens 2 hrs

This light is also rated at the IPX6 waterproofness rating so it should be able to withstand most weather conditions while in use. Mounting options for top or underneath mounts will also give the rider different ways to configure their set up. Price for the Quick Release 1000 light is $119.99 and you can check it out further HERE.  

That's a wrap on this week. Next week a bunch of Sea Otter news is going to hit, so stay tuned. Until then, ride those bicycles!

Brake Talk

Image courtesy of Paul Components

I was riding my King Fabrications "Honeman Flyer" the other day when I was struck by how much better my brakes were working compared to when I first put the bike together. Back at that time, I was pretty displeased with how they were working, or better said, not working! 

However; post-Mid-South, they started working really well, and now I would be hard-pressed to change them out for any reason. I had one stop the other day on that bike where I grabbed a bit too much front brake and I lifted the rear wheel off the ground. That's enough braking power for me! Especially when I think about using brakes on gravel. 

This brought me to a remembrance of conversations I had with Ben Witt of Heath Creek Cycles and also some of my research into flat mount calipers at that time. I thought that, perhaps, some of you might benefit from my thoughts on brakes and Ben's suggestions as well.

Growtac Equal Brakes. (Image courtesy of Velo Orange)

My comments and thoughts here are based upon my need for a mechanically operated flat mount caliper only. I may compare to a fully hydraulic system, but this is centered around cable operated brakes for the most part.

"Bougie" Brakes:

I did look at some expensive options for this custom bike because.....it was a custom built frame? I guess that I thought maybe a "high end" brake was fitting in this case. You know, kind of like wearing a silk tie with a tuxedo. You just don't do it any other way. 

But the prices for those calipers was, and still is, eye-watering. Wow! The Paul brakes would have been over one third the price of the frame alone. That didn't make sense to me. The Growtac Equal brakes were another high end offering that also gets rave reviews, but again, those were still pretty expensive. A little over one hundred dollars less than the Paul brakes, but yeah.... Why? 

You might say that "they work almost as well as hydraulic brakes and far better than other mechanical options.", but a fully hydraulic system, (With no shifting needs. This was for a single speed bike) like the TRP Hylex, which comes with levers and hoses, costs under $400.00 for a pair. So, right in line with Growtacs , which do not include levers, and less than Paul's which are caliper only. 

Shimano RS305 mechanical flat mount calipers. (Image from AliExpress)

Secret Weapon?:

Ben informed me of a mechanical flat mount caliper that I was unaware of previous to his telling me about them. The Shimano RS305 calipers, which Ben spoke pretty highly of, are dirt cheap. I've seen these for under sixty bucks for a pair! 

They come with resin pads with Ice Tech fins. Ben says they work very well. His word is good enough for me to say that I probably would have liked them on my new bike as well. That said, I wasn't 100% on-board with putting a cheap Shimano caliper on my custom bike. Yeah, probably a little bit of snobbery going on there, but mostly it was the look of that brake that turned me off. Too plain for this wild looking build!

I ended up with TRP Spyre calipers

So, I ended up with TRP Spyre calipers in the end. I already had them on hand, so that was a big reason why I went that direction with the brakes. As I said, they were not very impressive at first. So how is it that they are so good now? I think it all has to do with two things: Set up and bedding in of the pads with the rotors. 

Most of the issues with mechanically activated calipers, in my experience as a mechanic and personally, have been with how the brake caliper was set up to begin with. It is ultra-important to get this correct. The piston, or pistons, have to be set up so that the pads don't deflect the rotor when the brake is applied. Get that right and you are more than halfway there. 

Secondly, it is now my belief that getting your pads and rotors bedded in really well will bring your brakes to life. In my case, with the Honeman Flyer, I believe it was the abrasive red dirt of Oklahoma that helped get the pads and rotors happy with each other. That and the long descents which saw me dragging the brakes a bit more than I would in Iowa. 

Whatever the case may have been, it took a good bedding in to bring out the best in these brakes, and now I wouldn't change them out for anything else. And if I had to buy the Spyres? You can get a pair right now on eBay for under a hundred bucks and they are around $150.00 or slightly less for a pair at many online retailers.

Twin Six Standard Rando v2: Review Update

Current state of the Standard Rando v2

 Back in 2021 I posted a "One Year Review" on my Twin Six Standard Rando v2 which has proven to be one of the most consistently accessed pages on the blog here since that time. The last time I posted anything significant on this bike was in my "Bikes of 2021" review where I mentioned that I'd like to get a single speed specific hub for the bike. Then in January I got that wheel built up and a quick test ride on it was reported back in February.

All else on the bike has remained the same, so I thought that now that I have had a few short rides on the bike, that I'd update the review on this bike so far. It seems to be a popular searched item here, so why not? 

There are a couple of things about this build on this frame and fork that I wanted to point out that, I feel, make this bike work a lot better for me than it should. Then I will get into what differences the wheels make to that overall ride quality. 

The frame and fork are not what I would term a very good definition of a 'steel frame/fork ride', whatever that may mean to you. All I know is that this frame is stiff, and as a single speed platform it is perfect. The last thing I want in my single speed frame is a frame that twists up under extreme torque loading. You'll know what I mean if you are a single speed person. That leads to popping chains, breaking chains, or derailing chains, all of which are bad things. 

I maybe have gotten this frame to pop the chain a couple of times. maybe- cannot remember for sure- so you know it is solid and pretty much twist-free in that regard. But that means it is a stiff frame in terms of ride quality as well. So this is where the big tires, Redshift ShockStop stem, and PRO Dyneema Carbon Post work a trick to make the Standard Rando v2 a nicer ride. 

Having a stiff frame is key when single speeding up the rollers. (Image from the 2021 Turkey Burn Ride0

Someone reached out to me recently regarding a choice on the Standard Rando v2 of steel or carbon for the fork. Honestly, it doesn't matter in terms of ride feel. Both are stiff little buggers, just in different ways. I went carbon to see what I thought. My Standard Rando v1 had the steel fork. So, I've ridden both enough to know that the carbon is the way to go, if only for the lighter weight. It won't 'smooth out' anything, regardless of what your internet forum groupies may say. 

That's the job of the Redshift ShockStop stem. If you have not tried one, it does way more than any steel, carbon, or whatever material fork you choose could do for 'smoothing out' things. Way more. If you ride gravel roads- real gravel roads, with crushed rock- then get one and try to tell me I am wrong. I know it won't be good for 'this-or-that' terrain, I get it. But for where I ride this is indispensable. 

Add a nice, vibration damping seat post and/or saddle, big, aired down tires, and the Standard Rando v2 rides great. Really great. This is due to the geometry and how it affects handling. Twin Six did a pretty nice job here. But back to that fork question- Just get the carbon one and be done with it. 

The Paul WORD through axle hub and that Origin 8 free wheel.

So, now a WORD (ha!) or two about that Paul Components WORD hub and wheel build. Well, I went from carbon hoops to these mixed Velocity/Stan's hoops with that Paul hub. Can I tell a difference? 

If anything, yes- The back of the bike feels more stiff than it used to. Again- great for single speed. Not so great for ride quality! I think the bracing angle of the spokes is why. The compromise one has to accept with bracing angles of spokes on geared, rear hubs makes things a bit flexy. I could discern that in the back of the bike as a sharper feeling over bumps and cracks. 

Did I also lose something going with aluminum rims over carbon? No....just different, and heavier, of course, by a little bit. But that said, I can see me getting the matching Paul front hub, a pair of carbon fiber rims, and re-lacing the rear hub up again. Lighter is 'more-gooderer', or something like that, when it comes to wheels- to a degree. 

So, besides that, I am testing a Redshift Sports ShockStop Pro post in another bike that may find its way over here to this bike after a bit, and then who knows? I'll just be fine tuning beyond that point. But this bike is a real keeper and I have plans to have a lot of fun rides, challenges, and miles onboard this thing in the future. It's a great gravel bike.
 

I paid for this bike, and I was not paid, nor bribed to give this review.

Twin Six Standard Rando v2: Review Update

Current state of the Standard Rando v2

 Back in 2021 I posted a "One Year Review" on my Twin Six Standard Rando v2 which has proven to be one of the most consistently accessed pages on the blog here since that time. The last time I posted anything significant on this bike was in my "Bikes of 2021" review where I mentioned that I'd like to get a single speed specific hub for the bike. Then in January I got that wheel built up and a quick test ride on it was reported back in February.

All else on the bike has remained the same, so I thought that now that I have had a few short rides on the bike, that I'd update the review on this bike so far. It seems to be a popular searched item here, so why not? 

There are a couple of things about this build on this frame and fork that I wanted to point out that, I feel, make this bike work a lot better for me than it should. Then I will get into what differences the wheels make to that overall ride quality. 

The frame and fork are not what I would term a very good definition of a 'steel frame/fork ride', whatever that may mean to you. All I know is that this frame is stiff, and as a single speed platform it is perfect. The last thing I want in my single speed frame is a frame that twists up under extreme torque loading. You'll know what I mean if you are a single speed person. That leads to popping chains, breaking chains, or derailing chains, all of which are bad things. 

I maybe have gotten this frame to pop the chain a couple of times. maybe- cannot remember for sure- so you know it is solid and pretty much twist-free in that regard. But that means it is a stiff frame in terms of ride quality as well. So this is where the big tires, Redshift ShockStop stem, and PRO Dyneema Carbon Post work a trick to make the Standard Rando v2 a nicer ride. 

Having a stiff frame is key when single speeding up the rollers. (Image from the 2021 Turkey Burn Ride0

Someone reached out to me recently regarding a choice on the Standard Rando v2 of steel or carbon for the fork. Honestly, it doesn't matter in terms of ride feel. Both are stiff little buggers, just in different ways. I went carbon to see what I thought. My Standard Rando v1 had the steel fork. So, I've ridden both enough to know that the carbon is the way to go, if only for the lighter weight. It won't 'smooth out' anything, regardless of what your internet forum groupies may say. 

That's the job of the Redshift ShockStop stem. If you have not tried one, it does way more than any steel, carbon, or whatever material fork you choose could do for 'smoothing out' things. Way more. If you ride gravel roads- real gravel roads, with crushed rock- then get one and try to tell me I am wrong. I know it won't be good for 'this-or-that' terrain, I get it. But for where I ride this is indispensable. 

Add a nice, vibration damping seat post and/or saddle, big, aired down tires, and the Standard Rando v2 rides great. Really great. This is due to the geometry and how it affects handling. Twin Six did a pretty nice job here. But back to that fork question- Just get the carbon one and be done with it. 

The Paul WORD through axle hub and that Origin 8 free wheel.

So, now a WORD (ha!) or two about that Paul Components WORD hub and wheel build. Well, I went from carbon hoops to these mixed Velocity/Stan's hoops with that Paul hub. Can I tell a difference? 

If anything, yes- The back of the bike feels more stiff than it used to. Again- great for single speed. Not so great for ride quality! I think the bracing angle of the spokes is why. The compromise one has to accept with bracing angles of spokes on geared, rear hubs makes things a bit flexy. I could discern that in the back of the bike as a sharper feeling over bumps and cracks. 

Did I also lose something going with aluminum rims over carbon? No....just different, and heavier, of course, by a little bit. But that said, I can see me getting the matching Paul front hub, a pair of carbon fiber rims, and re-lacing the rear hub up again. Lighter is 'more-gooderer', or something like that, when it comes to wheels- to a degree. 

So, besides that, I am testing a Redshift Sports ShockStop Pro post in another bike that may find its way over here to this bike after a bit, and then who knows? I'll just be fine tuning beyond that point. But this bike is a real keeper and I have plans to have a lot of fun rides, challenges, and miles onboard this thing in the future. It's a great gravel bike.
 

I paid for this bike, and I was not paid, nor bribed to give this review.

Randomonium

  NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

The refreshed Standard Rando v2

Standard Rando v2/Single Speed Wheel Update:

The refreshing of, and rebuilding of wheels for, the Standard Rando v2 is now complete. The final piece of the puzzle came in last week and I was able to get in a decent test ride before the cold came back again. 

To recap: I wanted a single speed specific wheel for the Standard Rando v2 since my Turkey Burn ride last November. That metric century ride proved to me beyond a doubt that I wanted to stick with single speed for this bike. 

Originally, back in 2020, when I got this bike, I was intending for it to be a geared bike, but what with the pandemic and all, I was fortunate to just get it up and running as a single speed. I left things as is and well, that is how it is going to be. 

So, instead of tying up a geared rear wheel on a single speed that would never see gears, I decided I needed a new wheel set. That prompted the purchase of a Paul rear single speed WORD hub with the through axle for the Standard Rando's 12mm through axle rear end. I inadvertently ordered a 32 spoke hole hub instead of a 28 hole drilling, as I had intended, because I had a set of 28 hole Velocity Blunt SS rims sitting in the Lab waiting to be laced to something. 

So, I ordered up a 32 hole Blunt SS rim. I had the spokes on hand and in the right colors to do my "Guitar Ted Signature" build which is black spokes on one side and silver on the other, reversed for the other wheel. So- Drive side rear = black, drive side front = silver, reversed for non-drive side. I dunno why.....I just think it looks cool! 

I am pretty sure every spoke is double butted and all have brass nipples. The front is something of an oddball. I have the original wheel set - well.....I had it, now one part is modified! Anyway, the front wheel rim, one side of the spokes, and the hub was a part of the Noble GX-5's original build. I took out the black spokes on one side and replaced them with silver, and boom! Done!

The rim is a Stan's Grail and the hub is a Stan's 'vanilla', average front hub. No big deal that they do not match because from five feet away, you cannot tell the difference. Maybe some day I'll get another Blunt SS and relace that, but I doubt I will. At any rate, I still have a good pair of Blunt SS rims waiting for hubs and spokes instead of one lone rim with no mate. 

Finally, I had to get a single speed freewheel. I really wanted to get a White Industries one, but I don't have White Industries money to spend at the moment, so I got an Origin 8 'Black Ops' 20T free wheel, (It's just s Far East free wheel, but a pretty good one) and put that on. We will see how long it hold up to Iowa gravel!  More soon.....

Testing the Redshift Sports ShockStop Pro post here.

Redshift ShockStop Pro Post Thoughts So Far...

I'm reviewing this for Riding Gravel (Standard Disclaimer applies) and while it looks like the post I reviewed previously here, it is almost nothing like that post. It is a very different experience. In that linked review I state that this post 'isolates the rider from vibrations'. This version does not seem to be the same in that manner. I'm still not sure what level of damping, if any, is going on here. 

It also does not feel 'floaty' at all. The previous ShockStop post I tried does kind of, well.....suspend you. It is a suspension seat post, after all. The coil spring sags under your weight until the spring rate supports you and you are kind of disconnected from the rest of the bike at that point. Full suspension mountain bike riders will be quite familiar with this feeling. It may be quite disconcerting for road riders or new-to-the-sport people. It does feel odd at first. 

But this post, which has one stock spring rate which is not user adjustable, does not do that. Nothing of the sort, so it feels more like a standard post. Now at that point, my mind is thinking 'why not just use a flexible standard post, like the Whiskey Carbon, or PRO Carbon Dyneema posts that I like so well?'

And there is the conundrum I am faced with sorting out at the moment. Is the Redshift Sports ShockStop Pro 'not worth it', or is it a 'bad design'? NO! It is a really well executed design and does work, but my question I have to answer is for which riders, and to what degree does this post complete its mission? I don't know the answers to those questions yet.

More ride time. That's what I need here.......

A 420mm axle to crown fork on my Blackbuck circa 2008.

More On Forks & Their Effects On Bikes:

 Last week's Ghost Grappler introduction cracked open the can-o-worms again concerning how fork length and offset can dramatically affect handling. This was because the Ghost Grappler, ("GG" from here on out), has a short (420mm) rigid fork with 50mm offset and that fork, the "Dinner Fork", is available aftermarket. 

I was asked in the comments about how such a fork would work on a 29'er. I said "Not very well", and that I had tried this. Well, today I bring you my examples.

In January of 2008 I got my OS Bikes Blackbuck and later that year I tried 8 different forks on it, all of which had different offsets and axle to crown lengths. In my testing I used the same wheels, tires, and I strove to keep the cockpit the same across all the set ups. (Which was a whole nuther story) This was to eliminate as many variables as I could. 

The Blackbuck with its stock rigid fork.

I'll spare you all the techno-mumbo-jumbo and cut to the chase. The shortest forks I tried were both 420mm axle to crown. The Black Ops was a cabon/aluminum composite fork with (if I recall correctly) 38mm offset. The Blackbuck fork, (came with the frame), had a 51mm offset. Both forks resulted in a waaaaaay steep 74° head angle. It was the offsets that were the diference maker. 

And boy! What a difference! That Black Ops fork was dead feeling and handled very weirdly. I did not like it at all. The Blackbuck fork was razor-sharp quick. You had to be on your "P's and Q's" to ride it. One moment of broken concentration and you were on your butt off the side of the trail. 

Neither was what I would call 'ideal' to ride. So, how does that relate to this GG fork- the Dinner Fork? Well, it has the same axle to crown as the two forks I tested 14 years ago. But it leans more towards the Blackbuck fork I have, with its 50mm offset than it does in regard to that old Black Ops fork. So, on most 29"er hard tails with shorter stock forks, you'd end up with 'crit bike' handling and a nervousness on technical terrain that would require maximum concentration to control. On a longer forked, 'modern-day' trail bike? No. Just no.... Those bikes are made to have LONG forks on them. Like 500mm and longer axle to crown forks, so a 420mm fork would be, almost, unrideable. 

So, unless your 29"er was made to have a 470mm or shorter fork stock, I'd forget about the GG fork as an option. That's my take.

Want more about forks? Let me know in the comments. 

That's it for today, thank you for reading!

Randomonium

  NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

The refreshed Standard Rando v2

Standard Rando v2/Single Speed Wheel Update:

The refreshing of, and rebuilding of wheels for, the Standard Rando v2 is now complete. The final piece of the puzzle came in last week and I was able to get in a decent test ride before the cold came back again. 

To recap: I wanted a single speed specific wheel for the Standard Rando v2 since my Turkey Burn ride last November. That metric century ride proved to me beyond a doubt that I wanted to stick with single speed for this bike. 

Originally, back in 2020, when I got this bike, I was intending for it to be a geared bike, but what with the pandemic and all, I was fortunate to just get it up and running as a single speed. I left things as is and well, that is how it is going to be. 

So, instead of tying up a geared rear wheel on a single speed that would never see gears, I decided I needed a new wheel set. That prompted the purchase of a Paul rear single speed WORD hub with the through axle for the Standard Rando's 12mm through axle rear end. I inadvertently ordered a 32 spoke hole hub instead of a 28 hole drilling, as I had intended, because I had a set of 28 hole Velocity Blunt SS rims sitting in the Lab waiting to be laced to something. 

So, I ordered up a 32 hole Blunt SS rim. I had the spokes on hand and in the right colors to do my "Guitar Ted Signature" build which is black spokes on one side and silver on the other, reversed for the other wheel. So- Drive side rear = black, drive side front = silver, reversed for non-drive side. I dunno why.....I just think it looks cool! 

I am pretty sure every spoke is double butted and all have brass nipples. The front is something of an oddball. I have the original wheel set - well.....I had it, now one part is modified! Anyway, the front wheel rim, one side of the spokes, and the hub was a part of the Noble GX-5's original build. I took out the black spokes on one side and replaced them with silver, and boom! Done!

The rim is a Stan's Grail and the hub is a Stan's 'vanilla', average front hub. No big deal that they do not match because from five feet away, you cannot tell the difference. Maybe some day I'll get another Blunt SS and relace that, but I doubt I will. At any rate, I still have a good pair of Blunt SS rims waiting for hubs and spokes instead of one lone rim with no mate. 

Finally, I had to get a single speed freewheel. I really wanted to get a White Industries one, but I don't have White Industries money to spend at the moment, so I got an Origin 8 'Black Ops' 20T free wheel, (It's just s Far East free wheel, but a pretty good one) and put that on. We will see how long it hold up to Iowa gravel!  More soon.....

Testing the Redshift Sports ShockStop Pro post here.

Redshift ShockStop Pro Post Thoughts So Far...

I'm reviewing this for Riding Gravel (Standard Disclaimer applies) and while it looks like the post I reviewed previously here, it is almost nothing like that post. It is a very different experience. In that linked review I state that this post 'isolates the rider from vibrations'. This version does not seem to be the same in that manner. I'm still not sure what level of damping, if any, is going on here. 

It also does not feel 'floaty' at all. The previous ShockStop post I tried does kind of, well.....suspend you. It is a suspension seat post, after all. The coil spring sags under your weight until the spring rate supports you and you are kind of disconnected from the rest of the bike at that point. Full suspension mountain bike riders will be quite familiar with this feeling. It may be quite disconcerting for road riders or new-to-the-sport people. It does feel odd at first. 

But this post, which has one stock spring rate which is not user adjustable, does not do that. Nothing of the sort, so it feels more like a standard post. Now at that point, my mind is thinking 'why not just use a flexible standard post, like the Whiskey Carbon, or PRO Carbon Dyneema posts that I like so well?'

And there is the conundrum I am faced with sorting out at the moment. Is the Redshift Sports ShockStop Pro 'not worth it', or is it a 'bad design'? NO! It is a really well executed design and does work, but my question I have to answer is for which riders, and to what degree does this post complete its mission? I don't know the answers to those questions yet.

More ride time. That's what I need here.......

A 420mm axle to crown fork on my Blackbuck circa 2008.

More On Forks & Their Effects On Bikes:

 Last week's Ghost Grappler introduction cracked open the can-o-worms again concerning how fork length and offset can dramatically affect handling. This was because the Ghost Grappler, ("GG" from here on out), has a short (420mm) rigid fork with 50mm offset and that fork, the "Dinner Fork", is available aftermarket. 

I was asked in the comments about how such a fork would work on a 29'er. I said "Not very well", and that I had tried this. Well, today I bring you my examples.

In January of 2008 I got my OS Bikes Blackbuck and later that year I tried 8 different forks on it, all of which had different offsets and axle to crown lengths. In my testing I used the same wheels, tires, and I strove to keep the cockpit the same across all the set ups. (Which was a whole nuther story) This was to eliminate as many variables as I could. 

The Blackbuck with its stock rigid fork.

I'll spare you all the techno-mumbo-jumbo and cut to the chase. The shortest forks I tried were both 420mm axle to crown. The Black Ops was a cabon/aluminum composite fork with (if I recall correctly) 38mm offset. The Blackbuck fork, (came with the frame), had a 51mm offset. Both forks resulted in a waaaaaay steep 74° head angle. It was the offsets that were the diference maker. 

And boy! What a difference! That Black Ops fork was dead feeling and handled very weirdly. I did not like it at all. The Blackbuck fork was razor-sharp quick. You had to be on your "P's and Q's" to ride it. One moment of broken concentration and you were on your butt off the side of the trail. 

Neither was what I would call 'ideal' to ride. So, how does that relate to this GG fork- the Dinner Fork? Well, it has the same axle to crown as the two forks I tested 14 years ago. But it leans more towards the Blackbuck fork I have, with its 50mm offset than it does in regard to that old Black Ops fork. So, on most 29"er hard tails with shorter stock forks, you'd end up with 'crit bike' handling and a nervousness on technical terrain that would require maximum concentration to control. On a longer forked, 'modern-day' trail bike? No. Just no.... Those bikes are made to have LONG forks on them. Like 500mm and longer axle to crown forks, so a 420mm fork would be, almost, unrideable. 

So, unless your 29"er was made to have a 470mm or shorter fork stock, I'd forget about the GG fork as an option. That's my take.

Want more about forks? Let me know in the comments. 

That's it for today, thank you for reading!

Paul Components WORD Disc Hub Review: Part 1

This arrived on Saturday.....

 Since mid-2021 I have been keen on getting the Twin Six Standard Rando v2 on a single speed specific rear wheel set up. That was after I swapped back to a drop bar set up and I realized that this bike makes a great purpose-built single speed. 

But as I have stated in another post, finding a 12mm through axle, single speed only hub is not an easy task. Ten, maybe fifteen years ago, when single speed was in its hey-day due to the popularity of single speed 29"ers, you could find a lot of single speed specific rear hubs. However; those were almost always just quick release, or a combination of that and bolted on options. Neither will work on a through-axle frame like the Standard Rando v2. 

I knew Paul Component Engineering made one, and it was a thread-on free wheel style hub, which actually is what I'd rather have than a truncated cassette style. That is because the thread-on style usually is made in such a way that the resulting wheel build has a zero dish set up. That is "stronger" and "stiffer". Both good things on a high-torque situation as with single speed bikes. Now, Paul Components are not cheap, in terms of dollars, so I was waiting to see if I could somehow score one via the old shop job. Well, that never happened. So, I ponied up my own funds via some income from RidingGravel.com, and I got a hold of that hub this past weekend. 

So, in this post I wanted to document my experience with ordering this hub, because it was pretty good for these times, and also Paul Components does a really great job with the process and experience in general. As most of you probably do these days, I order a lot of stuff online, so when I have a great experience and good service, I will tell you about it, as long as it is bicycle related. I should say that Paul Component Engineering doesn't have any idea at all that I am doing this and that I paid full retail for the hub. Okay, here we go in pictures.....

Scared of clowns? Don't look too closely at this box's graphic design! 

No plastic- everything sent to me besides a vinyl sticker was recyclable

It may seem silly to some of you, but a nice "thank you" and a treat of hard candies goes a long way.

And of course, the WORD Disc Hub itself was in there.

When I ordered this hub I saw warnings and received another when I placed the order that it may take a few weeks - or more- depending upon COVID and whatnot, to get this hub. Of course, I had been on a waiting list for months, since last Summer. (That's why I didn't get the shop discount) So, I was okay with that. But all along afterword Paul Components sent out regular updates to me and thanked me for my patience. That was greatly appreciated and I never felt at any point that my order had been neglected or that I had been forgotten about.

Tracking of the package once it was in the USPS system was flawless. This is generally NOT the case with USPS as I can attest to. I have parts coming for my amplifier repairs (guitar stuff) and that at the same time as the Paul order and USPS tracking is about as good as detecting ghosts in the attic. I'm not sure if Paul Components took cookies down to their local USPS office for the Holidays to 'grease the wheels', but that tracking experience was top notch. 

The manual with the hub has all the dimensions you need to build up a wheel

Another nice touch, besides the things shown above, was that the manual which came with the hub had all the hub dimensions necessary for me to calculate spoke lengths. All I required was the ERD measurement for the Velocity Blunt SS rim, which Velocity publishes on their site, and a short innergoogles trip to the United Bicycle Institute's spoke calculator page later and I was set. 

Then I visited my stash of Wheelsmith spokes and nipples and I found that I had all the things I needed to build up this wheel. So, I Spoke Prep'd the Wheelsmith spokes I pulled for this job on Sunday and laced this wheel up. But before I get into all of that....

Disc WORD Hub = 200 grams

Velocity USA Blunt SS 700c rim = 420 grams

Okay, so I decided to go with my "Guitar Ted Productions "Standard Build"" design which is all silver spokes on one side and all black spokes on the other side. This time I used all silver brass (natch) nipples. Being that there was no dish on the build to accommodate for a cassette or for the disc brake, the wheel was simple enough to build up and it looks as though it should tension up very well. 

So far- so good.

I'll likely have tensioned this up by the time that you are reading this on the post date. Next after that will be swapping over my White Industries freewheel. Then taping, valve stems, tires, sealant, a rotor, and I'm good to go. That will cover the rear wheel.

Then I'm going to take the Project Wide Gravel Wheels v2 and do a rim swap from the Spank 350's to my set of 28 hole Velocity Blunts. Then I will have a single speed rear which will stay with the Standard Rando, but the front could come off, be paired with the cassette rear, and set up on the BMC or the Noble bike, or whatever may come in the future. That will make the DT Swiss 350 hubs useful also instead of sitting around on rims too wide to use on my gravel bikes. 

Then, in the future, I will probably get some Boost spaced hubs, lace those Spank rims to those, and maybe build up a modern day MTB-ish bike. But we'll see. As for this hub/wheel here I will give a progress report on the final details on the set up. That will be coming soon. Then at some point I'll do a ride report on the hub. So, as for now, I can recommend the Paul Component Engineering ordering experience and the experience of receiving the box and contents was very nice. Stay tuned......