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That chat with a retired courier about wheel building
I was talking to this guy, Ron, at my local shop last week. He used to deliver packages in downtown Chicago on a fixed gear for 15 years, and he said I was overthinking my spoke tension. He told me, 'You're building for a showroom, not for the road.' That hit different because I've been chasing perfect numbers instead of just making wheels that roll smooth. Has anyone else had an old timer call them out on something simple like that?
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emma_baker612mo ago
Saw a video where a shop guy said the same thing about overthinking tension.
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young.michael2mo ago
15 years delivering packages on a fixed gear through Chicago traffic? That's insane.
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henry_ross2mo ago
Laughing at myself here because my knees sound like a bowl of breakfast cereal every morning now, @young.michael. Fifteen years on a fixed gear through Chicago traffic is basically a lifetime of staring death in the face while wearing a messenger bag. But hey, at least I never had to worry about brakes failing since I never had any in the first place. My doctor says I have the knee cartilage of a 90 year old, but I tell him it was worth it for the street cred.
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