“I ordered the archetype wheels with 25mm Continental Gatorskins and Tune hubs as I wanted a pair of (great looking) ally winter training wheels what would also double up as climbing wheels as I live in the Chilterns where hills are not in short supply. They are very comfortable in this set up which I expected with the wider rim but I was also amazed at how light they where even with the heavier tyres.

They also seem to hang onto speed well for such a shallow rim. I normally run 46mm carbon rims but actually managed a few flat personal records on them which was a surprise for a training wheel. I liked them so much I’ve ordered a Powertap G3C rear version too!”

Best, JB

Hi Jonathan, Ben and Darren,

Sorry it took so long to send you guys a picture of the wheels, the bike I originally ordered kept being delayed so I cancelled the Cannondale and got a Kona Jake the Snake instead. Not a bad move I must admit, bike looks stunning (thanks to your wheels).

The wheels passed the first true test with flying colours. I took them for a 2 ½ hour ride including a bad stretch of cobbles near my house, some serious off road bashing and the infamous Bosberg of the tour of Flanders. No matter what the terrain, they ran like dream.

On the commute to work this morning same story, once you get them up to speed they just keep going so the urban jungle of Brussels wasn’t a problem at al. And then there is that divine rattling sound from the Hope hubs…

It’s a very comfortable wheelset, despite being built around a set of 42mm high rims. Very stiff, responsive and smooth rolling. In short the wheels far exceed my abilities as a rider and they definitely look the part, they compliment the bike making it look fantastic.

So once again, thank you very much for the expert advice before and during the build and providing me with a high quality set of wheels at a fair price.

I’ll recommend you guys to anyone looking for any kind of custom built wheels.

Cheers!

Gwen

Hey Jonathan,

Please find attached some pics of my new machine put together by the folks at Dotbike and featuring your beautiful hand-built wheels. Suffice to say I’m enjoying riding more than ever, which is what it’s all about! Thanks for the great advice and friendly service – it makes a big difference to the buying ‘experience’.  Best regards, Mark

Bike

Wheels: H Plus Son rims / White Industries hubs

Frame: Soma Tange Cro-Mo

Group: Campy Athena

Cockpit: Ritchey Classic

Brown bits: Brooks

Call Strada on 01903 750040 or use the contact page to get a quote on a new pair of hand built wheels for 2013.

Hi Jonathan

Better late than never, I’ve attached a photo of my bike with the ENVE wheels you built. A bad back has meant that Tuesday was the first time I’ve ridden them!

First impressions are great – they accelerate well and float up the climbs, even with my (currently pitiful) fitness.  The braking is also top notch compared to any other carbon rim I’ve ridden.  No pulsing whatsoever, which is a really welcome change.

Cheers, Dave

 Get in touch with Strada on 01903 750040 or use the contact form if you want a pair of sub kilo climbing wheels like these.

Frame: After research I settled on the Hongfu FM056, it looked good and the geometry mirrored the  Scott Scale 29er so it should make a good race bike. It is light but not the lightest at 1355 grams, build quality is good, internal brake and gear cables are neat and tidy and the headtube is a better length than my first frame.

Fork: I’ve always liked the design of Cannondale Lefty forks, stiffness is superior to standard forks and its a similar weight, but all packed into one prong. I opted for the XLR carbon version with remote lockout with a Project 321 tapered steerer adapter. Initial opinions are good, it tracks well, the lock out is great and it looks Badass!

Wheels: These have been a while in the making, Strada pulled through and built me some awesome 29er wheels, DT Swiss 240 rear hub and Cannondale Lefty front hubs built on Strada carbon 29er rims with CX ray spokes, they are light, around 1450 grams, which helps them spin with minimal effort. The best thing about them is the lateral stiffness compared to my regular aluminium rims, which is a disadvantage of the big wheels but with these, there is no lateral flex, awesome! A great addition to any XC bike.

Drivetrain: I had originally wanted to go Sram XX1 but parts were impossible to source and the huge cost of consumables (£300 for a rear cassette!) put me off. Since I’ve started using gears again Sram seem to have been reliable and easy to set up, XO throughout, with 20 speeds, including a new Type 2 clutch rear mech, this gives me the option in the future to run a spiderless XX1 style chainring for shorter races where 20 speed range isn’t required.

Here is a video of the route, one of the best in south east of the UK,  from YouTube (this is NOT Isaac).

Hello Jonathan, Ben and Darren,

Compliments to all of you for providing me with a wonderful set of wheels. (H Plus Son Archetype, PMP hubs, Sapim CX Ray spokes x32).

I had the pleasure of using the wheels during the 140 km Tour of Flanders sportive on the 30th of March.  They provided me with a comfortable, smooth ride. In short they are confidence inspiring. Did I mention that more than a few participants were asking me questions about the wheels? I passed on your address.  I really like the comfort and smoothness that the build offers and appreciate the advice offered during our initial discussions.

They look good, make the bike look great and make me want to ride my bike. Please find attached photos from the Paterberg and the bike/wheels after the ride.

Thanks for the great service.

Bryan

The 2013 Bespoked Show was noticeably busier, especially on the Saturday when it went from doors opening to capacity in about 30 mins. We had time to look round and as always were impressed by the variety and quality of the bicycles and clothing on display. We built a new stand for the 2013 show with only the workbench remaining from previous years. We are happy with how it looked and the red foam flooring really helps the feet and knees after a day of standing and talking. We launched The Rail carbon clincher at the show and it generated a lot interest – it is well priced and thoroughly tested. Chris King hubs always generate interest and the cutaway version allows the Ringdrive system to be inspected up close.

Here are a few photos of bikes and details which caught my eye. My wife would love this Ladies Bike.

A long distance 29er from Oak Cycles.

My daughter would love a handbuilt roll along bike…

A clever marine ply frame building jig.

Route notes on the stem of Fabian Cancellara’s Trek race bike.

Ben and Darren with Legend chief and master fabricator Marco Bertoletti.

Ben about to smash into a monster sized bacon sarnie from the cafe next door to the venue.

And finally my new Chris King coffee cups. Nice!

Hi Jonathan,

Just a quick note to say thanks for an awesome pair of wheels. I’ve had bike about a month now and had the opportunity to take it out on the road a few times.  The wheels look fantastic and really compliment the bike (i.e. classic look with modern materials and components).  They roll very well and the hubs are probably the quietest I’ve come across when freewheeling.  I’m looking forward to many years of trouble free riding with them.

Thanks for all your help and advice and I’ve attached a couple of pictures for you. Best regards, Barry 

“I wanted an additional set of tubular CX race wheels to run intermediate condition tubs on the dryer grassy / multi-surface courses we have in the South East, where Challenge Limus are overkill but a diamond tread isn’t enough. They wouldn’t be used in deep mud, so I was looking for an intermediate profile rim. I run a disc brake on the front of this year’s cross rig and will run full disc next year, so a custom build with lightweight road disc hubs was required.

Typically I buy the parts I need for wheels and ask a local wheelbuilder to build them, but this time I decided to try Strada as I’d heard good things about them online and the convenience of having the full wheel build shipped to my door can’t be overlooked.

After a chat with Jonathan online and on the phone we decided to go with Velocity Major Toms on Novatec hubs with Sapim D-light & Race spokes. Novatecs were used to keep the costs sensible and to keep things consistent with my existing wheels – always nice being able to swap a disc wheel out without having to adjust the brake for a slightly different rotor placement.

The wheels arrived well packed and I was immediately impressed by the finish and quality of the build – a quick spin in a stand revealed a faultlessly true wheel. Weight was also competitive for a 32h alu rim build, around 1600g , and should be comparatively bomb proof.

The Major Tom rim features a very wide gluing surface – 23mm of it – so I opted to glue the tubs on without adding belgian tape at the final stage. A week and three coats of Vittoria later and a pair of Specialized 33mm Tracers were glued on.

The initial test run was as expected – the wheels pick up quick and give the bike a sprightly feel. The glue job held up to some aggressive cornering at 20psi which is probably a testament to the Tom’s huge surface area rather than my mounting technique.

I raced the wheels at Hillingdon in the Central Cross League and they provided a very sprightly and confidence inspiring ride. They are certainly a better wheelset than I am a cross rider, and were notably comfortable over a lumpy, grassy course with just 33mm of rubber on them.

Overall, I’m impressed with the Strada’s flexibility, speed of turnaround, shipping, price and overall build quality and would recommend them if you are looking for a complete custom CX wheel package. A+.”

Howard S, London.