First time ever, Jude Gerace (Sugarwheelworks, Portland) and I will lead a 2-day intensive wheel class for established builders, Jan 5 and 6 at United Bicycle Institute. Class is limited to 20, a few slots are still available. Enrollment details at PBMA.
Jude says: “If I would have had a class like this when I was first starting out, I would have saved myself years - and many nights of banging my head against the work bench. It is my pleasure to teach this class with Ric... Come join us for a weekend of geekery!"
Ric and Jude at her Portland workshop.
We'll cover wheel components (tires, rims, nipples, spokes, hubs, complete wheels) in terms of tools, engineering, testing, and especially building. Plus introduce our work with shop systems to streamline otherwise complicated tasks. Most of this information cannot be found anywhere else.
Much tech detail is familiar to experienced industry designers but they cannot share their work for obvious reasons. Rarely, a veteran will open up. Josh Poertner (Silca, ex-Zipp), for example, has recently written very helpfully on testing and design issues from his heyday at Zipp. Otherwise, it takes builders many years to discover so much of what wheel function and construction entails.
It's Judes and my wish to accelerate the learning track for builders. The world needs more of us at the highest levels to meet the future that's coming our way.
We plan many hands-on experiences with tools and fixtures rarely seen outside development and manufacturing environments. You'll gain valuable insight to guide building decisions and better interpret outcomes.
Unlike wheelbuilding 101, we will offer a solid and fairly vast foundation for an enlightened understanding of wheels. Tensioned wheel engineering is an obscure corner of mechanical engineering. Little of it is obvious even to those with ME degrees. As an industry, we develop systems and procedures obscure to the wider world and, needlessly, to many practicing mechanics and builders.
Fundamentally these are answers to questions that plagued us for years and which, once learned, helped advance our building. It will be a privilege to share so much, to have real time questions and discussion, and begin some networking to propel us ahead of the game!
Hope to see you among us, enjoying UBI hospitality and two days of geekery!
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