Wheel building
Every rider and bicycle combo benefits from hand built wheels. We are constantly recommending hand built wheels whether it’s as part of a custom bike build, an addition to a stock bike, or as a first upgrade to anyone looking to take their cycling experience to the next level. This page is dedicated to breaking the subject down into the reasons why we recommend you always choose hand built wheels for your bike. You’ll find a link to our Contact Form at the bottom as well as some of our favourite wheelbuilding component brands.
Component Selection
A custom, hand built wheelset is tuned to the rider and the application. We work with you to dial in every aspect of your new wheels to ensure you get the most out of them. There are many things to consider when choosing the ideal components for your new wheels. Some of the things we take into account during the consultation process will be:
Tire Pairing
Rim Material
Spoke Gauge, Material, and Butting profile
Rim Weight and Outside Profile
Hub Engagement and Driving Mechanism
Rider Weight, Power Output, and Performance Goals
Serviceability
Aerodynamics
Aesthetic Preference
Quality Control
One of the most important benefits of riding a hand built set of wheels is that they are built to the highest quality and strictest standards possible. This is why at Kissing Crows we leverage our experience and dedication to the wheel building craft to ensure you get the most out of your new wheels. When you get your wheels built at our shop you can know that your wheel set is properly laced, tensioned, and balanced, and that this service is performed by our most skilled mechanics. A wheel with a higher quality build, with a finer attention to detail, will stay true longer, resist the natural cycles of stress better, and will ride with more desirable characteristics than a wheel that is churned out in a production environment. If durability and ride quality are something you care about, a hand built set of wheels should be your next move!
Aesthetics
What makes a bicycle wheel beautiful? Everyone’s answer will be different. Whether you’re looking for a show-piece in a rainbow of colours or an understated, all-black set, choosing hand built wheels is a great opportunity to dial in the look of your bike. Many of our brand partners offer anodized aluminum components, in a whole rainbow of colours, and we can also utilize things like rim profile, spoke nipple length/material/coating, to get things just the way you like them. Can’t find a silver tubeless rim for your neo-retro gravel bike? We’ve got you! Need custom anodized rims for your fixie? No problem! Want to match your hubs to your headset and BB colour? Look no further!
Essentially, you want your bike to look great and we get it. A hand built set of wheels is a great opportunity to update the look of your bike or to dial it in, one step closer, to aesthetic perfection!
There really are endless options and so many things to talk about when it comes to wheelbuilding. If you’ve got questions for our team or would like to get the conversation started on your new custom wheels, click below to get the conversation started.