Another wheel day (and so on).
I got a Stans Grail CB7 in stock per a customer's (so to speak) order.
They want me to build it the same way as my personal rear wheel—
using four colors of Grail MK3 custom stickers
to create a visually busy-looking wheel.
Unlike my rim, this one has a protruding burr-like spike at the apex on the inner circumference of the rim.
On my rim, you can see a seam line at the same spot,
but it doesn't form a distinct protrusion.
The rim holes are offset from the spike line,
but I'll get to that later.
↑Actual measured weight.
The spec says 300g, but so far I've only ever seen
units weighing 290g or less.
On the tape section of the rim, there's an instruction that says
"orient this side with the spokes at a steeper angle."
This rim—I didn't notice it with mine since there was no spike—
but it's not just offset hole drilling; it's actually a subtle offset rim design.
The spike is at the rim's center, but relative to it, there are rim holes that
appear centered but are subtly offset,
and next to those are rim holes that are clearly offset,
and next to those are rim holes that are subtly offset,
and next to those are rim holes that are clearly offset,
and next to those are rim holes that are subtly offset,
and this pattern repeats with rim holes that are clearly offset...
so the structure has offset hole drilling that's subtly biased to one side.
The rim shape itself is left-right symmetrical with offset rim holes, which is
the reverse of a Mavic Open Pro Disc rim—which has an asymmetrical shape but
miraculously even offset hole drilling from center.
All the stickers marked "Grail MK3" are identical, but
the "Stans NoTubes" stickers come in two versions that aren't the same.
The warning text below NoTubes comes in two types:
one with "proprietary bead socket technology that breaks ETRTO—
patent number for bead shape, 2 lines" and
another with "air pressure by tire width and nominal rim inner diameter, 3 lines."
I'm applying four stickers per side, and I'll make sure the 2-line and 3-line versions
don't mix on the same side, and that front and rear rims match.
Specifically, I made sure both front and rear rims have the 3-line version on the right side.
When building with off-the-shelf rims, the aluminum MK3 has no left-right distinction,
so you can match them on the same side,
but with the carbon CB7, front and rear rims always face opposite directions,
so the 2-line and 3-line stickers will inevitably reverse between front and rear.
The CB7 has a pre-applied sticker near the valve hole that I can't avoid, so
on the front rim, the warning text appears backwards when viewed from the right side.
Built.
Chris King R45D hub, 24H, all CX-RAY, 64-cross reverse Italian lacing.
I'll do the interlacing later.
Even though this is an offset rim, I didn't sense that "offset rim feel"
from the spoke tension differences.
Since there's no CX Sprint available, I went all CX-RAY,
but whether to do interlacing on both sides is still up in the air.
The nipple colors aren't in rainbow order (VAS pattern);
I just arranged four colors in six-hole sections
to match the sticker colors and phase,
but given that this customer's (so to speak) crank looks like this,
they might be interested in LGBT (※).
※Abbreviation for Low speed Gravel Bike Touring, just to be clear.
I got a Stans Grail CB7 in stock per a customer's (so to speak) order.
They want me to build it the same way as my personal rear wheel—
using four colors of Grail MK3 custom stickers
to create a visually busy-looking wheel.
Unlike my rim, this one has a protruding burr-like spike at the apex on the inner circumference of the rim.
On my rim, you can see a seam line at the same spot,
but it doesn't form a distinct protrusion.
The rim holes are offset from the spike line,
but I'll get to that later.
↑Actual measured weight.
The spec says 300g, but so far I've only ever seen
units weighing 290g or less.
On the tape section of the rim, there's an instruction that says
"orient this side with the spokes at a steeper angle."
This rim—I didn't notice it with mine since there was no spike—
but it's not just offset hole drilling; it's actually a subtle offset rim design.
The spike is at the rim's center, but relative to it, there are rim holes that
appear centered but are subtly offset,
and next to those are rim holes that are clearly offset,
and next to those are rim holes that are subtly offset,
and next to those are rim holes that are clearly offset,
and next to those are rim holes that are subtly offset,
and this pattern repeats with rim holes that are clearly offset...
so the structure has offset hole drilling that's subtly biased to one side.
The rim shape itself is left-right symmetrical with offset rim holes, which is
the reverse of a Mavic Open Pro Disc rim—which has an asymmetrical shape but
miraculously even offset hole drilling from center.
All the stickers marked "Grail MK3" are identical, but
the "Stans NoTubes" stickers come in two versions that aren't the same.
The warning text below NoTubes comes in two types:
one with "proprietary bead socket technology that breaks ETRTO—
patent number for bead shape, 2 lines" and
another with "air pressure by tire width and nominal rim inner diameter, 3 lines."
I'm applying four stickers per side, and I'll make sure the 2-line and 3-line versions
don't mix on the same side, and that front and rear rims match.
Specifically, I made sure both front and rear rims have the 3-line version on the right side.
When building with off-the-shelf rims, the aluminum MK3 has no left-right distinction,
so you can match them on the same side,
but with the carbon CB7, front and rear rims always face opposite directions,
so the 2-line and 3-line stickers will inevitably reverse between front and rear.
The CB7 has a pre-applied sticker near the valve hole that I can't avoid, so
on the front rim, the warning text appears backwards when viewed from the right side.
Built.
Chris King R45D hub, 24H, all CX-RAY, 64-cross reverse Italian lacing.
I'll do the interlacing later.
Even though this is an offset rim, I didn't sense that "offset rim feel"
from the spoke tension differences.
Since there's no CX Sprint available, I went all CX-RAY,
but whether to do interlacing on both sides is still up in the air.
The nipple colors aren't in rainbow order (VAS pattern);
I just arranged four colors in six-hole sections
to match the sticker colors and phase,
but given that this customer's (so to speak) crank looks like this,
they might be interested in LGBT (※).
※Abbreviation for Low speed Gravel Bike Touring, just to be clear.