Another day with wheels (and so on...).
I built a wheel using an ENVE 1-45 tubular rim.
Front wheel with 20H
CX-RAY spokes,
Rear wheel with 24H
Semi-comp hubs.
I do plan to tie and glue the spokes, but I haven't done it in this current state since I'll be doing several wheels' worth of work at once.
The request was "Noma Lab's vision of the ultimate hand-built wheel,"
and this is my current answer to that.
If we were optimizing purely for weight, I could spec the rear with full CX-RAY spokes,
or adjust spoke tension based on the rider's preferences,
or swap to a Dura-Ace hub (this wheel uses a Tange hub),
or lace the front as radial outpoke throughout.
Even calling it "ultimate," I think there are fine details that vary with personal preference,
but if we're building around the ENVE 1-45 rim, this is what I'd say is my optimal solution.
"The best wheel in the ◯-hundred-thousand-yen range" as a category (and marketing pitch)
becomes increasingly difficult for hand-built wheels to justify as price climbs higher—that's my take.
But because of this rim, I think a carbon tubular in the 200,000-yen ballpark at retail price
could genuinely outperform factory-built wheels, even as a hand-built option.
I built a wheel using an ENVE 1-45 tubular rim.
Front wheel with 20H
CX-RAY spokes,
Rear wheel with 24H
Semi-comp hubs.
I do plan to tie and glue the spokes, but I haven't done it in this current state since I'll be doing several wheels' worth of work at once.
The request was "Noma Lab's vision of the ultimate hand-built wheel,"
and this is my current answer to that.
If we were optimizing purely for weight, I could spec the rear with full CX-RAY spokes,
or adjust spoke tension based on the rider's preferences,
or swap to a Dura-Ace hub (this wheel uses a Tange hub),
or lace the front as radial outpoke throughout.
Even calling it "ultimate," I think there are fine details that vary with personal preference,
but if we're building around the ENVE 1-45 rim, this is what I'd say is my optimal solution.
"The best wheel in the ◯-hundred-thousand-yen range" as a category (and marketing pitch)
becomes increasingly difficult for hand-built wheels to justify as price climbs higher—that's my take.
But because of this rim, I think a carbon tubular in the 200,000-yen ballpark at retail price
could genuinely outperform factory-built wheels, even as a hand-built option.