How long have you been building wheels?
51 years. I was inspired to master the art of wheel building in 1973 as a young mechanic at my local bike shop.
I want to get custom built wheels but I am a little intimidated with the process of choosing the right components. Will you assist me to make sure I get the right stuff?
I would be happy to go through the entire selection process with you. With the incredible number of choices it would be normal to feel a bit unsure, so I am here to help you make the best decisions. I will help you design the ideal set of wheels for whatever cycling discipline you enjoy and your budget.
How do I go about ordering a pair of wheels from Cognoscenti Cycles?
We have recently instituted a new policy to help those who are sincerely interested in having us build their new wheels. A new wheel set will require a wheel design. Components have to be decided upon and I will make suitable recommendations after having a chat with you about your specific needs. This conversation could involve a few emails or a chat on the phone, which can in some instances be time consuming. In order to compensate for the time taken to produce a proper wheel design a $100.00 fee has been instituted. That fee will be completely deducted from the total amount of your invoice once an order has been placed. Should you decide not to order a pair of wheels you will at least now possess a proper wheel design for your own cycling needs. I have written a blog entry entitled “The Tire Kickers” that goes into more detail should you require that. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them for you. I can be reached at 647-221-2792
A 50% non refundable deposit is required to commence the work.
Once a custom wheel design has been created and agreed upon the client will pay 50% of the total amount of the quote and then the ordering of your hubs and rims and any additional components required will immediately commence. An estimated time frame will be provided by the manufacturers or distributors of the delivery of your components. This is generally an estimate depending on the current workload of the manufacturers. Cognoscenti Cycles can not be held accountable to the accuracy of the predicted schedule of the manufacturers. Though this is rare, It may very do to unforeseen circumstances in production. Once the components have been ordered there is no longer an opportunity to change the specifications of that order. Any attempt to do so will give Cognoscenti Cycles the right to cancel your order.
What do you charge for repairs?
Cognoscenti Cycles has structured their repair fee’s on an hourly rate of $100.00 per hour. This covers virtually any type of wheel work or installation of parts. The minimum charge is a half of an hour at $50.00 Upon receiving a repair or installation of components, an estimate of the time to do the work will be given at the onset and the actual fee will depend on the amount of time it takes to complete the job.
Will you repair other people's wheels?
The time that I have to repair wheels that I did not originally build has been greatly diminished because of the number of custom wheels being ordered of late. Therefore priority has shifted to just repairing wheels that were ordered through Cognoscenti Cycles. I also no longer do any repair work on proprietary wheel systems by companies like Mavic, Shimano or Campagnolo because of the difficulty in obtaining parts and because of some of the questionable designs employed with these wheels.
Do you offer budget or cheaper wheels?
I do get this question from time to time and here are my thoughts on “budget” wheels. First off I should mention that Cognoscenti Cycles builds the absolute best custom made wheels you will find anywhere. This creates an immediate contrast between those seeking the finest wheels money can buy and those who are trying to get a great set of wheels but are constrained by a lower budget. For many years I have chosen to build with only high quality hubs, spokes and rims and they are admittedly expensive. Our building methodology is unlike any other wheel building company in existence and the attention to detail borders on the fanatical. Working like this takes a lot of time. Nothing is ever rushed, no matter how many wheels are in the queue. So, using the finest materials and offering the most comprehensive build methodology comes at a price, and it isn’t cheap. I am a great believer that one usually gets what you pay for. In the end a budget set of wheels may turn out to be a real disappointment. Most are factory built with very little time spent to achieve satisfactory results. It makes more sense in my opinion to wait and save your money until you can buy what you really want and avoid the profound let down of a cheap factory built wheel set.
Do you offer a warranty for your work ?
Yes. I guarantee the labour on all my wheels for 3 years under “normal use” and a lifetime limited guarantee against spoke breakage for the original owner when purchased through Cognoscenti Cycles. This warranty will remain in effect as long as the business known as Cognoscenti Cycles is in existence. When Cognoscenti Cycles finally ceases business all warranties will no longer be in effect. Should you experience a broken spoke that happens under normal use and not because of an accident or from negligence or improperly installed or adjusted derailleurs, I will replace it and true your wheel for free. The wheel must be brought to me at your expense. Since I do not manufacture any parts, should you have a defective rim or hub, all warranty claims would have to be pursued directly with the manufacturer, and their decision will be the final arbiter about whether to replace or repair the item in question, or to offer a refund should they see fit. All refunds shall be promptly paid out after we receive them. Any labour charges to rebuild wheels with the manufacturers supplied warranty parts will be paid by the client. I should make it clear that this warranty applies solely to wheels that I have chosen the components for and not for wheels where a client may have made the decisions on component selection. To maintain your warranty all work on your wheels must be performed by Cognoscenti Cycles. Work performed by anyone else will void your warranty.
What’s the warranty for your Carbon Werx rims?
Carbon Werx is the house brand of carbon rims for Cognoscenti Cycles and they come with a 3 year warranty against all defects to the original owner. If any defects come to light within that 3 year period from the date of purchase the rims will be replaced at no charge to the original owner. The owner must send the wheels at their expense to get a replacement rim if necessary. Cognoscenti Cycles will be the final arbiter as to whether or not the issues with the rim are as a result of normal use. This warranty does not cover abuse or any type of accident. It does not cover improper installation or lack of maintenance that can lead to problems with your rims. To maintain your warranty all work on your wheels must be performed by Cognoscenti Cycles. Work performed by anyone else will void your warranty. Lastly, if a rim does require replacement this does not include the labour charges to rebuild the wheel nor the new spokes and nipples that will be necessary to perform this repair. All shipping costs will be paid by the client. If you have any questions please contact us for any needed clarification. *NOTE: The warranties on Carbon Werx rims shall be in effect as long as Cognoscenti Cycles is in business. When Cognoscenti Cycles ceases business these warranties are no longer applicable.
Will my wheels stay true for all eternity?
No. Though my wheels are built to exacting tolerances, how you treat them will determine their life span. If you are a curb jumping maniac, you will kill your wheels. However, under normal riding conditions your wheels may only require an annual touch up, and in some cases, you may not need any maintenance for a few seasons. Usually it's an unfortunate incident that damages a wheel. A run in with a large pot hole or getting a wheel stuck in railway ties can sometimes kill a rim. I generally over-build my wheels, so rest assured that unless something catastrophic happens, you will have worry free riding for many thousands of miles. In 48 years of wheel building I have had only 2 customers break a single spoke. Not bad I’d say!
Will you build my wheels if I supply new hubs and new rims?
We are unable to offer our wheel building service for components supplied by our clients. There can be problems with offering any kind of warranty should a supplied component prove to be defective. All components used in our custom builds must be purchased through Cognoscenti Cycles.
You build your wheels with a symmetrical lacing pattern, why?
I started building my wheels with a symmetrical lacing pattern very early on after carefully analyzing what was common among most wheels that I came across. I felt that an asymmetrical build was not the best option for strength & longevity. Symmetrical lacing is superior in my opinion. After building wheels this way for over 40 years I have not experienced a single broken spoke. I think that speaks for itself.
What are your thoughts on radially built wheels?
Front radial wheels are extremely popular and have seen a lot of use on bikes with rim brakes for decades. Not all manufacturers of hubs will warrant their products when built radially due to the additional stress it puts on the hub. I am very careful not to overdo the tension when building radial wheels. They can be excessively stiff and therefore, not the most comfortable option. I will build radial wheels except in the case where the manufacturer specifically states that they will not warranty their product if laced radially. For instance, Royce hubs do not recommend radial spoking and this will void their warranty if chosen as an option.
Will I need to perform any maintenance on my wheels?
Yes, like anything mechanical, they will require some maintenance. Bearings need to be re-greased or replaced periodically and your wheels may need to be trued occasionally depending on how many miles you've ridden them and/or the terrain you are riding them on. Check out my blog for periodic suggestions on wheel maintenance.
Are light weight wheels the most important consideration?
No, not really. Weight is certainly something to consider, but to put that ahead of reliability is a mistake in my opinion. Yes, if you are planning to break the world hour record, we can (and should) discuss every weight saving possibility there is. But in most cases, it's best to strike the right balance between a reasonable weight for your intended use and time tested reliability. If you have ever hurtled down an alpine pass at 100km/hr you will really start to appreciate the critical importance of strength vs weight!
What are your thoughts on building with aluminium nipples?
The best quality aluminium nipples are built from 7075 T6 alloy. Overall this is only a small reduction in weight compared to brass nipples, but a loss of strength. Also keep in mind that aluminium nipples may oxidize if exposed to too much moisture or salt water. This can reduce future serviceability of the wheel. This will never happen with brass nipples if grease was used in the initial build. If you insist on alloy nipples we carry the Alpina ABS Hex head alloy nipple which is certainly the best quality alloy nipple made. They are available in black and are made in Italy.
Why do you favour the traditional J bend spoke?
The J bend spoke has been in existence almost since the invention of the bike wheel. It goes without saying that it has proven itself to be reliable. It's also readily available most anywhere should you ever find yourself seeking an emergency replacement for a broken one. Traditional hub flange design uses the J bend spoke and this hub design enables several different time tested lacing patterns. The same can't be said for all hubs employing straight pull spokes. DT Swiss has also stated that straight pull spokes are no stronger than J bend spokes.
You are one of the few wheel builders that puts great emphasis on using very specific tires for specific wheel choices, why is that?
Your choice of tires is absolutely critical in completing your custom wheel order as far as I'm concerned. The tires you choose will have a great effect on how your bike will handle and how your new wheels will perform. To pay no attention to this may result in a compromise in performance. I encourage my clients to be as careful with their tire selection as they are with their rim selections. I list all my favorite tire manufacturers on my Tire page.
Shipping. How long will it take and will my wheels arrive in perfect condition?
I take great care in packing up your wheels. I overbuild and then I overpack! I also then insure them for their full retail value so that, no matter what happens, you are fully covered. I like to use Fedex or other shipping companies that offer insurance and good online tracking. A few extra dollars for high quality reliable shipping offers great peace of mind. Shipping times will vary depending on where you live but I will provide you with a tracking number as soon as they are sent off so that you can follow their progress to your door.
What is your labour charge for building a wheel?
I charge $140.oo per wheel for rims with external nipples and $150.00 per wheel for rims with internal nipples due to the extra time needed to lace and true those unique rims.
This work includes lacing the wheel, tensioning and truing it to within a very fine tolerance, then adequately stress relieving the wheel as well as assuring that it is correctly dished. If you decide to get custom wheels and need advice on making the choices for your rims, hubs, spokes, tires, etc, I'd be happy to assist you make those decisions.
Do you still build to the same standards even after all these years?
Since day one I have always insisted on the highest standards. As the years have gone by I have added new sophisticated tools to help refine and improve the quality of my work. I build each and every wheel like I was building it for myself. What more could you ask for?
What is your return policy?
Once a wheel set has been ordered and then shipped out, there is no option to return the wheels unless I have sent you the wrong thing, which is highly unlikely, or in the case of a defective part. We will go over the details of the order before I begin building your wheels so both of us will be clear on what you have ordered.
Do you build wheels with straight pull spokes?
In my experience I have found that DT Swiss provides accurate hub dimensions enabling a straight forward build with no problems. I can’t say the same for most of the other companies who make straight pull hubs. In my experience I have repeatedly found that the measurements given to me by many hub manufactures for the their straight pull hubs have been wrong. This leads to an inaccurate spoke calculation and the wrong length of spokes when building. So unless I can get a complete reassurance of correct hub dimensions I will not build wheels with straight pull spokes.
What are graphene treated brake surfaces for carbon rims?
Some of our Carbon Werx rims offer graphene infused brake tracks. Graphene infusion was a solution to carbon rims not wearing as well as alloy rims. It also helps in improving the actual wet and dry weather braking performance. The graphene strengthens the carbon fibre and helps extend the rims lifespan. The only single downside is the fact that this much harder carbon fibre tends to wear down brake pads much quicker. The engineers who came up with this treatment felt it was much more important to protect the investment in your carbon rims than worry about the lifespan of your brake pads. So keep this is mind when choosing these rims.
We suggest careful installation of new brake pads and we do not recommend toeing the brake pads in at an angle to the rims surface. Instead we suggest that the brake pad be set up so that the entire pad makes contact with the rim when braking. Be careful to keep both your rim and brake pads clean. Any debris that collects on your brake pad may cause excellorated wear of your rims.