Hi folks! As we mark the end of 2014 and look ahead to 2015 I just wanted to drop a quick note to say thank you for a great 2014. I got to work with a lot of really great customers. You guys and gals are what I enjoy most about building custom wheels – getting to know you, how you ride, where you ride, and helping you solve your problems or meet your goals. Everyone is different, and it’s a lot of fun getting to know you all.
As for the wheels I’ve been building, some trends are easily seen. 650B is coming on strong, I built a lot more of them this year than I did in 2013. 29ers are still my most popular wheelsize though, accounting for about half the wheels I built his year. 26″ is getting rarer and rarer, especially if you don’t count fatbike wheels. Next year I expect trends to continue, an increasing percentage of 650B, more fatbike wheels, and more plus size (29+ and B+) wheels as more rims and tires become available – I’ve already had a few tire kickers (pun not intended) for B+ wheels.
Looking ahead, 2015 will be full of new stuff. There’s several new products coming to market this year (or at least, finally becoming available) that a lot of people will be excited about. A few examples: the new Hugo “plus” rim from Stan’s, carbon fat bike rims from Atomik, and there’s a few manufacturers working on tubeless carbon disc brake road/cross rims that all the “gravel” riders (for lack of a better term) will be excited about. I also expect to see more disc-specific road rims becoming available in aluminum as well. I am also adding a few new suppliers to expand the products I have to offer, some on the MTB side of things, and some on the road side. I’ve even got my eye on a new tool or two…or even making some of my own.
Again, thank you for your business and support. Enjoy the holidays and time off work, eat a lot, ride a lot, hug your loved ones, and see you all in the new year!
