They are rad.

I don’t own a compressor (for the Stan’s setup) and really just wanted to get riding, so I stretched out some 26″ tubes the night before and used those to cheat about 100g off the pair of standard 29er tubes I had on the shelf.  The wheels themselves weigh somewhere in the mid-1700s.  29″ Crossmax wheels weigh this much, so in that regard I’m already happy.  The rim is 24mm wide with eyelets, and I opted for Sapim CX-Ray spokes, which are expensive and wicked awesome.  I now have three pairs of wheels from Revolution (road, CX, MTB) and they all have these spokes.  I figure if you’re going hand-built, why not.

The first ride was last night; about an hour and a quarter, getting tuned up for my first SS MTB race this coming Sunday.  Once I had the tire pressure worked out and the fork where I wanted it (I haven’t run a suspension fork in a while), things were really good.  A few times on FOMBA‘s flowy Woodpecker trail, I remember several situations that left me thinking “wow these are fast”.  I would punch it and the bike would just go.  This is what I was looking for.

I spent a lot of money on these wheels, but that was the idea, as I look at these as something I will have for a very long time.  Also the bike has one gear and a $17 bottom bracket so it probably all works out.

Now to tackle saddle, post, bars, stem – all of which were on the bike when I bought it; just a random collection of parts.  The stem weighs nearly half a pound and that has always driven me crazy.

Drivetrain is where I want it though.  Old, heavy, ultra-reliable.

(Catching up?  First ride, what happened, picking hubs, tires.)