Wheelbuilding Tip No. 11 - Stuck Cogs

[Note: this is #11 of a series of 20]

Don't let stuck cogs interfere with wheel rebuilds.

When rear wheels need new rims and/or spokes, stuck cogs (or freewheels or cassettes) can prevent introducing new spokes. Gears sit near the drive side hub flange and you can't get spokes in or out when they're in place.

With multi-speed hubs and coaster brakes, the solution is to disassemble the hub. Remove the axle and all guts. Out comes the driver with the cog. The empty hub shell can easily be laced with a new rim. Now, reassemble the hub and finish the build. Reassembled, the hub will rotate accurately and you can true your wheel.

Interfering cog removed.

For stuck fixed and freeewheel-type gears, the problem is solved another way. Best is to remove all gears while the previous wheel is still built. It's easy to remove cogs when the rim is still laced up and can be used to hold the hub still.

If, however, your rim has been removed too early, you can reattach it for the sake of cog removal. This requires a dummy rim and spokes for one side of your hub. The spokes must be "dog leg" shape rather than traditional elbows. "Dog leg" spokes are rare these days but any length will do. If you have none, bend some up for the occasion.

"Dog leg" end on the right.

Dog leg spokes can be inserted from the hub end because they have no enlarged head, just the "Z" shaped bend. Insert them into the flange nearest the stuck gear. Attach all of them to the rim with nipples. Twist the rim so all the spokes are in the cog removing direction. Voila, the cog or freewheel can be removed with standard tools.

Don't let stuck cogs or gears prevent your rebuild!

Spring, and Visions Take Flight

It's actually been one year since Gregg's restored Somec hit the roads of the Santa Cruz Mountains. But it was Spring and this is a good time to celebrate.

Gregg was a mechanic at Wheelsmith, back in our glory days. Was he the best mechanic to work in that fabled store? Could be. Anyhow, he met his wife-to-be there, Diane Kim. Diane managed the unruly affair for some challenging years and those two eventually became hitched. Can I take some credit? I don't think so.

Back to the bike! Gregg recently began restoring a 1984 Somec he acquired while at the Los Gatos Wheelsmith. It has a Nuovo Record group with a long range Rally rear derailleur and corresponding triple crank. All it needed was wood rims and fresh air!

The wheel takes shape.

The re-imagined bike debuted in March of 2010. What a looker! Gregg says:
"The wheels built-up absolutely great, better than many aluminum rims I can think of (Wolber and Matrix come to mind)!...I was pretty blown away with the near perfect roundness that can be achieved with these rims."

Looks original.

After his first ride: "I rode it forty miles through the SC mountains last Saturday; frankly it rides about as good as anything, including my Record-shod Calfee.  The compliant wheels combined with the Challenge tubulars make for a really nimble riding experience!"

Spring Splendor.

Bravo to Gregg and his Somec. Here's to artistic, mobile Spring projects.

Terrific New Ghisallo Visit

Corey Fox has just posted a report of his visit to the workshops of Ghisallo rims.

© Fox/Pezcycling

His first tour was in 2009 and his report may be a composite of several visits, since Corey lives in Italy. As he relates, the Cermenati family is tight knit and embodies the artisan ethic. They preserve, as well as the actors at America's famous Williamsburg village, an historic craft.

Interpreting wood to make beautiful, fast, and rugged bicycle rims took generations to evolve. Today, Ghisallo combines the best from their experience with the latest enhancements that don't detract from craft: materials like 2-part epoxy, techniques like thinner laminations and cloth layers, and a respect for forest sustainability. Beech wood, as you may know, is one of the few hardwoods that is arguably sustainable.

Check Corey's article and enjoy his tour of the "workshop" of Ghisallo rims.

On a sad note, I should add that Giovanni's wife, Teresa, passed away one year ago. We can only imagine what a deep loss the family has suffered. However, the rims are in production, life goes on, and Spring is arriving to the Italian alps.