Sugar Wheel Works is proud to offer free clinics to help you get to know your wheels. Each clinic offers the chance to learn about different elements of wheels and wheel building. There will be time to ask one-on-one questions of the Sugar Wheel Works team, including founder and Master Wheel Builder Jude Gerace.
We call these No Dirty Hands Clinics because while your brain might get full and messy, your hands will stay perfectly clean. Due to the size of these clinics, students won’t be engaged in hands on learning. If you are interested in more indepth learning, please sign up for one of our classes.
DETAILS
Second Wednesday of the month from February through June 6:15-7:45pm Free Advanced registration is encouraged due to limited space. Attendees will receive a coupon for $50 off a Sugar Wheel Works custom wheel set.
GETTING THERE/PARKING
Sugar Wheel Works is located at 3808 N. Williams, #134. Enter either main door of the Hub Building and walk to the back hallway. Ample bike parking is located along the Williams sidewalk, or in the bike corral at the north end of the building.
Decades of manufacturing and building experience distilled into a two-day intensive for established builders. We will share tools, techniques, standards and examples that took us too many years to find. Hard data on what works in wheel building is seriously scarce, but a lot of that information is in the instructors’ heads. This workshop is a rare opportunity to learn from the best.
“It is great to have partners who make this journey possible, whether they be fellow riders or an awesome shop like Sugar Wheel Works!”
Which comes first, the bike or the wheels? When you love your wheels as much as Bob Corman loves his Sugar wheels, you design a bike to match the hoops.
“I was not willing to give up my new Sugar wheels because of disc brakes so I bought a caliper brake bike.”
Bob rides regularly in the hilly regions around his home in Mountain View, California, on the southern end of the San Francisco peninsula. When he’s not out on weekly intervals or weekend rides with friends, he digs in on 500 mile relay races, 24 hour solo races, duathlon relays, centuries and double centuries. Whatever keeps him active and challenged.
ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
When shopping for new wheels, Bob says he called a variety of shops but it wasn’t until he talked with Sugar that everything just felt right.
“Jude took a lot of time to ask a bunch of questions and help me determine the right wheel.”
SUGAR WHEELS FOR THE WIN
Bob was determined to have one set of wheels to cover all of his needs, which meant they probably wouldn’t be the lightest wheels possible – and Bob was okay with that.
“I figured if a few more spokes would affect my speed, then I was not training right anyway!”
So how did they turn out?
“I trust these wheels. They seem bomb proof; they ride and roll really well. While they may not be the most aero nor the lightest, they have proven to be awesome!”
So awesome, in fact, that Bob rode those Sugar wheels right up to a first place podium earlier this year.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
Bob isn’t simply a casual rider, many of his life’s decisions revolve around figuring out which rides he can work into his schedule. That’s why we’re so glad we could provide the best wheels to meet Bob’s busy riding style.
“I just came back from eight consecutive days of riding in Spain. I have a duathlon relay coming up and am considering a return to the World TT Championships in Borrego Springs.”
BOB’S PHILOSOPHY
“Cycling is about personal relationships: with your teammates and friends, your coach, yourself, and yes, your equipment. One’s relationship with cycling is ever evolving as one moment you might think doing well at an event is the most important thing and the next just wanting to ride for the sheer joy of it. It is great to have partners who make this journey possible, whether they be fellow riders or an awesome shop like Sugar Wheel Works!”
“The day I found out my brother passed away was the single hardest day of my life. It was also the day that I realized how fragile and sometimes fleeting life can be. That day I took a step back to examine my own life and found I wasn’t even close to living the life I wanted to. From that day forward I vowed to start pursuing the things I wanted in life.”
Ry Schulz, also known as Indy, set out on an expedition that would change his life forever. He put his body, his mind and his bike to the test for 36 days and 5,300 miles on The American Trail Race, a self-supported cross-country bikepacking expedition.
Though he was an ultra runner, Indiana had never before pedaled a straight 200 miles. And now he was doing back-to-back 200 mile days at times. He says it wasn’t until day 21 that he woke up without major pains.
AN INSANELY HARD AND REWARDING JOURNEY
“At the time my brother Flynn passed away, I was smoking heavily, drinking heavily and I was a relatively depressed individual. I had to choose between two paths. I chose the path that would eventually help me become an ultra runner and a more stable person overall.
“Today, I believe running saved my life both physically and spiritually. When I find myself in periods of extended physical and mental struggles, I feel a connection with my brother. Through this experience, I have been driven to see how far my limits reach and what I am truly capable of achieving.
“I knew The American Trail Race would be an insanely hard and rewarding journey. If you were to ask me if I had a spiritual connection with Flynn while I was out there in the race, the answer would be a simple ‘Yes.’ In this regard, my brother has been a motivator in almost every challenge I’ve participated in over the last four years.”
THE GEAR SET UP
For the gear geeks among you, let’s just get this part out of the way before we move on to Indy’s wild trail tales. Here are the specs, as reported by Bikepacking.com.
FRAME: 2012 Salsa Fargo Ti
FORK: Ritchey Carbon
WHEELS: Sugar Wheel Works build with Stan’s Arch Mk3/SP Hub in front/Sapim spokes
TIRES: Continental Race King ProTection 2.2”
HANDLEBARS: Salsa Woodchipper
SADDLE: Brooks B17
DRIVETRAIN: Shimano XT 2×10 (26/36 X 11-34t), bar-end shifters
SEAT PACK: Portland Design Works Bindle Rack and Dry Bag
FRAME PACK: Salsa/Revelate Bike-specific Ranger
HANDLEBAR: Revelate Egress Pocket
TOP TUBE: Oveja Negra Snack Pack (L)
WHY HE SELECTED SUGAR WHEELS
Indy says he originally planned to outfit his bike with a set of wheels from his local bike shop, but they were out of what he wanted. Though he called around to several other wheel builders, he says none of them seemed to be truly listing to his concerns and needs.
Then he reached Sugar.
“After about five minutes on the phone with Sugar, I felt a really strong connection with them, and I knew they were the shop I wanted to build my wheels.”
“The process of working with Sugar was incredible. I really felt like they listened. Sugar designed a beautiful set of wheels that I was able to afford and gave me complete confidence out there on the trail.”
Early on in his conversation with Sugar founder Jude Gerace, Indy mentioned he wanted a touch of pink somewhere on the final wheel build to remind him of his friend Amanda who had passed away from cancer. “When I mentioned this idea to Jude, she knowingly said ‘It’s nice to ride with a friend.’
“When I think of Amanda, I’m reminded of how to stay strong during tough times. I’m reminded of how to stay bright when life is seemingly dark and ugly. And most importantly I’m reminded of how to ‘sparkle on’ because damn that girl loved her some glitter. When I needed that lift-me-up (more than a few times during the race), I would simply look at the White Industries hub – once shiny bright pink but now dirty with mud, sand and dust – and it would mentally take me to where I needed to be.”
Indy’s setup was a fully rigid bike weighing about 55 lbs and he rode those wheels across 5,300 miles. That’s a lot to ask from a set of wheels that are traversing potholes, rock drops and rugged terrain, but Indy says they performed admirably.
WHEN THINGS GO WRONG, ADVENTURE BEGINS
Gentle readers, it’s important for you to understand the grueling magnitude of this expedition. Indy tells it best, so we’ll let him take it from here.
“Oh my, where do I begin? The American Trail Race is grueling on so many different levels. During the race, I had to deal with extreme temperature ranges. The hottest temperature I experienced was around 108 degrees while the coldest temperature was around 35 degrees. I was caught in winds that tore my bike from my hands and freak rainstorms that forced me to scramble under barbwire fences looking for shelter.
“I experienced soreness and body aches that I never knew existed. I endured rashes and being uncomfortably dirty. I averaged one shower every 1,700 miles. I dealt with numbness in my hands for over four weeks; the nerves in my fingers have still not recovered. I dealt with solitude and desolation. The desolation alone is enough to drive some people crazy. Imagine going stretches of 100 miles without seeing a fellow human.
“There are areas where there is no shade or shelter as far as the eye can see. The terrain includes everything that you could want, and then some. I took my bike over rock slides. I took my bike through snow, ice, mud, sand, and gravel that was three inches thick. I pushed my bike up the sides of snow covered mountains. I forded creeks 18 feet wide that were knee high and rushing with freezing cold snow melt water. I descended down mountains into fog that was as thick as snow. The hills are endless. I had to navigate reroutes including flooding, private property and closed mountain passes.
“There are 21 sections of the trail that are over 100 plus miles between resupply points. I ran out of food. I ran out of water. I drank 5 gallons of unfiltered water. I had to service my bike in the middle of nowhere without any bike shops within hundreds of miles. I had to ride a low-end bike tire for nearly 600 miles because I shredded my good one. I found out that 3,000 miles is more than you should expect a chain to last.
“I ran over a rattlesnake. I dealt with bears, coyotes, scorpions, spiders and wild boar. I was plagued by swarms of mosquitoes so thick they would cast a shadow. While going through the southern states, multiple dogs came hauling full speed barking and nipping at my legs. I tried everything to get them to stop. Sometimes blowing the survival whistle would work. Sometimes the mace would work. Sometimes nothing would work, and I would throw a Cliff bar at the dog so I could speed away.
“Through all of this, the race requires your full attention at all times. During the race, I crashed three different times. All three times were because I was not giving full attention and respect to the trail.” This chaos, Indy says, is exactly why he chose to participate in The American Trail Race.
“One of my all-time favorite quotes is from the founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard. He said, ‘The word adventure has gotten overused. For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts.’ I kept that quote in the back of my mind at all times during the race.
HOPE FOR HUMANITY
Through the intense struggle of the race, Indy says he met a memorable mix of strangers who offered him shelter and sustenance as they shared their life stories and showered him with admiration.
“With all of the negativity in the news and horrible things shown on the TV, the kindness of strangers I met along the way completely restored my faith in the American population. We’re all fundamentally human beings, and it’s really nice to have people be so kind.”
EXPERIENCING LIFE ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL
“Every single sunset was amazing. I think people change internally when they’ve been on the road for such a long amount of time. After you’ve been alone out in the elements day in and day out for an extended period your senses really begin to focus in on what’s happening around you. You also start to develop a whole new appreciation for everything. Riding off into the sunset at the end of every day quickly became one of my favorite aspects of the race.
“What has stuck with me most is how fortunate I am to be able to have been a part of this race. It was an amazing opportunity to test myself in ways I never have before. I was able to experience life on an entirely different level and to realize what is possible with the right mindset and dedication. The beauty of the scenery alone was enough to make the whole trip worth it. It was an experience that has changed me for the rest of my life.”
PURSUE YOUR PASSION TO NO END
“There was one conversation that kept reoccurring with people during The American Trail race. People would ask me how long I would be biking for. When I told them it was at least thirty days, they would call me crazy and tell me they could never do anything like that. But then I would ask them what they loved to do. One guy, for example, said he liked to go off-roading in his jeep. I told him that sounds awesome. Now imagine that you get to go off-roading for 30 days in a row. He started to get this huge smile on his face. I would look at people and say ‘This is what I love to do. I love to be out here on my bike meeting people, sleeping under the stars, and enjoying this beautiful country.’
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that life is too short to do anything besides what you truly love. Find what you are passionate about and pursue it to no end. I didn’t magically become an ultra runner or an ultra bikepacker. It has been an uphill battle the whole time. It is a journey that has made me a stronger and more compassionate person.”
BY THE WAY, HE CAME IN SECOND PLACE
14 people stated the American Trail Race and at the time of sharing his story with us, Indy says nine people had finished (and one was still riding). Indy completed the race in 36 days and nine hours, earning him second place. Such transformative expedition is about much more than earning an award, but the result is indeed impressive for Indy, a novice in this arena when he set out.
Indy now considers travel and bikepacking his two great loves. Next up he’s off to compete in the Trans Am Bike Race, with a new set of handbuilt Sugar wheels currently being designed specifically for the cross-country self-supported road adventure.
You can follow Indy’s exploits on Instagram through @squirrely_indy.
PARTING WISDOM FROM INDY
“When you think about it, no one really remembers the time that everything went exactly as planned. You remember when everything went wrong and you had to keep your head above water to make things work. It’s great for building character and mental toughness. Failure happens too. But if you do your very best, there is always a positive to be taken from any experience.”
“It was our first chilly morning when we awoke with the Deschutes River just a few feet from our tents. After I groggily stumbled to the bathroom, I found Jude and Jocelyn laughing in the middle of the campsite. I immediately started to laugh too because Jude was wearing a puffy sleeping bag with cutout arms that resembled a giant, green marshmallow. Already, I knew that we would have a great trip.”
And so the tale begins.
Sugar Wheel Works founder Jude Gerace took her brand new Breadwinner Komorebi – dressed for the part with the perfect set of Sugar wheels – out for a spin along the Oregon Stampede bikepacking route, along with two friends.
“There were many moments where I was just listening to the sound of my tires crunching gravel beneath my tires,” Jude says. “We weren’t going at a soul crushing pace but we weren’t lolly gagging either. We were floating – I think this is the day when I solidified the love for my new Breadwinner Komorebi. This bike is magic.”
The means of engagement, and speed of engagement, is one of the most important aspects of a hub set so we thought we’d take the time to cover some of the basics.
The engagement system is in the rear hub. It’s what catches when you start pedaling, and lets go when you coast.
Modern hubs typically have a ring of teeth with a gentle slope on one side and a sharp step on the other. With the help of a spring, a mating piece will connect on the stepped side (get engaged!) of the tooth or slide over the sloped side to coast.
It’s with these teeth that you actually turn the wheel when you pedal. Each one is a place where you can grab the wheel. The more teeth, the more places to grab the wheel.
Tooth distance is noticeable when you start pedaling after coasting. With a big gap between teeth, it can take a long pedal stroke to catch up with the hub, until clunk! you hit the tooth and finally start moving.
Generally, it is preferable to have more points of engagement. In the technical riding necessary for activities like mountain biking, cyclocross and criteriums, high engagement is a huge advantage. (In some cases, more points of engagement adds more drag, but it’s drag only when you’re not pedaling. So just keep pedaling!)
Finally, there are the clutch-based hubs that, instead of teeth, use sprags that clench the axle when engaged. These are silent, have minimal drag and engage instantly.
Chris King: 45 in the R45, 72 in mountain hubs
DT Swiss: 18 stock (can upgrade to 36 or 54)
Hope: 40
Industry Nine: 128
Phil Wood: 25
Shimano: 18 typically (36 in some special hubs)
White Industries: 48 (previously 24)
Onyx: infinite!
Stealth: infinite!
So which hub is right for you? Indeed it is a complex choice, and that’s why Sugar Wheel Works is here to walk you through your options. Give us a ring to discuss your dream wheels, teeth or no teeth. When you have us build your custom wheels, we’ll match the build to your riding style and preferred details.
Just like our riders, not all spokes are created equally.
At first glance, to the untrained eye, all spokes look just about the same, other than an aerodynamic bladed spoke. But at Sugar, we select from 7-12 different options (and there are even more out there) for every bicycle wheel we build.
Sapim is one of the leading spoke manufacturers and we have conducted metallurgical testing on these spokes so we can have a baseline understanding of their quality and the vigors they can withstand. And there’s even more testing we think could be carried out.
Our first considerations are price and performance. Usually there are at least two or three good options for spoke selection, but they all ride differently. Additionally, spoke selection can alter the price of a wheel set by as much as $100. In most cases, we’re going to balance price and performance and talk this through with the customer to ensure we’re dialing in this decision.
When you come to Sugar Wheel Works for your handbuilt bicycle wheels, we’ll sit down and talk with you about what you want and what we can achieve. Your dreams mesh with our expertise for the sweetest bicycle wheels possible.
In our dream world, every aspect of the bicycle wheel would be repairable
At Sugar Wheel Works, people often ask us “What’s new out there in the world of wheels?” It’s only natural for people to want the latest and greatest, especially when investing in a new set of handbuilt bicycle wheels.
But the reality is, as much as everything is new, at the same time nothing is new.
Bicycle wheels are still laced in the same ways they were so many years ago. Products change and technology changes. Sometimes there are upgrades, other times it seems that alterations result simply from the urge for newness.
None of this changes the way we build bicycle wheels by hand, which is a decidedly slow, patient process of knowing every single aspect of the products we use.
When new technology comes out it’s interesting – and changes how we design wheels – but it doesn’t change the way we build wheels. When new technology becomes available, we start by reading tech manuals or calling the vendor to understand the tolerances of the materials. The physical build is the same with some considerations for optimal tension and attention to every single detail.
In so many ways, our vendors are our lifeline to technology. They keep us apprised of changes in technology, and how our wheel builds can benefit from those changes. We rely on their expert knowledge to inform our knowledge.
Our philosophy is to remain open to what’s new but to understand the ideal applications. We also want to build correctly to maintain manufacturer warranties.
So this may leave you wondering, what do we wish would change? In our dream world, every aspect of a bicycle wheel would be repairable. Sugar Wheel Works would be able to service each aspect until it wears out beyond repair.
We’re going to build you the best wheel possible, but first, let’s talk about what you want!
Much like the name implies, the hub plays an important role at the center of a wheel, which is why it is often the first aspect we take into consideration when building a bicycle wheel. The hub is the heart of the drivetrain!
At Sugar Wheel Works, we always want to make sure that the hub and the cadence of the rider are a match made in heaven. But there are other considerations we must take into account, such as price, aesthetics and maintenance. That’s why we take time to find out what the rider wants the end result to be, what is the dream scenario and what is the budget. Only after having this information can we move forward to create a beautiful handbuilt bicycle wheel that’s not only fantastic, but also perfect for the rider.
Some hubs engage faster, others are quieter. Some have color options and others are easier to maintain. While no hub is universally perfect, we can usually find one that’s perfect for the project.
Most people know that the process of building a wheel takes time, but the lovely conversations around what type of wheel to build also take time. We value the time our customers take to share their thoughts and dreams with us. It is only through these conversations and their input that we are able to do the good work we do at Sugar Wheel Works.
