Wheels for Devin

I love building wheels. All in all, I can count over 20+ wheels I have built for myself and others over the years. It has become a special favour now extended to only my closest friends, but secretly it is an act of selfishness as much as generosity because I enjoy the process so much.

The wheel is the only part on the bike whose performance and ultimate strength is completely variable by design and quality of assembly - the whole truly ends up greater than the sum of its parts. Building a good wheel takes patience & thought. When the build is complete, you have not just assembled metal onto metal – you have created something with a new life of its own.

Wheels can represent a lot of metaphors for life, the obvious one is the circle. There is also the importance of balance and consistency and their ability to outweigh any one element. Start with all the best parts, but if you don’t have the right balance, wheels only stay straight for so long. In the end, the time and patience to build them right will pay off down the road (literally!).  

Devin’s wheels are special. High end parts and flashy looks – yes. But also because it took lots of patience from him while I tried to get things balanced. Thanks for waiting; I hope these were worth it!