Despite my best efforts to keep this site a secret, people eventually find me and want to talk wheels. This is a good thing because like any skill, wheel-building must be practiced to maintain competence. Like any vocation, the equipment and tools do change, and wisdom is gained about how products stand up over time. Version 2 of the Pacenti SL23 snuck up on me. Two arrived today. They look impressive and once I get the calipers on them I will post the bead to bead dimensions. Version 1 didn't stand up so well: I had a couple of their low spoke count rims crack at the eyelets. Now it is recommended that nipple washers be used with those rims--especially in high tension applications such as driveside rear. (Would've been nice if Pacenti had responded to my request for spoke tension specifications when the rim first hit the market. #crickets. Whatever. Gotta ride somethin' on the rollers.)
My current vanity wheel project is a set of Hed Belgium+ rims with Shimano Dura Ace hubs. The front is a 24 setup with CX-Rays in 2 cross laced to aluminum hexagonal nipples. The rear is a 28 hole setup with CX-Rays in 3 cross also laced to aluminum hexagonal nipples. The rear is together but the front must wait for the supply chain to catch up. The 24 hole version of that rim is new and scarce. This set is destined for my Caad10 in the short term and maybe a special someone's ride in the longer term.
Notes: The 5,5 mm Sapim hexagonal spoke wrench is a tight fit with that rim. The Hed Belgium series rims remain my favorites. They arrive round, they tolerate high tension, and they build up round and true. Worth the extra dinero, in my opinion.
Two projects in the queue:
(1) 24/28 hole black White Industries T11 hubs on Pacenti SL23 v2 rims.
(2) 24/28 hole pink White Industries T11 hubs on Hed Belgium C2 rims.
Yummy!
Answering the question I didn't want to ask: What does 400 bucks worth of spokes look like?
Pacenti SL23 v2. Nice finish, wide internal, and a shorter less machined brake track.
