Comments on: Wheel Building On The Road In Guatemala http://www.tourintune.com/wheel-building-on-the-road-in-guatemala/ Sat, 03 Oct 2015 11:43:33 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.7 By: Making Gear For Bikepacking - Tour in Tune http://www.tourintune.com/wheel-building-on-the-road-in-guatemala/#comment-26730 Sat, 03 Oct 2015 11:43:33 +0000 http://www.tourintune.com/?p=1901#comment-26730 […] I actually considered sticking with my rigid 29er for this trip because I couldn’t stand the thought of riding without my PD-8 hub dynamo. I was thrilled when my friend Charlie @ IDC gave me the chance to test out the new PD-8X. I ordered a Stan’s Arch rim and some DT Competition spokes and laced it up as per my usual ritual. […]

]]> By: Barichara And Some Detours - Tour in Tune http://www.tourintune.com/wheel-building-on-the-road-in-guatemala/#comment-23317 Sun, 25 Jan 2015 17:54:24 +0000 http://www.tourintune.com/?p=1901#comment-23317 […] Much to the amusement of the mechanics, I wanted to keep my spokes organised for the rebuilding process. According to my wheelbuilding bible, used spokes have different bends depending on whether they are inside or outside facing. I learnt this the hard way after rebuilding my front wheel in Guatemala after a crash! […]

]]> By: larsmarshandlebars http://www.tourintune.com/wheel-building-on-the-road-in-guatemala/#comment-18532 Sun, 23 Nov 2014 12:38:17 +0000 http://www.tourintune.com/?p=1901#comment-18532 In reply to Andrew Spurlin.

Andrew,

Sorry for the late reply.

Regarding 29″ wheels, I think it depends on the kind of riding you want to do and whether or not you like tinkering with bikes.

If you are mainly interested in basic touring from point A to B and want to avoid hunting around for parts, definitely go for 26″ wheels. They are still the most common wheel in Latin America by far.

Finding supplies for 700c wheels is not impossible. I found them in many cities, including Xela, Guatamala City and Antigua. I continued to see them at many premium bike shops throughout our trip. However, as they are premium imported goods, they tend to be more expensive. I found that I could order more specific supplies at significantly better prices online and have them delivered DHL or Fedex. You still need to think about import duty taxes. Sometimes you can get away with no taxes, but sometimes it can be 5-10%, so it’s worth considering.

In the case of my specific experience in Xela, I decided to order a new rim to be delivered simply because we were staying with someone already and so it wasn’t really a change of plans. If we had been wanting to continue travelling, then I could have just asked one of the bike shops in Xela to order the part from Guatemala City or take the bus to Guatemala City or Antigua. Both of these places had 700c rims in stock.

You’re right that I probably could have saved some money by sticking with 26″ wheels, but I probably still would have built it myself. I have a general mistrust of cheap, factory built wheels. Also, after watching several local bike mechanics working on wheels, I don’t trust them either!

As we continued south, I found 29er rims, spokes, tyres and tubes at most larger cities. It really wasn’t an issue. I did carry a spare tyre and tube at all times.

For me personally, it was worth the risk because I really enjoyed having a 29er for gravel grinding and trail riding on ‘days off’. I am over 6 feet tall and I really enjoy the fast rolling fun of a 29er.

However, if you are just using the bike for standard point A to B, I would say you might want to stick with 26″ wheels.

]]> By: Andrew Spurlin http://www.tourintune.com/wheel-building-on-the-road-in-guatemala/#comment-16373 Wed, 12 Nov 2014 16:10:36 +0000 http://www.tourintune.com/?p=1901#comment-16373 Lars, I’ve got a few questions for you and would appreciate it if you could respond to my email at Spurlin.andrew@gmail.com
I am curious if since this experience, you still feel like 29 is a worthwhile risk while touring in developing countries.
Have you ever found 29 rims, spokes, or tires in Latin America?
How long did this mechanical mishap hold you up in Xela?
And how much money do you think you could have saved in an alternate universe where you were using 26 wheels and could have bought a local wheel?

]]> By: What Do Touring Bikes Look Like After 10,000k? » Tour in Tune http://www.tourintune.com/wheel-building-on-the-road-in-guatemala/#comment-8723 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 22:25:25 +0000 http://www.tourintune.com/?p=1901#comment-8723 […] had to replace my front Sputnik with this DT Swiss TK540 after a gnarly crash in Guatemala. It’s performed well ever since, […]

]]> By: Hub Dynamo Systems For Bicycle Touring: Part 1 » Tour in Tune http://www.tourintune.com/wheel-building-on-the-road-in-guatemala/#comment-2575 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 19:51:51 +0000 http://www.tourintune.com/?p=1901#comment-2575 […] Obviously, a hub dynamo is not complete without the rest of the wheel. You will either need to pay a wheelbuilder to build the wheel or you can do it yourself. I decided to build my own wheels and I’ve been pleased with the outcome so far. If you want to try your hand at wheelbuilding, I would recommend the book Wheelbuilding by Roger Musson. This guy has built some wheels! I wrote about some of my experiences as a first time wheel builder here and also after a re-build here. […]

]]> By: Jenbell http://www.tourintune.com/wheel-building-on-the-road-in-guatemala/#comment-2523 Sat, 17 Aug 2013 23:04:44 +0000 http://www.tourintune.com/?p=1901#comment-2523 In reply to Benji.

He’s been pruning! xx

]]> By: Benji http://www.tourintune.com/wheel-building-on-the-road-in-guatemala/#comment-2270 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 15:25:00 +0000 http://www.tourintune.com/?p=1901#comment-2270 Lars you beard has gone from Noah Wahl to Astro-Physicist mate !!

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