[CR]RE: (CR) Wooden rims

(Example: Framebuilders:Bernard Carré)

From: "Ben" <b.sanford@cox.net>
Organization: Bikerider.com
To: <Roxlamb@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2005 7:45:27 -0500
cc: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]RE: (CR) Wooden rims

Will asked about the Gisallo wooden rims.

I have a pair I bought a few years ago and laced into a track wheelset. They seem to ride nicely if you glue good tubulars onto them. Definately got a lot of "strange looks" when I took them on a couple of club rides, since many people have never seen wooden rims. I told them that these "wood fibre" rims where what led to carbon fibre they were more familiar with...

The one problem is braking performance, which is why I put them on a track bike -- where my front brake is mostly for emergency stops. Modern Rubber compound brake pads don't last long on wooden rime - I guess it's a heat transfer issue. I don't know of a source for the proper pads to use with wooden rims.

Ben Sanford
Falls Church, VA