Vallie Components - bicycle part and accessory design

Well, I've got just over 1000 km on my first hub. 

• Axle bolt cycles = 30
• Cog bolt cycles = 5 each side.
• Bearing installation = 3x 
• Rims = 2

Notes:

The raw aluminum finish is getting a bit cloudy, but these prototypes weren't cleared or anodized in any way, so that's to be expected when riding on salty roads. The bearings are still super smooth after multiple installations, and after all the axle bolt cycles, the 6061 bearing collars are holding up well. I wrecked the bead seat on the first deep V I had it laced to, either from the ice race or casing stairs. The second rim laced up easily with the same spokes, but new nipples.

I've got about 900km on the round profile teeth, and 100 on the straight profile teeth. While I think the round teeth will wear longer, due to increased roller contact throughout the parabolic travel cycle, the straight tooth cog seems to be quieter on deceleration. This is where the bottom of the chain is pulled taught, and the rollers have to find their way into the troughs under load. Further testing will determine which is best.

You can see in this pic that not only is the round tooth cog still dirty, but its got a touch of rust on the inside face. I guess the black oxide coating isn't quite thick enough. That's another minor issue that will have to be taken care of next revision.

If this round tooth profile looks familiar to you, that's because it's the brainchild of Phil Wasson, the machinist behind many of today's best BMX parts. Check out this video of Phil's Super Rat Machine Works shop. Its good to know that what's good enough for Tree is good enough for me.

Things are looking pretty promising. I've been getting a lot of emails from interested bikers, and shops about the release date and price.  Honestly, I can't say just yet. There's still a lot more testing to be done before I'll be ready to sell these to the biking public. ..and by testing, I mean hard core riding. Which is what I'm about to do right now!

Let me introduce you to Vallie Components' first team rider! This is Morgan Taylor. This guy has an insane bicycle history, involving BMX, experimental tricycles, a cracked skull, fixed touring, freak bike building, wrecking many rims riding 700CMX and more. He's currently a Mighty Riders team rider. Morgan is stoked to be working with me on the hub, and he's doing everything in his power to wreck it and provide me with good test data.

BIO:

• Train ride through many states I hadn't seen.
• A buck chasing the train.
• Finishing the book "One Gear, No Breaks" (Spoiler: she gets the Gold!)
• Riding the MONON rail trail green way.
• Staying at the Indy Hostel
• Meeting the Tall Tree Cycles / Steel Wool Cycles crew
• Hanging out with Sam and Andrea of Naked
• Getting valuable input on my hubs from Paul of Paul components
• Getting a super positive response from every builder who saw my hub
• Riding a fixed folder amongst lifted pickup trucks
• Seeing the Momentum crew again
• Watching 4 movies in 24 hours on the way home (The Wrestler, Nerdcore Rising, Australia, Frozen River)

• The Geekhouse city bike (20mm front axle, dual disks, short wheelbase)
• The blue fat tired Vanilla townie
• Black Sheep 36er and cargo bike
• Sam's over the top SS full suspension 29er (and riding it in the HYATT)
• Signal cycles wine rack
• Bilenky's craziness (they brought the whole shop)
• The Broakland crew, and their massive track disc fork
• Villin bikes
• LOTS of hot cross bikes. Many single speeded.
• Rody's hot paint on all his bikes at Groovy
• Renova strange Italian components
• Ahearnes breakaway/couplered bike
• Calfee super bamboo mixte citybike
• EVERY bike in the indoor bike parking

Phew. Now its back to NYC and back to work.  First order of business was to build a new wheel.

I guess I wrecked my back wheel in the ice race. The side wall was folded in, in one spot. I hadn't noticed before because I had a tire on it. I must have trued right past it, compensating for the strange bulge. 500km on a deep V is a pretty short life span, even when riding like an idiot. I quickly de-laced another deep V I had laying around, applied some 3M reflective vinyl for fun and zazz, and did a quick and dirty clone lace job (taping the new rim to the old, and just changing nipples), so I could get out to Prolly's Peel sessions last night.

I got it done just in time, and made the trek out to Williamsburg. There I worked on my Sparks drinking, bunny hops and wheelies a bit. And only had one SPD related fall, surprisingly. Today I have a massive bruise on the inside of my thigh. That's 700cmx for you I guess.

In Hub news, I've got a new team rider. I'll be putting up Bios soon. For now though, its just testing and data collection.

Well, I think I've got everything ready for the show. Soon I'll be roaring across the countryside on Amtrak's Cardinal Line. It's a 22 hour train ride. Leaving NYC at 6:45am.. and arriving in Indianapolis at 4:45am the next day. It will be nice to have some time to think... Lots of time in fact. I've got a book, and I've got my phone stocked with fresh media.

Sadly, I don't get to take my own bike. It just won't fit. This train line does not have a baggage car, so I'm limited to two carry ons. One of which is a folding bike. I've borrowed an incredible fixed Dahon folder from a friend here, and I'm stoked to hoon around Indianapolis on it.

My Spicer, and my prototype hub are due for a break anyways. They have been seeing relentless abuse this week, with 70km days, and lots of hops, stair drops and general shredding of midtown Manhattan's gnar. The hub has about 500km on it now, and both looks and feels great. I've been cycling the axle bolts before every ride, and riding brake less to add wear faster. I've been hard enough on it that I've had to true up the wheel a couple times, but now that the spokes have bedded and the tension is uniform it's pretty solid. No word on when Morgan will have his test hub built up. Perhaps I should find another test mule.. Who weighs a lot, rides fixed hard and likes recording data?

Since getting killed in the ice race, I've also been busy working on the business side of things. I got some super hot photos done courtesy of Cycling WMD, Joomla help from my lovely wife, and logo help from Gabriel Amadeus designer extraordinaire. About the logo. You may be wondering what the significance of the Ouroboros is. Well.. It symbolizes infinite cyclicality. Energy in equals energy out. From breaking parts to making parts. That's what I'm about. The calipers are just cause I'm a huge nerd.

I've also been busy penning the design for revision 2 of the hub. I'm going to hold off on the machining just yet though, as I want to get things just right.

Anyways, I'm really stoked to go to NAHBS and see my friends Joseph Ahearne, and Sam Whittingham. They've both got some amazing stuff in the works for the show. If you are within a 22 hour radius of Indianapolis, I highly recommend you hit up the show. Every builder seems to really be stepping up their game for this show. You will see bicycle creations that will blow your mind! You can also see me and check out my hub. I'll have one on me. Just look for the scruffy blond guy with the green backpack with a 6 bolt cog hanging off it. Come up and say hello =]