Wheelbuilding classes in London - Tuesday 6th May

[Zipperhead]

Add yourself to the list kind sir Might ask you to film a bit

Sure, happy to.

[Julian]

1. Charlotte
2. Valiant
3. Robin
4. Aneeta
5. Jeff
6. Dave
7. Arthur
8. Sgt Pluck
9. PeterH (possible)
10. Regulator (possible)
11. Hummers
12. Jurek
13. Zipperhead
14. Andrij (possible)
15. Woollypigs
16. doop (possible)
17. Juliet
18. Marna
19. Andrij (voyeur)
20. Liz (voyeur)
21. Cat (Liz's friend & prospective bike-buyer, gatecrashing)

[Sergeant Pluck]

I'll be coming from the West by motorbike.

Can I motorpace the yACF peleton?

That would be excellent... but failing that, there are bound to be a few heading from parts W or SW. As you may detect I am uncertain of the geography around Limehouse.

[peliroja]

I know where Sam's office is. But I'm not coming.

That's a lot of help, isn't it? 

[Polar Bear]

I know where Sam's office is. But I'm not coming.

That's a lot of help, isn't it? 

SNAP 

[woollypigs]

Does anyone from parts westerly feel like meeting up at Hyde park Corner at let's say 6.30?

For the ride to Valiant's?

I might be going, depends on how much I manage to do at work and if I can get out of the office in time to be in HPC at 6.30.

[Valiant]

Basically come straight down the Embankment, straight down Commercial road til you get to Limehouse Junction and turn left into Burdett Road and then the first right into Dod Street. On the left hand side are some metal gates, come in through the middle set of open gates and ride straight down and right. It be the office with loadsa bikes outside.

1. Charlotte
2. Valiant
3. Robin
4. Aneeta
5. Jeff
6. Dave
7. Arthur
8. Sgt Pluck
9. PeterH (possible)
10. Regulator (possible)
11. Hummers
12. Jurek
13. Zipperhead
14. Andrij (possible)
15. Woollypigs
16. doop (possible)
17. Juliet
18. Marna
19. Liz (voyeur)
20. Cat (Liz's friend & prospective bike-buyer, gatecrashing)

Seeing as the group is so big, we might move into a bigger location across the road but we'll see how cramped it gets in the office.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Does anyone from parts westerly feel like meeting up at Hyde park Corner at let's say 6.30?

For the ride to Valiant's?

I might be going, depends on how much I manage to do at work and if I can get out of the office in time to be in HPC at 6.30.

OK, let me know on this thread but the directions seem straightforward enough.

[Gattopardo]

Will you be doing this again?  As I would really like to come along, but can't make today.

[Charlotte]

We might.  But Sam will probably be taping this session, so you can always watch on YouTube 

[peliroja]

Basically come straight down the Embankment, straight down Commercial road til you get to Limehouse Junction and turn left into Burdett Road and then the first right into Dod Street. On the left hand side are some metal gates, come in through the middle set of open gates and ride straight down and right. It be the office with loadsa bikes outside.

The entrance to the building once you're through the metal gates is cobbled, so you can't miss it.

[rogerzilla]

We might.  But Sam will probably be taping this session, so you can always watch on YouTube 

In about 2017; the lazy swine still hasn't edited the Calshot footage from 2006...

[Valiant]

:-P

[peliroja]

We might.  But Sam will probably be taping this session, so you can always watch on YouTube 

In about 2017; the lazy swine still hasn't edited the Calshot footage from 2006...

That's true! Or the Trough ride footage! 

[woollypigs]

Does anyone from parts westerly feel like meeting up at Hyde park Corner at let's say 6.30?

For the ride to Valiant's?

I might be going, depends on how much I manage to do at work and if I can get out of the office in time to be in HPC at 6.30.

OK, let me know on this thread but the directions seem straightforward enough.

ok, Hummers and I will be at HPC around 6.30pm so see you there.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Oh lovely. See you there.

[Regulator]

Sorry - can't make... although Ting Tong's front wheel could do with some attention. 

Some bloody cyclist inattentive rider on Sunday appears to have put a pedal or similar stickyout bit into my front wheel and pranged my spokes.  One spoke has a very definite bend and will need replacing.   

However, this being a Fulcrum 5 wheel, nobody near me seems to stock the correct spokes and they have to be ordered in - and this could take up to two weeks... 

[Valiant]

You'll be fine with one bent spoke, I've got one seriously bent one on my front wheel on the bike I took to Malta, held up fine!

[peterh]

Couldn't make it

It was always going to be cutting it fine with my airport taxi duties, but with a late flight and baggage reclaim taking forever, it wasn't going to happen.

Hope you all had a good time and maybe there'll be a repeat.  Can't wait to see the video!  Now, where's my Roger Musson book?

[Valiant]

It went great almost everyone turnt up and most have laced up and most of the way through building a wheel, all in all a brilliant workshop and mucho love to Charlotte for leading it.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Home! Hah!

Yes, that was fantastic: if the mood took me I'd now have absolutely no qualms about getting the required bits and building my own. While I would not be confident that I could make a perfect wheel I'm fairly sure I could make an adequate and strong undished wheel.

Charlotte was an excellent teacher and a few decent wheels were produced, one of which (Robin's Velocity Deep V I think) was pretty much perfect and ready to ride.

Many thanks indeed to Charlotte for taking the time to do this. Great to see everyone and thanks to Sam and friends for the use of the Town Hall 

Evening rounded off by a decent curry.

Led out of Eastern parts by Woolly, Zipperhead and Hummers, who disappeared somewhere along the line but by then I was in civilisation 

[Hummers]

Yes, a fine evening indeed. 

Lots of fine and handy advice indeed.

Thanks to Aunty C and Sam for organising this.

H

[doop]

Well, that was fab. Thanks for running an excellent class, Charlotte! Also many thanks to Sam & friends for sorting out a jolly fine venue!

I now have a shiny new dynamo hub wheel, albeit in need of some truing..

[Charlotte]

Great fun, wasn't it?  I hope we've debunked a few myths about wheelbuilding being some sort of black art or something.  If I can get the hang of it, pretty much anyone can.  I was really impressed with the way everyone got stuck in and at the very least got a wheel laced up and tensioned.  We only had two jigs to share (there was no way I was lumping my antique cast iron jig across town - it weighs a ton!)

Thanks to Sam and the Hijackers for letting us use their most excellent Town Hall venue.  It has to be seen to be believed - a really great space right in the middle of East London.

It goes without saying that if anyone needs further help with their wheels, I'm more than happy to do some "finishing off" sessions.

The curry was fab (when it arrived...) and we all went away happy and well-fed campers.

On the way home along the embankment, Liz and I encountered a little peleton (I say little, they're all big chaps) consisting of Hummers, Graham and Woolly.  I'm afraid I couldn't resist the temptation to motorpace them along from Vauxhall bridge up to Cheyne Walk.  We didn't break any laws, but it was a lot of silliness.  At one point, a heroic break came past me at about 25mph (two of them were on fixed, bear in mind) and I was rather impressed...

[Jurek]

Chapeau Charlotte!

Many thanks for  well communicated, and most informative sesh.
My regret is not being able to stay for the second half - but I feel inspired by that which I learnt last night.

Thanks also to Valiant and Arthur for arranging the venue (s).

J.