Originally Posted by
fietsbob
Engaging the freewheel Pawls is what drives you forward ..
there are, for Cops, a silent freewheel driver . so they can sneak up on suspects without the ratchet -pawl making Noise and they escape aprehension by the 'long arm of the law' in a country that locks up more per capita than any other.
Another aspect is field replaceability, In the Busy Summer season, on a Popular touring route,
the time available to do a custom Rim replacement for a passerby is not there, so ..
A machine built wheel from a wholesale distributor will be taken from inventory
by the shop you Limped into.
... and the fancy Hub will be Boxed up and Mailed back to Your House.
This right here kind of negates spending the bucks on a new build vs just buying better wheels. Reminds me of a commercial...
This one will last a lifetime......as long as you don't play with it.
Don't get me wrong here. I understand that if I'm doing downhill on my touring bike I can expect.....to go to the hospital, frankly. And have crushed wheels. But assuming all else is in spec and > I < am doing my level best to not abuse said wheels, if an event arises where I need service on the road, I may still be skunked even though I have common and serviceable parts. That is unless I can manage to have my wheel issues when I need a rest day or two.
