http://tonguescraperss.com/wp-conten...raper-Bike.jpg

24" scraper bike rims are where its at

And sadly I know where they're standing....

you ordered an aerospoke? who does that?

Aerospoke smuggling. :lol:

Just make sure no one has to hide it in their ass to get it over the border.

If you're working for a messenger service in MTL I hope you're not working for Loumar or topgun, in which case you'll be able to make the choice between an a-spoke and not starving to death.

Presuming you're actually working for one of the handful of companies that are worth your time I wouldn't recommend one of those guys for messing. If you ask around (a guy in mtl wrecked his 'spoke last summer) you can get a first hand account on just how much an aerospoke will blow up when you crash, and how long it takes to get one back from the company.

Otherwise, you'll be climbing up Beaver hall or Uni half a dozen times a day, you'll rarely be hitting the 25-30mph to feel the aero effects, and you WILL get hit if you stay at it long enough. Considering those factors I wouldn't pay anywhere near retail for one, much less seek one out. May I suggest 36 spoke open pros or open sports? You'll actually get a gain in off the line acceleration (which is one of the only "performance" gains you'll truly feel in messenger type riding) and they can be repaired at any shop as quickly as a mechanic can work.

Yes I was a messenger in Montreal

Thanks TL! Exactly what I wanted to hear. I'm working for Cyclebird which is pretty solid. Cyclebird's delivery area is also pretty big (the whole island+). So I'm definitely up/down Uni and Parc frequently, but also doing stuff like bombing down from like 8800 St-Denis, taking the canal back from LaSalle, or maybe dropping down l'Acadie on my way back from Laval. Since I've already got the Aero coming, I figure I'll have a little fun experimenting with it. Worst case, I still think it won't be a problem unloading the thing on craigslist up here and then I can criticize it first-hand if it really lets me down.

Any reason you recommend the Open pros over the Wabis? Or at least to justify the price difference (I've found Mavic pro / formula at $277 and the Wabis at $166, shipping included). I'm a little naive and not sure what ya mean by line acceleration.

The Canadian government might be a little pissed if they knew how often I've bought bike parts in the States, got them to Canada without duties, used them for a while, then resold them for a profit. This process is seriously like 30% of the funding for my projects.

^^^^ hahhahahah

I ride a pair. Don't care what folks think, I like them. They are heavier, but you can get used to the extra weight (I think of them as weight training). They're not as stiff as a 32h spoked wheelset, but I haven't noticed real issues with crosswinds (part of that might be due to the rotational weight of the tires negating it? I think if I had lighter tires I would notice it more). Keeping speed is a lil easier, but slowing is more noticeable. Do what you like.
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P.S. - never had a bmx bike when I was younger so this is the big kid versioin :P

Personally I think the wabis are a tremendous deal. Their combined weight is really impressive considering everything is joytech/sapim/jalco. Though to be fair those three companies are behind almost every mid-range road wheel-set out there.

I like Mavic, I've had a lot of experience with their various rims and they're extremely high quality. Building a mavic rim is really a pleasure. The eyelets of an open pro will make it a little stronger than the wabi, you'll also be able to get higher spoke tension. The key to a good wheel is a quality build and consistent spoke tension, which is most even when you use a quality rim.

By "off the line" I mean getting rolling from a stop. Lighter wheels will also aid acceleration from low speed.

The bottom line with messing is its a lot of start and stop, I found a spinable 70ish inch gear, light and durable rims, and gatorskin type tires to be ideal. Enough "speed" to get where you're going, and a low enough gear not to tire you out when you're carrying heavy things, riding into the wind, tired/injured, or just plain pissed off that you have to work.

i had an aerospoke front for a couple of months. definitely sucked in by the "bling" factor, then i realized how useless it was considering i couldn't run a front brake with it (painted-over sidewalls), although if you're getting an aerospoke front you probably wouldn't want a brake anyways. it was also ridiculously heavy. after a period of it sitting against my wall, i just sold it for as much as i bought it for. no regrets.

I never understood the appeal. Anchors that don't even look that cool? I always preferred the look of deep rims :(

The thing I find most funny about Aerospokes is that the majority of people who talk **** on them have never ridden on one. It makes perfect sense, I suppose.

This applies to pretty much everything on this forum.

BTW the Cinelli Laser is a slack-angled poser bike.

Totally. And all Leaders are garbage.

^^^Emi Brown said the exact same thing!

Hi, Zissou.

hahaha

Supposedly Cousteau and his cronies invented the idea of putting walkie-talkies into the helmet. But we made ours with a special rabbit ear on the top so we could pipe in some music.

**** the haters, that movie was great.

+100

worth it for the soundtrack alone

i think i do too. thats west oakland right?

also, gyeswho, that doesnt count. you make any setup look badass.