22miles

I have been wanting to ride everyday, but there is always something that happens. Yesterday, after I had changed into my cycling clothes and put my shoes on, I noticed that my rear rim was flared out a little on one side. It looked like the tire bead had pushed the sidewall out a bit. The tire was still inflated and it was operable but I didn't want to ride on a wheel like that. It wouldn't take long for something to give. So I changed out of my clothes and started looking at wheels online.

Today I set out and went to a couple bike shops looking for a replacement wheel. The rim was worn down a lot, which probably contributed to the flaring. The man at Freewheel bicycle quoted me a great price to build me a new rear wheel. It would have been a little wider, which would have been great. I could have put 50's on it. Unfortunately, I just couldn't find the money in the budget so I got a Shimano FH 2800 hub laced to a Mavic CXP22 rim. It's an off the line wheel, but still better than what I had before. It rode well and will work for now.

When I get a steady income I am going to seriously look into some custom built wheels that are a little wider and a little sturdier.