A few months ago at the Interbike show in Anaheim, Dave Thomas brought me a radially laced 20-spoke tubular front wheel. No big deal, right? In the course of our conversation, he just happened to mention that a certain triathlete from Arcats, California, had won a few races on this same version. My interest was piqued, but what could be so special about a typical bladed spoke wheel? There's no harm in trying it, I thought. Try it I did. In fact, I rode this Dave Thomas custom aero wheel (see photo at right) almost everywhere a bike messenger rides--bumpy roads, over curbs, the works. Results: After some 600 miles, I haven't spent a second or a dime on maintenance. Let's hear it for a well built product!
Right before Christmas, Dave sent me another present: a set of hybrid training/racing wheels. They're clinchers with a 24-spoke radial front and an 8-speed, 24 spoke rear wheel with bladed spokes on the drive side and oval spokes on the non-drive side. I've been training on them ever since (about 2,000 miles), and I haven't done a thing to them since mounting the tires. The beauty of Dave Thomas' custom aero wheels is their versatility. They're practically bulletproof; you can beat 'em up in training during the week and race on 'em when the weekend rolls around without dropping a lot of cash along the way. For about $300, Dave will custom-build a pair of wheels for you.
I've shared as much as I think you can tolerate about aerodynamic wheels, and now I have a brief exhortation: Eat right, do your homework, train hard, use your noodle (head), keep your eyes open, keep your legs moving and when the time comes: Drop the hammer, baby!