after a year of building wheels I managed to finally have one to analyse and study. during a race the wheel met a steel 400x8 that had a large R pin on the outside. the 2 wheels met at speed,at about 45degrees and the R pin snagged on the ally rim of my wheel.
with the outer disk of my wheel being the glued on disk the pin wormed under the disk,ripping it off leaving behind the spokes,hub,rim and rear disk , still rolling
HOWEVER!!!!! the hollow wheel was still rolling along with the steel wheel inside, so the spokes blew out next the pin lined up nicely with the outermost hole in the spokes so every spoke ripped out , leaving a rim ,hub and one disk.
and still rolling,
the fun couldnt last and eventually the whole show buckled, ripping the hub from the disk and rim.the disk never even looked like parting from the rim that it was glassed to, so the hub ripped out , leaving the bearing housings intact. the tyre stayed on the rim dispite the rim buckling.



the cotton flock worked really well up against the wet resin/glass, but I will have to work on making the ally surface rougher . the flock gripped the ally really well in 40% of the rim . with the new rim Im working on I should overcome that problem
. really happy with hub assembly and perhaps 3 small holes in the ribs instead of the2 big ones.
any thoughts folks

apart from dont overtake murray turner so fast next time

Ron,
These wheels are dam tough, I have been hit, gone bush through rocks and rolled a couple of times which I would think that would put tremendous loads on the wheel. The only wheel that I have destroyed in the last 3 seasons is one that came apart after hitting a star picket at speed.(it was still rebuildable)
aus230
Paul,
How much weight are you reducing from your original wheel.

That's the kind of racing I like.

I had some doubts about the hubs but they seem to have come out pretty much unscathed! Nice one paul

You say your new rims will overcome problem of only 40% bonding. Can you explain how? Are you simply going to rough up rims so there is a better mechanical bond?

When I use my rims I increase the size of all the spoke holes to give it a better key(I forgot to mention it before) thanks for reminding me Chook

Chook.
Looking at what PAul is about to try as opposed to your thoughts on this matter I would think that if you used a Course 12" Bastard File (Course Bastard??? Sounds like me) Seriously though or a Farriers RAsp you will save a lot of work with the Drill and get a far better Key with the whole surface of the outer rim than a few holes.. Think about it and try a Bastard or Rasp first.
Ron

Yup! Yer right TPI.. Rough as Guts and twice as Stinkin'[}:)] Specially when I let a Thunder Clap go!!
Ron

are these wheels the ultimate, noticed them from the simpson desert race footage

2012 seem to be some new development in the brothers bike world. Very wide,

very light nearly indistructable

keep checking ebay or similar that is where i found mine way below shop price.

google surly bikes , or even fat bikes.
looking at that bike in the foreground, why do I get a feeling that they are perhaps homemade rims
from memory, a 68mm rim was the same price as all the materials to build 5 wheels