Wheel Building as Meditation

Few things rival wheel building for me as a meditative state when it comes to bike work. The focus necessary for a good build, paying attention to roundness, trueness and spoke tension simultaneously is fantastic. And the result of such labor, both mental and physical, delivers a satisfaction that never ceases to please me. 

Today I took a break from writing and emails to lace a new rim onto the rear wheel of my Harvey Cycle Works rando/adventure bike. As my fender bike it sees duty during winter months and next spring I have a few rides where it will need to be tip top. 

More on that bike soon when I do a post about my personal bikes.  

But if you've never laced and tensioned a wheel, it's worth exploring. I don't get to do it as often these days as I once did. But when the opportunity arises, I revel in the time with my trying stand, tensiometer, and spoke keys. Thankfully there are a couple more builds in my near future! 

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The sound of 365 days of opportunity knocking

I've finished 2015 with a bit of a bang. I left my PR role in early December to return to the editorial side of the fence. Motivation is high and I couldn't be more excited for the year ahead. I'm now writing for Adventure Cyclist as its tech editor and freelancing in the cycling journalism world. It's good to be back. 

I'll use this site as a venue to explore cycling, writing and life. Rambleur is something that I've built in my mind over the years but only now started building in the digital realm. I plan to cover my thoughts on motivation, passion, inspiration, philosophy and how slowing down life and spending more of it aboard a bicycle has helped maintain my happiness. 

Rambleur will hopefully also serve as a resource for cycling, gravel riding, bikepacking and act as a place for the frequent sharing of optimism and struggle.