Properly designed wheels absorb impact, give a smooth ride, and will last - not just a season, but for years. A custom wheelset will convince you of your immunity to the planned obsolescence of today's bike market.

While building wheels for pro-racers, Olympians, and top team mechanics, I have learned how to minimize the distortion that throws a wheel out of balance.

Balance is the natural, harmonious state of things, for wheels as well as people. Wheels come apart for the same reasons you do. When we push too hard for results in our lives, we tire and burn out. We use power beyond our reserves. We get imbalanced, our thinking becomes distorted and we wind up "spinning our wheels."

Balanced, cohesive wheelsets are classic and inherently modern, in that good design is timeless. Their elegant, simple construction reflects unique and unmatched quality.

There are wheelsets out there with trick cross patterns and interesting spoke lacings. More than likely, these designs sacrifice some of their performance function for the sake of keeping up with the demands of the marketplace. A wheel designed by a nervous accountant may not be your best choice - or a safe one.

When performance function is sacrificed for what's "hot", two things happen: equipment breaks down, and the body feels stressed.

A lot of us instinctively distrust something that has too many "bells and whistles". Too much can go wrong.

We had a huge ice storm up here this winter. Power outages everywhere. Overheard at the healthfood store, "I got trapped like a rat. My garage door opener wouldn't work, and I had to sit around for hours until my wife came and got me."

Too many bells and whistles.

Simplify. Be elegant.

Enjoy your ride.

Joe