(This is now an endangered species!!!)I'm usually not one to overreact. The sub-prime mortgage crisis, global warming, poison toys from China--I take these things in stride. So as I checked in with the various news outlets this morning, it was with the usual casual detachment--until I clicked over to kingkog.com and read this:
Attention customers interested in Aerospoke wheels:
Due to the high demand in these wheels there is a 2 week wait time. The Aerospoke Company themselves can not keep up with the orders. The availability of them is constantly fluxuating! From a 2-4 day wait time to a possible 3 week wait time. Especially orders with powdercoating. I have them available online to order, But at this time it is only for pre orders. If you need it to show up in less time please do not order from here.
Now I was scared. A worldwide Aerospoke shortage is about the most horrifying scenario I can contemplate. I was just about to hit the streets and start looting when it occurred to me to check the Aerospoke website. I mean, just because King Kog doesn't have them doesn't mean they're really not available, right?
Wrong.
700c--out of stock.
26 inch--out of stock!
20"--OUT OF STOCK!!!
Even tandem wheelsets are out of stock! (Yes, Aerospoke makes tandem wheelsets.)
Okay, no big deal, right? I can get one on eBay! There's nothing you can't get on eBay. You can get a wood-rimmed wheelset on eBay for a BIN of $425.
Attention customers interested in Aerospoke wheels:
Due to the high demand in these wheels there is a 2 week wait time. The Aerospoke Company themselves can not keep up with the orders. The availability of them is constantly fluxuating! From a 2-4 day wait time to a possible 3 week wait time. Especially orders with powdercoating. I have them available online to order, But at this time it is only for pre orders. If you need it to show up in less time please do not order from here.
Now I was scared. A worldwide Aerospoke shortage is about the most horrifying scenario I can contemplate. I was just about to hit the streets and start looting when it occurred to me to check the Aerospoke website. I mean, just because King Kog doesn't have them doesn't mean they're really not available, right?
Wrong.
700c--out of stock.
26 inch--out of stock!
20"--OUT OF STOCK!!!
Even tandem wheelsets are out of stock! (Yes, Aerospoke makes tandem wheelsets.)
Okay, no big deal, right? I can get one on eBay! There's nothing you can't get on eBay. You can get a wood-rimmed wheelset on eBay for a BIN of $425.
Guess what? Apart from a couple random sizes, you can't get them on eBay.
Like a cancer diagnosis after decades of smoking, the invasion of Pearl Harbor after a century of isolationism, or the day you finally admit to yourself that you should not have gotten that Whitesnake tattoo, this was the moment when the reality of the situation became undeniable and I realized that my life would be changed forever.
We can no longer keep our heads buried in the sand. We need to deal with the Aerospoke Crisis. People, we need to act! And while I'm only one person, I plan to do my part by brainstorming some temporary solutions. Here's what I've come up with so far:
1) IMPLEMENT THE LEND-A-SPOKE PROGRAM IMMEDIATELY
There are thousands of people all over America with brand-new track frames. They are slowly building these frames according to rigorous style guidelines in order to post them to internet photo galleries, and in some cases even ride them. However, a chilling number of these people are simply a front Aerospoke away from completing their rides and knowing the joys of fixed-gear cycling. If you are fortunate enough to already own an Aerospoke, lend it to one of these riders! If it's your only wheel, pass it back and forth so you can at least both ride every other day. And if you have more than one, for the love of God, give it to somebody! This is no time to be selfish!
2) STOP USING A BRAKE
Normally I'm a staunch advocate of front brake use when riding a fixed-gear on the road. However, in times like these we have to make sacrifices. While a front brake may be safe, it also wears out your braking surface. And we don't know how long this shortage is going to last. So until Aerospoke catches up on demand, I implore everybody to remove that brake, put on a beefy rear tire, and protect that precious Aerospoke! (Oh yeah--don't crash.)
3) FIND AN ALTERNATIVE WHEEL
Just like alternative fuel sources such as solar power, vegetable oil, and alcohol are no substitute for sweet, fragrant gasoline, no wheel can ever truly replace a powdercoated Aerospoke. However, right now we have no choice. Here are a few possibilities, along with their pros and cons:
Mavic iO:
Like a cancer diagnosis after decades of smoking, the invasion of Pearl Harbor after a century of isolationism, or the day you finally admit to yourself that you should not have gotten that Whitesnake tattoo, this was the moment when the reality of the situation became undeniable and I realized that my life would be changed forever.
We can no longer keep our heads buried in the sand. We need to deal with the Aerospoke Crisis. People, we need to act! And while I'm only one person, I plan to do my part by brainstorming some temporary solutions. Here's what I've come up with so far:
1) IMPLEMENT THE LEND-A-SPOKE PROGRAM IMMEDIATELY
There are thousands of people all over America with brand-new track frames. They are slowly building these frames according to rigorous style guidelines in order to post them to internet photo galleries, and in some cases even ride them. However, a chilling number of these people are simply a front Aerospoke away from completing their rides and knowing the joys of fixed-gear cycling. If you are fortunate enough to already own an Aerospoke, lend it to one of these riders! If it's your only wheel, pass it back and forth so you can at least both ride every other day. And if you have more than one, for the love of God, give it to somebody! This is no time to be selfish!
2) STOP USING A BRAKE
Normally I'm a staunch advocate of front brake use when riding a fixed-gear on the road. However, in times like these we have to make sacrifices. While a front brake may be safe, it also wears out your braking surface. And we don't know how long this shortage is going to last. So until Aerospoke catches up on demand, I implore everybody to remove that brake, put on a beefy rear tire, and protect that precious Aerospoke! (Oh yeah--don't crash.)
3) FIND AN ALTERNATIVE WHEEL
Just like alternative fuel sources such as solar power, vegetable oil, and alcohol are no substitute for sweet, fragrant gasoline, no wheel can ever truly replace a powdercoated Aerospoke. However, right now we have no choice. Here are a few possibilities, along with their pros and cons:
Mavic iO:
Pros: Awesome looking!
Cons: Not NJS; tubular; costs $3,000
Spinergy Rev-X:
Pros: Awesome looking!; the Macarena of cycling wheels, they are a fad most would like to forget, and anyone who's got one laying around will probably pay you to take it.
Cons: No longer made or supported by Spinergy, so you don't get their world-famous warranty service (though you can trade them in for their latest crappy wheels); famous for exploding in a carbon-fiber hailstorm of Belfast confetti
Wheelchair Wheels:
Pros: Awesome looking!; comparable in price to Aerospokes; no unsightly braking surface; handrail has great potential for stunting
Cons: 25" size only good for pursuit bikes; Limited tire choice
If you have ideas, please share them. In the meantime, thanks for reading. Together we WILL get through this!
136 comments:
Comparable (or rather comparable looking) wheels can be had from Xentis or Stella Azzura:
http://www.xentis.com/
http://www.stellaazzurra.com/Wheels/Maris.php
More budget conscious types will have to resort to wrapping up adjacent spokes on regular wheels with brightly colored duct tape.
Good read
"Like a -the- cancer"
that was a quick fix
What about a HED 3?
yeah BSNYC, you missed the BIGGEST trend. The Trispoke by Specialized, HED3, Dupont.
Get on it man!
Also, I've seen a few people rock Corimas here as well...
Prolly et al,
Yes, and there are also Nimbles and assorted others. Frankly I was too distraught to make a comprehensive list. I was counting on the cycling community to band together on this, and I'm glad to see that's happening.
(And of course front discs are the new front Aerospokes anyway...)
--BSNYC
Crap. . .I had no idea on the impending crisis. I'm assuming the black market is going to be the only source of aerospokes for awhile.
Buy 3 rolls of paper towels, unroll all the towels and flush them down the toilet, cut a slit on one edge of each card board tube, wrap each tube around as many spokes as possible, be sure to section off the wheel into 3rd’s, secure with colored electrical tape to add style.
If this is anything like The Great Cinelli Bullhorn Shortage of '04, I'ma stayin' inside until it passes.
Head out to Vernon Downs or Syracuse Mile - someone is sure to have a pair of these they will lend you:
http://www.evolutionracingllc.com/
more importantly, the scope for hipster retro fashion types is mind bending.
There's always the venerable Skyway Tuff Wheel II as well--now with sealed bearings! Perfect for displaying those vintage BMX roots while simultaneously mocking all those so-called drag bikes with their mere 700c/650c big and littles. Throw a 20x2.125" skinwall Comp III up front for extra scene points.
Keep up the good work, BSNYC. Word is spreading.
Oh yeah and all you TT and Triathletes who want to get rid of your Carbon wheel-sets for fear of being called a "hipster" - send them to me.
Thanks.
For the fixter on a budget I suggest one of these front wheels:
http://toycatalogs.com/em701.html
You could probably get one in trade for a box of otter pops.
If you're looking for both style and aggressive head angles, have no fear!
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=skyway+tuff+wheel
Oh, the Humanity!
This is reminiscent of The Great Depression - that's how I refer to the neon-lime-green Lycra shortage in 89-90. I was greatly depressed by it - all you could get was a screaming neon pink, or just possibly a fairly disgusting screaming neon blue. A brief Cindy Lauper revival in Bulgaria had cornered the market on neon-lime-green lycra, which was mainly being used for leg warmers, and brightly colored rubber bands and hair retention devices for Captain Lou Albano's sizeable beard. For nearly 6 months, we had no lime green, though some people - notably the Mapei pro team - tried valiently to get along on screaming neon yellow. Times were tough then. Real tough. Along with a bunch of really fat women, most of whom seemed to be reaching for stuff on the bottom shelf at the supermarket, I was placed in a position of finding something other than neon-lime-green lycra pants to wear, or to just go without pants for six months. Pre-ripped, acid-washed jeans-style lycra? None for me, thanks! It was tough, and I got a lot of criticism from co-workers, the local constables and several ex-girlfriends, but I stuck to my standards and held out until we got a new shipment of lime green lycra shorts in from Zaragosa. Man's gotta have standards, I say. So if anybody out there is abstaining from riding their fixie just becaue they can't get an Aerospoke... buck up, I say. Shoulder that bike and run to Caribou with it! We will applaud your dedication to style! Of course you could always powder coat a Ksyrium SL and knock out 13 spokes...
In the time it took me to post that link, someone else beat me to my solution. I'm a failure. I'm going to sit in the corner and shift my derailleur now.
...damn...this is no way to start a monday morning...
...yer playing the empathy card & now i feel the need to console concerned 'aerospoke-istas'...
...their loss is both deep & palpable...
I hope there will be an organic/ vegan option -
Jay-sus!
This is bigger than just wheel choice people!
The very core of our business distict is under threat.
No courier can deliver without his aerospoke!
Every architecture and engineering firm in this city is now straddling the edge, looking into an abyss of Complete Informational Meltdown.
Condo-loft construction could grind to a halt!
Catered executive lunches will wilt in their biodegradable cartons!
Coffeehouses will be overwhelmed with immobile fixie riders!
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? !!!
...simple !...too many fixies got hip at one time...market depletion...
...a real bicycle critical mass...
...things may start to get ugly...i'm gonna go out & buy up as many 'oury' grips as i can find...
what's next, no more brooks swallows? no more kashimax top tube protectors? a dearth of true taper riser bars? the horror. the horror.
I am so shocked and distraught that I must escape to the hills on fat tires and squishy suspension until this blows over.
Dammit, this is getting to become a panic...I just went out and tried to buy all of TrackStar's supply of 11 tooth cogs, and was told they didn't have any. We're screwed! What are we going to ride with our 56 tooth chainrings for leisurely rides around the 'burg?
I knew the tape shortages we've been seeing was a precursor, but we were too blind to see that it could begin to get much worse
I've found that an ulcerated cornea has pretty much the same easy on the eye effect as a pair of aerospokes, plus you get that "want to look away but can't" thing going on. Save your bucks, people, avoid the wait - simply stab yourself in the eye with a fork.
wow. i know what NOT to want for christmas...i know im not gonna get one. good stuff BSNYC.
Damn!
I *really* need 4 5" aerospokes for my new fixie project:
http://www.streetsurfer.nl/flash/gallery/or04.jpg
Now that they're sold out everywhere, they're officially popular. Thus, they are not "hip".
Expect a flood of Aerospoke front wheels on Craigslist for about $50-$100 above MSRP, along with promises of aesthetic perfection, and the promise that "I used to be a bike mechanic, so it's in perfect shape".
Do they come in drillium?
because that would be awssm
how much will you bitches pay me for my custom painted by Land Shark Spinergy Rev-X's?
overheard on local pack of wolves ride...
'hey man, you get a new hed3?'
'nah, it's still got that crack in one of the blades, but I'm keepin' an eye on it'
... cause y'know, style over safety everyday.
and I wanna know when we get jewel encrusted spinner mags, just like the dub and chopper crews...
The hilarious thing is some of the comments give serious suggestions...
"the day you finally admit to yourself that you should not have gotten that Whitesnake tattoo" and the "Flame Throwers for Tots" charity in the previous post; need to remember not to have any liquids/ solids in the ol' oral cavity when reading this blog.
product suggestion: BSNYC imprinted cleanup towels.
I suggest we all chip in a few bucks for a plane ticket for bikesnob to Tokyo.
I heard there are some left there.
Am I the only one who picked up that "fluxuating" is not a word? Or is this some special property of the ultra-high-tech Aerospokes, along with their seeming ability to circumvent Newton's laws?
thank god other people think aerospokes look like little kids big wheels.
none of the couriers i know in vancouver have them- mostly cause couriers don't make much money, at least not in the summer.
purely hipster aesthetic.
...any nice jumble of letters that conveys a thought or an idea, well hell, that's a word in my book...
...was gonna buy up all the local 'oury' grips but shop dude tol' me everything in stock was for left handed people only...what are the odds ?...
Hey Scott, I'll make fun of spelling with you.
Fluxuating makes me think you'd pronounce it "flucks-yoo-ating", which nobody does unless they're British.
'fluxuating'... it's a word now!
I saw that go by, and I gave it a pass. Something that's fluctuating is 'in flux'... makes more sense than the approved, non-hipster, spelling.
How soon can I use "fluk-syoo-ating shhhed-yule" in mockery?
BTW, Margo... i love your blog! :^)
Good fucking God !
This is cycling's very own 9/11.
The only think I can suggest is that we photoshop Aerospokes over our tedious (+4) spoked wheels and hold out until the crisis is over.
...go flux yerself...
...i know, i know, incredibly bad taste but sometimes, i just don't care...
...i'm like that...
'fluxuating' is a perfectly cromulent word - it's what happens to aluminium when you leave it in the boot of your Rover too long while you're knocking up your mucka's sister for a fag - the aluminium fluxuates.
I had a great laugh reading about the serious aerospoke crisis of 07...good yucks...more please. Perhaps something about cycling fall fashions.
there are at least 10 aerospokes on display at Freewheel Bikes in SF (my LBS :) & :( )...different colors and stuff too!
I was just there!
RUN!
Ima pitch my new 2008 aerospoke that i waited 3 months for....prolyl bout as much as the iphone hen it first came out wooo early retirement!!!
thank goodness I'm too poor to be in the market
— This has been highl entertaining, thanx to all! : )
— This has been highly entertaining, thanx to all!
: )
"... the invasion of Pearl Harbor after a century of isolationism..."
pearl harbor was not invaded. fyi.
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Build a watch in 179 easy steps - by C. Forsberg.
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food shortage in other countries? who cares.
aesthetically pleasing bike rim shortage? omg. wtf
Harlem's got it covered.
http://www.psyclepathic.com/2008/10/aint-no-passenger-side-be-aatch.html
Just don't tell me that there is something with a hed setup on a ten speed and i don't care about the fads
I have to agree with most that the real problem maybe a shortage of rim
I like my pacific rim and get ape-shit if i didn't have it near me or at my disposal.
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