Visit to GS Astuto -- To Pick Up a New Velocity Aileron wheel!

On Friday morning I visited GS Astuto, near Ikuta station on the Odakyu Line, to pick up a wheel I had asked Tim Smith to build for me.  I have just been too busy to build my own since last summer, and Tim knows more about wheels than anyone else I have met, so I had been looking a chance to try his wheelbuilding.

And I wanted a wheel with the Velocity Aileron (disk brake only) rims I have on the Renovo, with a dynamo light.  I love the Velocity Aileron wheels I have -- the 25mm wide rim is extremely comfortable, the rim shape is nicely aerodynamic and yet good in crosswinds.  And with 14 gauge rotor-side and 2.0/1.8mm double butted non-rotor side spokes, these should wear very well.  

I was delighted that these rims are "tubeless ready". I will use an Effetto Mariposa tubeless conversion kit and try to set this and my current rear wheel from the Renovo up for riding tubeless tires with sealant.  ... This could be my fastest, most comfortable, long distance riding wheel yet!

Tim's company, GS Astuto, is now focused mostly on wheels, but he designs and sells GS Astuto carbon frames as well, and has a few other products in the works.  He offers an extremely attractive "cost/performance" mix, as can only be managed by someone with low overhead, good contacts throughout Asia and a wealth of knowledge both technical and practical about what works and doesn't.  (Did I mention that Tim is the designer and supplier of my Ti Travel bike, Voyage Voyage? -- which has served me through many great rides in recent years, including last year's SR600 Fuji and Paris-Brest-Paris, and I hope will continue to do so.)

Finishing touches to the wheel tension, Tim gestures toward one of his experiments --
a bright red rim with high end coatings. Almost an "Usain Bolt pose"?

The finished product, in natural light

Same location, same time, photo taken with iPhone flash.
The rim is "reflective" as you can see.  Perfect for a dynamo hub, and night riding.
The only dark areas are those covered by decals, and they will be coming off soon.
Tim told me to heat the decals with a hair dryer so they will peal right off. (Solvents could damage the rim coating.)

Tim has designed some hubs for GS Astuto wheels. These should be very durable.
Steel cassette freehub that will not score and deteriorate as quickly as the alloy ones --
a great "trade-off" for just a few additional grams of weight.

A GS Astuto wheel with the proprietary hub.

A fun CX experiment. Beautiful Onyx racing products infinite engagement hub for centerlock disk brake,
27mm wide carbon rim, and IRC SeracCX Tubeless "sand" tire. 

The Onyx hyperglide hub -- truly instant engagement.  (onyx label photographed upside down).
Onyx has made a splash in the MTB/CX world -- may be a challenger to Chris King eventually?

The GS Astuto road-disk frame/fork, will be sold either as a frameset or a full bike.  The front fork is thru-axle.  Rear wheel can be either QR or thru-axle. A sleek looking, good quality, reasonably priced carbon frame designed to last and to go anywhere. What's not to like?