This is a guest post from Dave. East Bay cyclists know him as “Cold Iron.”

I built my first bicycle wheels in 1989. 20″ RL Edge rims, Suzue sealed-bearing, high-flange hubs, 48 spokes. I can’t remember if they were 4 or 5 cross. I laced them incorrectly several times, and had to start over. I was so relieved when I finally got it right! Nobody showed me how; I borrowed a buddy’s wheel and copied what I saw. The wheels were for my Skyway Streetbeat freestyle bike. Building my first wheelset was intimidating and frustrating. But I was proud of the end result, and it whetted my mechanical appetite. I was eager to learn more.

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