Endurance Innovation

47 - Master Wheel Builder Corey Mihailiuk

Episode Summary

Wheel know-it-all Corey Mahailiuk of Cognoscenti Cycles is on this week to talk about wheels, the bits that make up wheels - that you didn't know mattered - and where wheel technology is headed.

Episode Notes

• 3:00 rim vs disk? 
  • Corey’s take is that the emergence of disk brakes is the safety in pro racing when descending at high speed rather than improvement in braking quality. 
  • He prefers disk on his own bikes.
  • He recommends disk brakes for any new builds because that’s where the industry is headed and no new research is being done in rim braking: brakes, frames, or wheels.
  • Disk brake safety
  • A discussion of braking performance
• 22:45 the alloy rim is not dead: <32mm depth rims can be made very well with aluminum
• 29:15 aero isn’t everything!?
• 31:00 wheel spoke count considerations based on rider weight
• 32:30 the tools of the wheelbuilding trade
• 34:00 factory-built wheels vs custom, wheelbuilder wheels. Advantages of custom-built wheels are
  • Build quality
  • Safety
  • Customized for you
•  46:00 don’t skimp on spokes 
  • +1 for Sapim CX-Ray
  • Bladed spokes for lateral wheel stiffness
• 51:00 wheel hubs: are premium hubs worth the cost?
  • Lifetime warranty
  • Unique designs
• 58:00 the value of ceramic bearings: placebo?
• 1:03:45 what’s next in wheel technology?
  • Rims designed by AI
  • Filament-wound wheels 

Learn more about Corey and Cognoscenti at his website and follow him on Instagram.