Why the heck would someone start a wheel company in the fall? It’s simple: we want to put our stuff to the ultimate test.
We at HiFi are all bike racers, and we know that cyclocross in Oregon supplies some of the most grueling conditions for both riders and equipment. Bearings can begin to fail after just a race or two, and the foot of an errant competitor can apply unwanted side loads to derailleurs, handlebars, spokes and everything in between. It gets crazy out there.
We have our MixMaster aluminum tubulars, Mix Tape aluminum clinchers and Extended Play X carbon tubulars banging around on ’cross courses all over the Northwest and beyond. Will we sometimes slide out on an off-camber section, or biff the occasional barrier? Undoubtedly. But these trials will make us stronger, and these nasty conditions will make any flaws come to the surface quickly.
Bring it on, we say. Show us a weakness and we’ll address it, quick-style. And after a season of cyclocross and “trial by mud,” tackling the roads and MTB trails starts to look easy.
In the words of Sinatra, “if you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere.”