King of the Mountain Sponsor: Wheelworks

Wheelworks are the King of the Mountain sponsor for Tour de Ranges 2019. Everyone who enters Tour de Ranges before the 16th of December will go in the draw to win a one off Wheelworks TDR 10th anniversary wheel set.

Wheelworks is focused on individually producing top quality wheels with incredible attention to detail and not on ‘selling units.’ Over the past 12 years of wheel building, Wheelworks have seen every trend come and go and have seen what works and what doesn’t. Their philosophy is to ignore the trends and the hype and build the world's finest wheels.

Q: Tell us about what has been happening at Wheelworks?
A: This is a busy time of year for us as the race and event season kicks off and people are looking to get the most out of themselves and their bikes. One thing we've been doing lately is sending photos to our customers as we build their wheels - this gives them a peek into our workshop and helps to explain how and why we do things. It's been really cool seeing people's reactions to watching their wheels come together and learning about the steps in the process.

Q: What inspired Wheelworks to get involved with Tour de Ranges?
A: Tour de Ranges is one of the few events I've yet to do in NZ but I've heard nothing but great things about it. We've supported the Whaka100 and other events which Tim has run in the past and I know he puts on a great day of cycling. Tour de Ranges gives me an excuse to ride a new event.

Q: How have you seen road cycling wheels change over the years?
A: The biggest change we're seeing is the move from rim brakes to disc brakes. Disc brake wheels to be built very differently to cope with the different forces and strains that disc brakes put on wheels, but we're now able to carbon fiber build disc-brake wheels which are lighter than traditional rim-brake wheels. Disc brakes are allowing the trend of wider tyres and lower tyre pressures - two things Wheelworks has been recommending for years.

Q: What are your top three tips for those cycling in Tour de Ranges?
A: I've never ridden Tour de Ranges and I don't know the area so I'll be doing my homework on Strava to see where and how long the hills! It could be quite warm which will affect hydration, especially for us Wellingtonians who aren't used to anything over 20 degrees.

Check out the Wheelworks website here