Wheel Build: All Hail the Black Market & Stevil

For those of you who have never heard of All Hail the Black Market, its creator and semi-professional cat wrangler is a man named Stevil. Stevil is an ex-messenger, ex-pro mechanic, a surprisingly clean dirtbag, cult-leading blogger, and last but not least, a very talented artist.

Visit http://www.drunkingham.com/ for more of his work.

Photos & Painting by Steve Smith

I’ve had the opportunity to meet and talk to Stevil throughout the years while navigating my way in the bicycle industry. He is a riot to some and a menace to others, but that depends on how much of a sourpuss you are.

Photo by Randy Salamon

His paintings and artwork have been regarded as either fantastic or satanic, but either way, he makes them available through the store of his website. I like to check it out and see what new goods he has available. Interesting artwork aside, he is just an overall nice guy. His friends, parole officer, and bike nerds keep his site going, his business afloat, and his bar tabs payed down. This is where the wheel set comes in.

He gives a lot to the cycling community, from his time and opinions, to his stories. I thought it would be a great opportunity for him to don some custom wheels with his own branding as a “thank you” for his overall awesomeness throughout the years, and for not wetting the bed in recent weeks.

Features

• Gun-metal Grey, custom AHTMB branded hubs | Shimano 10/11s
• 22mm Tall/24mm Wide | Tubeless-Ready Rims (20/28h)
• Sapim CX-Ray Spokes | Brass Pro-Lock Nipples
• 1420g

I’ve seen Stevil take a beating or two trying to ride stairs in the gulches of Oakland, just as he has seen me bite my teeth and headtube into a steel gate.

http://allhailtheblackmarket.com/2012/08/feats-of-strength/

It is to be expected that these wheels may undoubtedly be put through some hellish vortex of torture for the next few years, so they were built with durability in mind. The weightiness, or lack there-of, comes from featherweight hubs and low profile rims. The bladed spokes are merely tools for flipping a lid when no other opening device is present.