New Wheels!

I'm getting some new wheels for my bike!  That puts me one step closer to getting it ready, and it's a big step at that.  A good set of wheels will cost as much as the frame or a suspension fork, but may be even more important.  You by a junk frame, chances are it's heavy or the rear suspension design is crap, but not dangerous.  You by a sucky fork, it'll probably not work well or break down quickly, but then it just becomes an overly heavy rigid fork.  But, if the hubs of your wheels go out, you're gonna have a really bad day.  Not to mention, heavy wheels are worse than other heavy parts because you have to constantly work to keep those wheels spinning.
So, here's what I'm getting.  I'm getting Stans Flow rims with a Hope Pro 2 front hub and Chris King rear hub.  The Stans Flow rims are wide and solid, so they can accomodate wide tires (great for grip and cushion).  They also have a reputation for being bullet proof, so it'll be very hard for me to screw them up.  The Hope Pro 2 front hub is a reliable, sturdy hub, but isn't anything special.  Not that you need that for a front hub.  If it spins and doesn't get ridicously dirty, it's good.  The CK rear is a thing of beauty, though.  First of all, most rear hubs use a normal ratchet system, in that there's a gear in the center with teeth pointed in one direction, and pawls on the outside pointed in the opposite direction to catch the gear.  In most hubs, the number of teeth and gears result in 12 -24 points of engagement.  That means there are 12-24 possible ways for at least one pawl to grip the gear when pedaling.  The more engagement points, the better because you have to move the pedals less to actually make the bike move.  That's a benefit in so many ways.  However, the CK rear hub uses a slightly different system, known a ringdrive system, which uses a pair of stainless steel rings.  These rings have 72 engagement points, so the nanosecond you pedal, the wheel moves.  In addition, these rings are sturdy SOBs.  Most pawl systems can slip and be damaged if you are pedaling exceptionally hard.  A good athlete can put enough torque into them to cause the pawls to slip, bend or brake, or cause the gear to do the same.  The rings, on the other hand, lock together tightly, and can handle up to 800 ft/lbs. of torque.  Suffice to say, these are where it's at.
And for this, I have to thank Jon.  He's the guy that's sold me the frame, the fork, and in a few months, the wheels, and all at great prices.  Trust me, I researched this stuff until my head was spinning to make sure I was getting a good deal.  It benefits me because I don't have to pay the stupid prices for new stuff, I don't have to pay the Paypal fees or shipping for buying in Fleabay, and I've found a good biking buddy who doesn't have a problem helping me wrench if I need it.  He also has badass stuff.  It benefits him because he gets cash from someone he knows, doesn't have to package and ship, and doesn't have to worry about Paypal fees either.  Win/win.