So I put my bike into a LBS I used for years before moving a way for a while, I bought my 1st MTB from them a 1999 Anniversary Orange Clockwork in the green.
Since I moved back home I thought I would give them some business. I wanted to get the drive train of my Singular Swift updated as it was knackered. I always fancied going the Alfine route as it has an EBB so why not use it. I had a Mountain Bike Leaders course coming up (March) so thought it was about time.
I said to them I was thinking about ordering a ready built Alfine wheel from Taylors Wheels as they were the cheapest option for new.
They brought up issues with warranty and somewhere to take it back to if it went wrong and said they would match the price for the Alfine kit plus a little for a wheel build.
Which I agreed too if they could get it done for my MBL in a couple of weeks. (unreasonable?) They were happy with that and took it on.
They got the parts in fairly quick which was nice and confidence building.
So two weeks are almost up I call on during the week to ask when I could get my bike finished… the wheel was with the builder…. at the point I panicked…. what they ended up doing is using a stock wheel to put my bike back as was to use for the course, not ideal but it got me through. I dropped the bike straight back in after the two day course, saying I need it sorted not to get some leads done for an assessment.
that was 4 weeks ago…. The builder cant seem to build the wheel to my On-One Reet’ard rim. 1st time spoke length too long, most recent is they weren’t happy with the cross pattern. So I’m not really sure what is taking them so long but it is tarnishing my view of the LBS, even though they are waiting on a wheel builder that doesn’t work directly for them, other have had so less that favourable words about them but I’ve always found them OK.

Am I allowed to start feeing a bit miffed about the whole ordeal? I just keep thinking I could have ordered it from Taylors, fitted it myself and saved myself some money while having it done for me course. I’m feeling a bit foolish for trying to support a LBS.

Don’t really want to name and shame as I know the owner. I’m in SW Cornwall 🙄

Sorry for the vent if frustration….. this is starting to annoy me.

Cheers, Steve

yes I’d be annoyed too.

4 weeks is quite a time to lace a wheel. guess he is doing a spoke a day?

Permission granted.

Hoping my story is better, about to call up our LBS to see if wheels are sorted. Dropped it off last Saturday for some jiggering.

God know what they are doing, I think they are extruding their own spoke steel…. The wheel builder have had it at least 5 weeks.
The other excuse I am getting from the LBS is “it’s nice weather and everyone want’s to get out on their bike” That well and good then why say you could do it in two…. 😡

I was half tempted to get it built 27.5+ but will leave that now…. don’t want it in their until next year!

TBH I’m more likely to try another LBS from now on, sad as that is, they do a little less mainstream kit as well.

Cheers, Steve

I just keep thinking I could have ordered it from Taylors, fitted it myself and saved myself some money

Well I know you don’t want to hear it but yes, you could have done that, from past experience of TW your wheel would have turned up within 3-5 days, with all necessary parts, and even with no prior Alfine knowledge you could be riding it in the woods 1hr later.

However…

I’m feeling a bit foolish for trying to support a LBS

Please don’t feel that way, this LBS has let you down, but the reason for supporting LBS’s in general are just as valid as ever, warranty support, local knowledge, experience, enhanced levels of customer care etc. The problem is that this particular one on this occasion have provided none of the above.

You also could have had a nightmare with an online supplier taking weeks to deliver the wrong part, and then fannying around over fixing it, or bodged the install yourself and broken something etc. But hopefully that would not make you feel foolish for buying online in general.

You’re well within your rights to be annoyed, and the shop should hear about it, maybe not in an all-guns-blazing shouty way, but they need to know they let you down, they need to know how they let you down, and they need to know how to regain your trust. It’s the only way they will improve. If you know the owner the above could be either very easy, or very hard, depending on your relationship with them.

The builder cant seem to build the wheel to my On-One Reet’ard rim. 1st time spoke length too long, most recent is they weren’t happy with the cross pattern

I’d also be steering clear of this guy in the future. Fair enough sometimes you can make a cock up with measurements, we’ve all done it at some point, but you realise pretty early on, unlace and re-build, lost time ~30mins tops. Likewise with the lacing/cross pattern, Alfines have big flanges, 4x it a complete no-go (not that you’re likely to try anyway), 3x is perfectly fine but can look a little unusual on a 26er (which yours isn’t), they’re fine with 2x as well, either way, that should all have been discussed and agreed before build and as above, if you lace it up and aren’t happy, it’s trivial to re-build. If they’ve not built an Alfine before then a few mins research online or in the tech docs would have been needed, but nothing tricky there.

I would not want a wheel built by someone who had failed to build it twice and it was still not ready within 5 weeks. The delay highlights their lack of skill IMHO.

TBH i think I could do it quicker if I was pissed and blindfolded.

Hardly justifiable for them to whinge about buying elsewhere when they don’t have the ability to build a wheel themselves and the bloke they’re subbing too doesn’t sound too competent.

Oh don’t get me wrong it wont stop me supporting another LBS. Will check if they build their own wheels as well….. I bought my wife’s bike (Merida Speeder) from the other LBS I use (more local) which is a two man band set up, which I don’t mind when they are a bit slow with things as there is only two of them. They also stock stuff a bit off the norm which is nice.

The one I used has at least double the staff on most of the time, but they are just waiting on parts from someone else, I was fairly shocked they don’t build wheels in store considering they are the “premier” bike shop in the area.
But is it also my fault as they seem to be more of the road bike side of things these day.

I just have the feeling if I was buying £2k+ of Colnago or Trek they might be a bit more abiding…. the fact I’m chasing them for updates every 3-4 days is annoying.

Cheers, Steve

What kind of bike shop can’t build wheels? Not impressive, really.

I would not want a wheel built by someone who had failed to build it twice and it was still not ready within 5 weeks. The delay highlights their lack of skill IMHO

This and the fact that generally mechanics/wheelbuilders are underpaid is why I do all my own wheel builds.

From the issues above, I’d not be very confident in the abilities of the wheelbuilder. It doesn’t take much to look up the parts and get the correct spoke length, even then if it’s within a couple of mm it’ll build up OK. And the lacing being **** up? Who on earth can’t build a 3 cross pattern (You didn’t ask for snowflake or something did you)? An hour or two in front of the telly I can get one laced/first stab at tensioning I’m certainly quite a slow worker.

Given the fact that you could have started from scratch, bought and read the Musson book, built/bodged a stand, ordered the rim and hub, measured them, calculated the spokes, ordered them, learnt how to build and true it in about one week, 5 weeks for an “expert” to do it for you is really poor.

Didn’t ask for anything special… just build this please, part of me is saying has the wheel builder started and the LBS is buttering me up, surely they can’t be that inexperienced or is an Alfine a massive difference…

Cheers, Steve

PS thanks for validating my disappointment, my 1st experience having wheels built I’ve only ever bought off the shelf before now.

Cheers, Steve

sandwicheater – Member
Permission granted.

Yup, far too long..

Are we allowed to gather pitchforks and start yelling yet?

If you haven’t paid for anything then collect your bike, buy the kit from Taylors and do it yourself. Nothing complicated in the setup so you won’t have any problems.

craigxxl – Member
If you haven’t paid for anything then collect your bike, buy the kit from Taylors and do it yourself. Nothing complicated in the setup so you won’t have any problems.

I did wonder where I would stand with that. They have done some other stuff while in the shop.

Cheers, Steve

What kind of bike shop can’t build wheels? Not impressive, really.

Quite a lot, most of the ones I know round here don’t build themselves, they farm it out or more commonly just try to sell you a factory wheel. One of the reasons why I do all my own spannering, to be honest, if you can’t build a decent wheel you ain’t a pro mechanic (awaits flaming).

OP I would be very wary of that wheel. Your comment about them not being happy about the lacing is ringing alarm bells for me. Alfines should be built up 2-cross because the flange radius is so big, any wheelbuilder who knows their stuff should be on top of stuff like that before they even start picking out spokes.

mintimperial – Member – OP I would be very wary of that wheel. Your comment about them not being happy about the lacing is ringing alarm bells for me. Alfines should be built up 2-cross because the flange radius is so big, any wheelbuilder who knows their stuff should be on top of stuff like that before they even start picking out spokes.

Noted thanks, will pop over and see them again.

Cheers, Steve

A professional wheelbuilder who is baffled by a hub with a slightly larger flange than normal ? Not very confidence inspiring.

Have you paid for it already ? I think I’d be giving them a last chance (one more week?) before asking for my money back.

And +1 for learning to do stuff yourself so that you don’t get let down in future.

And +1 for learning to do stuff yourself so that you don’t get let down in future.

Yes I can do 90% of the stuff myself, might attempt a wheel build in the future and cut the middle man right out.

Cheers, Steve

For the OP: http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/

andyl – Member
For the OP: http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/

TVM!

They have done some other stuff while in the shop.

Pay them for what they have done and tell them to shove their wheel.

I would also check very carefully what work they have done as to be honest they sound like a bunch of muppets.

I would also check very carefully what work they have done as to be honest they sound like a bunch of muppets.

To be fair their techs have been fine, they are just waiting on the wheel. He even offered me his own bike when mine wasn’t ready, I was hoping they would offer me the 27.5+ Cannondale Beast of the east 1.

Cheers, Steve

woops double post

The confusion at the bike shop when I asked for a 819 rim and spokes to go on my alfine hub.

I must have been talking in Swahili or something. Think it was the DTswiss spoke calculator who had taken non-DT rims and hubs off.

45 minutes of complicated maths later and he couldn’t guarantee the spokes would be right.

Something about big and non-matching spoke depth on the flanges (different offsets? – I dunno). Took it to another fella who had it done in 3 days.

What kind of bike shop can’t build wheels?

I’m a bike shop and I can’t build wheels.

Oh no, I’m not a bike shop and I can build wheels. As can half the forum I’d guess.

Think you need to distinguish between those shops that simply can’t build wheels. And make no attempt to.

Then there are those who claim to be able to build wheels, by which I mean they can throw together a standard kit of new and commonly available parts and assemble a round ish, semi durable wheel. Give then something odd and they are stuffed.

Then you have wheel builders who just can. They are in short supply.

“Then you have wheel builders who just can. They are in short supply.“

But who presumably don’t get paid any more than the second group, hence the lack of people willing to do it.

Jon Taylor – Member
What kind of bike shop can’t build wheels?
I’m a bike shop and I can’t build wheels.

Oh no, I’m not a bike shop and I can build wheels. As can half the forum I’d guess.

As others have said, I imagine there’s a fair number of LBSs that just don’t see wheelbuilding as profitable compared with the other tasks they could use the staff/space for. Still no excuse to farm it out to a muppet, but at least it sounds like the shop themselves have done their best (even if their judgement regarding the wheel you were just going to buy was wrong.) to keep you on your bike.

The builder cant seem to build the wheel to my On-One Reet’ard rim. 1st time spoke length too long, most recent is they weren’t happy with the cross pattern

this would ring alarm bells with me.

I’m a pretty amateur wheelbuilder (13 wheels built i think) and ican measure a hub & rim and calculate spoke lengths – ok they may have made an error.

but spoke pattern should be decided on pretty easily. you oly have to look at a hub gear to realise 2x is probably best.

Unless it’s just their excuses.

Don’t really want to name and shame as I know the owner.

go in there and have a chat. explain your frustration and see how he aims to rectify it. If not happy drag your stuff out.

So the LBS is more than apologetic… they are as annoyed with the wheel builder (another bike shop…) as I am and have organised another shop for future builds.
Not much help for me, but I let them know that even though they aren’t building the wheel the other LBS is giving them a bad name, my work ordered 4 bikes from elsewhere based on my experience with them.

When I get my bike back I wont be using them again, it’s left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Cheers, Steve

Can put this to bed now….. finally got it back today!
The LBS did look after me on the price especially with the other bits I bought, I think I had most of the stuff cost and paid a bit of labour. I didn’t pay for the wheel build as they refused to pay the wheel builder for labour as 1 month to build a wheel is beyond ridiculous.

So happy to have it back, been out on a ride where I did have a slight problem in 5th but a quick adjustment seems to sorted that but will keep an eye on it.

I can’t say I noticed a massive change in the weight, I noticed it less than the difference when changing to suspension forks… Gearings seems ok at 36×18 but might get a 34 or even a 32 for if I go anywhere really hilly, only a few shortish ones today which seemed fine.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/FY2MAd]IMG_20160505_172636[/url] by Stephen Williams, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/GtpxmE]IMG_20160505_175704[/url] by Stephen Williams, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/FY5SFX]IMG_20160505_175619[/url] by Stephen Williams, on Flickr

Pleased all in all but may have 2nd thoughts on my choice of which LBS to use. Question is now do I want a Stooge frame for my birthday…. I do love the Singular Swift… I just fancy a change.

Cheers, Steve

Good result in the end.

You could do with playing with the non turn washers as the Alfine arm should run level with the chainstay Rather than between the chainstay and the seatstay. It’s doable with the washers you have. Definitely helps with a clean look and reduces the ink of the cable.

Also remove the guide from the rear sprocket as they are mud traps!

I’m still a bit baffled that there’s bike shops out there that don’t build wheels!

Who saw you right in the end Truro Mitchel’s, Falmouth cycles or Mr Italiano Richie?

I have at LBS story, and am happy to name the shop too…

Am fairly regular customer and sometimes tea blagger. Had a dynamo wheel built up on a carbon rim. Had the rim shipped direct to the shop. Nice and easy.

SP PD8x hub which after 5000km of Mtb abuse stopped working, they lend me a spare Dynamo wheel, swapped the hub with Ison and rebuilt it. No charge.

This happened another three times! I do ride off road a lot all year round but after new hub number 3 I decided that I didn’t trust it anymore. They spoke to Ison who to their credit refunded my now nearly 2 year old hub (15,000km worth of off-road use)

I had decide to go with a SON hub instead, the shop looked into ordering one but in the end we figured it would be easier to order direct from SJS. I did this, sending it direct to the shop. Few days later got an email to say it was ready.

Arrived to collect the wheel, got my wallet out. Was told – no charge it’s a warranty replacement! And I still had the credit from the original hub to spend at a later date.

So I could have saved a few pounds upfront by buying the hub from eBay or somewhere in the Far East. But the few pounds ‘extra’ I spent at the time has been very good value. I bought one wheel build from them and despite 4 builds now I’ve only ever paid for the one wheel.

So by choosing to shop at a decent local bike shop you are paying for that extra level of service. Maybe you can blag/hassle/threaten this level of services from the large online vendors.maybe, but I doubt it, and in any case id rather just trust that the job will be done. Every transaction I’ve ever had has been stress free and they have always done what they said they would, when they said they would do it.

18 bikes in Hope. It’s almost like they should win an award or sommat…

(No connection other than as a happy customer)

I’m quite happy to know there are shops out there who are honest enough to say they can’t build wheels. Those shops who claim to be able to are far more dangerous.

I’m quite happy to know there are shops out there who are honest enough to say they can’t build wheels. Those shops who claim to be able to are far more dangerous.

That’s a good point. I’d be concerned about ability to do other work if they couldn’t build wheels though.

Why? 90% of the jobs on a bike are very very simple. Undo one screw do another one up.

Wheels are a little more time consuming, require a bit more patience and methodical work.