I’ve been looking for the elusive Alfine 11 hub for a few weeks and finally found one, it’s just been delivered so I’ve contacted a well respected local wheelbuilder who I’ve bought wheels off before and also bought tyres almost since they set up in business. The response from them is that they refuse to build a wheel using a new hub not supplied by them even though I will of course buy the rim, spokes and build time from them. I am willing to hand deliver the hub and collect as they are the most local builder to me. What seems almost as barmy i they are quite happy to bulid up a used hub. I can understand most aspects of the bike industry but this one’s got me stumped, it’s not even as though they have the hub I want in stock! Any clues?

the retail margin on the hub goes towards the total income from the build. Without it, maybe the build price and rim/spoke retail margins arent enough to cover the effort. It would set a precedent for you turning up with your own rim, spokes and hub in future and requesting a build at the build price which would mean they end up for negative profit.

I’m guessing that they price their wheel buiding in a way that takes into account profit made from the price of the parts (hub, spokes, rim, rim tape).

Having said that, I never say no to any request – I just quote my happy price 🙂

EDIT: too slow again 🙁

They’re mad. Just go somewhere else.

PS Should have bought a Rohloff, y’know…….

Take it out of it’s box & tell them it’s a used hub?

You’ve found a retail Alfine 11 hub?!?!?!?! Where, man…. WHERE!!!!!!

Whereabouts are you Pistonbroke? Might be able to help with both the wheel build and explaining the odd policy

Seems a bit barmy to me, LBS has one price for the build if you get everything off him, another for if you turn up with some/all of the parts (used or not) which is far enough. Dunno why a shop would refuse business.

I’m pretty certain I know where you’re talking about and if if it is I used to build wheels there.

Moved on now but can definitely help I reckon

Too busy/don’t want the business?

OP, are you a ****?

I take all the points re profit margin etc etc but I am prepared to pay a fair price for the time taken. If it was a Hope or similar high end hub that I’d bought for nowt off ebay then fair comment but they haven’t even got the one I want. Also the used thing is contradictory unless they mean only used hubs they have supplied.
Matthew, I’m 5 miles from Wharncliffe, just the other side of the hill from the bog roll factory if that means anything to you. Would be interested in you building the wheel.

It does sound a little barmy to me. If it is a profit related policy why not just add a premium to the price of the build if the customer supplies the hub?

Pistonbroke, that confirms what I was thinking.

Email me on matthew@screamingjaffa.co.uk and we can chat it over.

My mate is a WS manager and his wheels are fantastic. He builds for all the folk i know. If your keen i can get it done for you, just say.

matthew h ygm
bristolbiker got it from foreignland but On One have now got them so I heard today. Whether you can buy them on their own is another matter.

build it yourself.

Anyone know the spoke length, or how to calculate it?

if its JRA then they won’t even true wheels unless they originally built the wheel.

I use this

Does seem daft. What’s their build price if you buy the hub from them/provide a ‘used hub’ (??)?

Cos if say for example it was £20 (just labour, not including spokes), then they could charge £30 maybe, offset some of the ‘lost profit’ Stoner speaks of. Considering it will take an experienced wheelbuilder no more than 30 mins, that would be a £60 ph labour rate.

Country’s gone to the dogs, I tell thee. 🙁

Alternatively, you could learn to build your own wheels; an immensely satisfying and rewarding task. 🙂

I can build my own wheels but not done an Alfine hub so not sure about dishing, spoke length, pattern etc, I don’t fancy trashing £400 worth of hub due to my hamfistedness.

Building a good wheel takes a fair bit longer than 30 minutes, nearer an hour to do it right and get it spot on.

matthew, I’ll see you tomorrow, no need to e mail, can discuss rim options then.

Good good,

Cheers

Building a good wheel takes a fair bit longer than 30 minutes, nearer an hour to do it right and get it spot on.

Not for an experienced professional mechanic/wheelbuilder it shouldn’t. I can build a front wheel certainly, in under 30 mins, and I’m a complete idiot who takes ages anyway.

I am a professional mechanic/wheel builder. I can easily make a wheel in 30 minutes but to get a good one that’s properly tensioned, de-stressed, stretched etc and spot on true takes about an hour. Anything much less than that and they are short cutting and the wheel won’t be as good.