do i trust evans to build me a wheel?

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do i trust evans to build me a wheel?

28 posts & 17 voices | Started 2 years ago by theflatboy | Latest reply from theflatboy

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theflatboy - Member

i need a new front wheel for the pomp, as the last piece of the disc brake conversion.

going for a mavic a317 disc rim, on an xt hub that i already have. cycle surgery have built me some decent wheels in the past, but they want £55 for the build, including spokes. evans, on the other hand, charge £35. including the cost of the new rim, then, i can either get a £65 wheel from evans or £85 from CS.

Question is, how good a job will evans do? and does anyone have a recommendation for a particular london branch that is better than the others?

Posted 2 years ago #
geoffj - Member

Depends on the technician building it - innit.

Edit - might be better looking on LFGSS for recommendations.

Posted 2 years ago #
mrh86 - Member

Have a go yourself. I did last week, its not too bad. Well, i got it all laced and had a good go at tensioning and truing it. Wasnt quite happy so dropped it off at LBS, £7.50 to get it trued! Sheldon Brown has a good guide. Just explain to them in your LBS that you built it yourself, but wasnt quite happy with the tensioning and truing, so that they know.

Posted 2 years ago #
hora - Member

Evans Manchester rebuilt my rear for circa £30. I trust them alot more than a certain rip off manchester bikeshop who charged me £80+ for the same job a couple of years ago.

Posted 2 years ago #
theflatboy - Member

yeah noted, geoff... in fact, there's a little guy based round the corner from here, might check him out and see what he would charge. and mr h, that's an interesting call, have considered it but dismissed the thought - your idea of just assembling it all then getting it tensioned and trued is a good one, though.

Posted 2 years ago #
fauxbyfour - Member

Chain Reaction is where I would go.

Posted 2 years ago #
theflatboy - Member

the flight to ireland would skew the budget there, though!

Posted 2 years ago #
theflatboy - Member

so, anyone else got anything to add?

Posted 2 years ago #
geoffj - Member

There you go - http://www.londonfgss.com/search.php?searchid=4158931

Posted 2 years ago #
HoratioHufnagel - Member

i tried the sheldon brown instructions. I intended to assemble the wheel, then get a shop to true it, but due to there being no available shops and me being impatient i trued it as well! Took a while (its not something to try and do in a rush) but its been fine ever since. Just trued it between a pair of V-brakes.

Evans have been fine for all the stuff i've used them for too. Big compmany does not necessarily mean bad service.

Posted 2 years ago #
crazy-legs - Member

If you're in London, give it to Brixton Cycles.
I'm not saying Evans are bad (they're generally very good) but Brixton is a wonderful little independent place, full of character and they do top quality wheelbuilds too.

Posted 2 years ago #
theflatboy - Member

hehe, cheers geoff!

and others. brixton may well be an option, though they are the wrong side of town really.

Posted 2 years ago #
theflatboy - Member

it's quite interesting - on the lfgss recommendations, getting a chap to do it for me would still cost £30 for spokes and labour so not far off.

though i suppose there would be an argument he'd do a better job, but how do you know?

wheel builds are the most mysterious part of cycling...

Posted 2 years ago #
buzz-lightyear - Member

DIY it's not that difficult and worthwhile. When you've got it basically trued, take it to LBS and get it finished off.

Posted 2 years ago #
Jolly Green Giant - Member

If Brixton cycles are the wrong side of town,you could try Condor on Grays Inn road or Mosquito bikes in Islington.

Posted 2 years ago #
theflatboy - Member

good call - i know mosquito, i got my merlin from them, but i get the impression they wouldn't be interested if the spokes weren't made from platinum and the nipples of gold! might check, though.

condor's a good call, will check 'em out. cheers!

Posted 2 years ago #
mefty - Member

The best Evans are probably the original ones in the Cut, Waterloo and the one in Wandsworth so also on the wrong side of town

Posted 2 years ago #
hora - Member

The best for service (a while ago mind) was Holborn IMO

Posted 2 years ago #
Hairychested - Member

Are you for real? Quality of service and Evans in the same sentence? Huckin' Fell!

Posted 2 years ago #
akira - Member

Ah yes, every service every Evans has ever done has been below par.....sigh!
They have some very good mechanics who build excellent wheels at a pretty good price, find the shop nearest you and go in and have a chat to the guys and see what happens, contrary to popular opinion you can get good service from Evans.

Posted 2 years ago #
theflatboy - Member

i am considering it, i must admit...

the thought of doing it myself does sound interesting, but working out what size spokes i need seems a lot of effort, let alone ordering them and putting it all together!

Posted 2 years ago #
damitamit - Member

I recently needed a Alfine hub built onto a open pro rim I had. Both new.

Asked a few shops in london and prices seemed high. Ended up using Evans. £35 including Sapim Race spokes. Everywhere else used 85p per spoke DT Swiss Comps. Sapim race seem like the equivalent.

This is my 2nd road wheel from Evans (Hendon and Chalk Farm). The first I've used for around 1000 miles now and is fine. This new one I've used for 150miles and seems fine.

Posted 2 years ago #
johnners - Member

working out what size spokes i need seems a lot of effort

Blimey, if that's put you off it'd definitely be a good call paying someone else to do it.

Posted 2 years ago #
mike_p - Member

The best Evans are probably the original ones in the Cut, Waterloo and the one in Wandsworth so also on the wrong side of town

I hope you don't get the bloke who trued one of my wheels once after a spoke broke... he replaced the broken one with a plain guage silver spoke instead of a black butted one like the rest of the wheel, and before I got home (< 10 miles) one of the others had worked itself loose. I got my money back and took the wheel to On Your Bike at London Bridge who fixed it - properly - while I waited.

I now build and maintain my own wheels! Why anyone would choose to use Evans is beyond me.

Posted 2 years ago #
Rolls - Member

Never had any problems with Evans myself!

Posted 2 years ago #
theflatboy - Member

On Your Bike at London Bridge

now that's a good call, will check their price as well.

and johnners, the actual practical part i imagine i would enjoy, just not all the measuring and calculations before you even get to the "finding someone who sells them" part!

Posted 2 years ago #
hh45 - Member

I wouldn't use evans again if you paid me. I've had v good wheels builds in CS spitalfields and Holborn. I would def use CS or an independent if there is one near. Mosquito, Brixton, Condor?

Posted 2 years ago #
theflatboy - Member

interesting updates -

condor would be £30 for build with plain gauge spokes, and at least £12.50 on top for any sort of butted spokes.

mosquito would be £60 starting point, but with dt swiss competition double butted spokes.

don't know about on your bike, yet...

local bike shop guy looked at me as if i was mad for even going into his "shop", let alone asking if he would build me a wheel. apparently he doesn't build wheels... ok.

Posted 2 years ago #

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