Looking in to a new wheel build, so put a few emails out there to gauge what I’d be looking at. really surprised that there was such a difference.

Am I being fleeced or paying for genuine expertise over other companies?
Prices ranged from £340 to £412. I’m not naming and shaming, but I’d be interested what the differences could be. Maybe I should ask the question directly to the most expensive and see what the justifications are?

Build
Hub – Pro2
Spoke – Sapim D-Light
Alu Nipples
Rim – 26″ Crest

I’m guessing you don’t want the standard black hope hub?? £340 is a bloody good price for that build

I’m guessing you don’t want the standard black hope hub

Why?

Try Just Riding Along.

Yup standard black Hope Pro2Evo hub.
But this is my point….if it is a good price, how do I know its built well and I wont have no end of trouble?

If you want the black hub they will come direct from hope pre built

If you want the black hub they will come direct from hope pre built

Not with Sapim D-light spokes.

But this is my point….if it is a good price, how do I know its built well and I wont have no end of trouble?

Well, really you can only go by a mix of general reputation and, preferably personal recommendation from people you know and trust. I have a mate who builds wheels professionally, runs a bike shop, and I’ve never had a duff wheel from him. Nor have any of my mates. End of.

But it’s like anything. How do you know how well made anything is, particularly when there’s an element of craftsmanship involved?

Try Just Riding Along.

Have done matey.

If you want the black hub they will come direct from hope pre built

Not with Sapim D-Light spoke, unless Ive missed that somewhere.

Sorry yeah just noticed the spoke spec

. I’m not naming and shaming,

And in that case, how are you going to know whether other people have had good or bad experiences with the wheel-builder in question? I don’t see why it’s ‘shaming’ someone because they’ve quoted you more btw?

To be fair who ever gave the quote of £400 still a good price for that build spec.

Not sure how many spoke lengths the build requires but if the D-Lights aren’t a stock spoke for the shop then they could potentially have to buy 3 boxes of 100 spokes so the shop would almost certainly look to cover this with the quote.

Why not just get hope hoops and save £80 over your cheapest quote? Personally I’d not use alloy nipples, to much siezing, snaping and cracking. Not sure about 1.6 spokes either, unless your light they might be quite flexy for some (I’m presuming with hope hubs not being the lightest but are probably amongst the most reliable) everyday wheels?

Either that or learn to build them, I taught myself with the sheldon guide and if you buy stuff like rims and spokes form wherever is cheapest online (usually rose for spokes and CRC/wiggle for rims), it doesn’t take long to learn, especially if you make life easy for yourself and get a spoke tension meter (about £60 for the park one off CRC).

And in that case, how are you going to know whether other people have had good or bad experiences with the wheel-builder in question?

Because people will say I used such-and-such and they were ace. Like comments above recommending people…..Obviously DavidTaylforth had a good experience or knows someone that has from Just riding Along or then again has just heard of them as wheel builders. I dont need to go in to yeah they were the cheapest or the most expensive, that not what my original question was?

Im asking if Im paying for experience over another company. I know its hard to quantify really.

To be fair who ever gave the quote of £400 still a good price for that build spec.

Which would make £340 very very good!!

Either that or learn to build them,

Not something I fancy to be honest, think I’ll leave it to the pros.

Tbh good build or bad build – i predict a life o hassle from that specification

Tbh good build or bad build – i predict a life o hassle from that specification Enlighten me with your wisdom 🙂

Actually, if its the Crest rim youre referring too, its more likely to be the Arch EX.

Saving weight by speccing ali nipples and then using hopes seems a little counter intuitive.
The d-lights look interesting though.Not seen them listed by Chickens (importers) so might be tricky to get hold of.Fair weight saving over lasers (60g) with the short butts and not super thin (1.65mm) in the middle.Might look into them for work.
Edit-Found em….now whether they’ve got any is a different matter!!

Saving weight by speccing ali nipples and then using hopes seems a little counter intuitive.

Yeah, you are probably right.

why those spokes out of interest?

Re cost, it’s a odd build spec.

Strength/Weight/cost over Super comps or even C-Xray. Were suggested by one of the builders.

The d-lights look interesting though.Not seen them listed by Chickens (importers) so might be tricky to get hold of

Chickens have stock of 256-266mm in 2mm jumps.

Rims fine – run 355s my self

Its the alu nipples and ultra fine gauge spokes that bother me given you cant go high on tension with stans

There’s a reason those spokes are popular you know 😉

trail rat beat me to it, what spokes do Stans recommend?

Two things, I would build a wheel with anything else than DT swiss spoke. And I certainly would not build a wheel with stan’s rim, they are not up for the job.

🙄

There’s nowt wrong with stans rims, and only DT swiss spokes?, have you heard of sapim? – I’ve only used Sapim spokes on my wheel builds and i’ve broke 2 spokes in 22yrs + of riding, and that was due to a stick entering the spokes so i guess it doesn’t count.

Care to quantify your statement Juan or was it just a brainfart?

Tried Dave at Cyclefast?

Stan’s are very bad, non LBS whatsoever round here is going to build a wheel using them, they are not just good enough for off road use. A friend of mine had a pair of wheels build online with stans, and they just need too much maintenance, plus he wouldn’t jump big steps on them, so not “fit for purpose”… As for sapim well don’t get me started.

Oh where to start….

I think the main 3 questions to ask Stevo is;
What are the wheels for, gen riding, XC racing, dh or AM?
How heavy are you?
And riding style, smooth, hard, have you trashed a wheel in the past?

Also does any of the higher prices include tape, Vavle set up? (I take it you running tubeless?)

As for stan rims Juan,, sounds like some of your friends of had a heavier set of rims, as there are planty od worldcup DH riders ride stans and do OK with them!

All your local shops got bad wheel builders them juan ….just out to troll tonight are we ?

DH riders ride stans and do OK with them

Are they really as in the wheel last the whole season or do they just change them at each run…?

Trail_rat if you think so. However you kind of fail to gasp that I don’t just pootle around the woods. Terrain here is tough. Very though and you need durable wheels.

My wheels lasted just fine all over les arcs Backtrails holiday , they were Stans arches front and back of a 160 mm hardtail playing keep up and pass the fs riders 😉

I run 355s on my xc race bike

And i have smashed up 2 sets of carbon forks on my rigid 29er , stans arch 29er rim has held up just fine, one of the forks was head on into a tree at full tilt on a downhill … Burst the tire and bust the forks. Wheels fine

Only issue i have had was my hope hoops ( 355 on sp hubs ) being terribly built. I rebuilt them with new spokes my self and been fine since.

Built countless for customers as well . No issues other than one that was run over by a car

For reference when I was building regularly I changed £10 -15 per wheel for standard patterns, about 2 and a bit years ago. This was cash though not a business just people would pass on my name. Customer supply components, I would advice on spoke length. So mainly it would depend on how much people could source the parts for.

Again trail_rat, les Arc is by no means hard. LBS has been building probably has much wheels hav you have. And they won’t touch sapim or stan’s so I trust them on that. And has for breaking fork and not wheels, it has nothing to do with the build. It all has to do with physics. However as some people clearly think they “know it all” because they have been riding in les arc (done the TV or the tp yet??)and that I am just a “village idot” not sure I’ll waiste my time anymore on this thread.

Lol

Ok

Carry on.

Ps if any more of your locals want stans and sapim spokes send em my way , ill gladly pick up on your lbs’ short comings.

Juan, Does you LBS say that DT swiss and Mavic rims are the ONLY rims you must use as well????

I think you LBS is not telling the whole truth to you!
Ok I know a few wheel builds who Like to use DT over Samip and a few others who like Samip over DT BUT NONE have said the other make are crap and will not use them.

I think it more to do with the fact that Madison is the supplier for, DT swiss spokes, rims and also supplies Mavic rims. they also supplier for Shimano, So the LBS well prob use them a lot.
So sticking to just those brands from one supplier will help make up orders, (free P&P) & better rates for dealer/bulk buying.
Also it will save time (= money) and P&P ordering in one place and not going to Chicken or Paligap to order parts from diffent places.

Also just useing one make of spoke helps keep stocking (lenghts and spoke types) and re stocking cost down.

I do get it if that what the LBS is doing, and I don’t blame if they are.
(Also Hope hoops are so cheap most LBS can’t order the parts and build the wheel and make as much money)

BUT to turn around and bad mouth 2 good poducts with good reps is a little off IMO, but then they might think it easier to do than “sorry, don’t really do Sapim/Stans, as we can’t be assed to speed more time and money in ordering them in”

better to say “we use DT/mavic with think they bit better/vaule than Sapim/stans”

juan – Member
Two things, I would build a wheel with anything else than DT swiss spoke. And I certainly would not build a wheel with stan’s rim, they are not up for the job.

This IS a brainfart!

I ride Stan’s rims and I can ride steps. Just because your mate won’t doesn’t make them ‘not fit for purpose’.

I’ve never heard as much tosh matey!

Stans rims are fantastic. I’ve been using them for years and not had a single problem. Some hand built, some manufacturer built.
Olympics, 355, Podium, Crest & Race Gold 29er. No issues.