• This topic has 115 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 4 years ago by JoeG.
Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 116 total)
  • Wheelbuilding. From scratch.
  • colournoise
    Full Member

    Anything better than the Roger Musson e-book out there?

    andyl
    Free Member

    Not that I have heard of. Used the Musson book for 3 builds and old wheelset strip and re-hub. My first set of wheels were carbon.

    fudge9202
    Free Member

    Might give this a look, currently quoted £120 for building a wheelset. Not sure if that’s god value or not ?

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Depends if that is just labour and who the wheel builder is.

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    Or you could just get an old wheel, carefully note how it’s put together, then disassemble it and reassemble it a few times. (use new nipples)

    Once you’ve done that you’re halfway to having the knowledge you need, thereafter it’s skill.

    aracer
    Free Member

    http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html is a decent alternative (haven’t read the Musson book, so don’t know what that’s like). Personally I have a hard copy of Brandt’s definitive “The Bicycle Wheel” which is what I use though, and that also appears to be available as a PDF (I’m not sure of the legality, but here’s a link http://caravan.hobby.ru/materiel/Bicycle_Wheel_-_Jobst_Brandt.pdf )

    coolhandluke
    Free Member

    +1 for Roger Mussons book Wheelpro.

    I’ve built loads of wheels using it. 10? None have broken, had broken spokes, or needed more attention.

    It’s a simple process. Therapeutic too.

    shermer75
    Free Member

    I love building wheels, as above really therapeutic. I’ve always used the bikemagic instructions but they are hard to find now..

    shermer75
    Free Member

    This is thems, looks like all the photos have gone tho

    Build your own wheels

    Wheel truing basics

    shermer75
    Free Member

    Might give this a look, currently quoted £120 for building a wheelset. Not sure if that’s god value or not ?

    I think most places charge about £20 for the labour don’t they? Or am I well wide of the mark?

    redstripe
    Free Member

    I’d replaced spokes and trued wheels for donkeys years and then via a cytech course learnt how to build completely. Love doing it and not had any issues on ones I’ve done. The books and links above are handy when starting off to learn lacing patterns, working out spoke length, tensions and dishing etc It does then obviously become easier with practice/experience so go for it, it’s rewarding and I find a good thing to tackle SAD on dark winter evenings.

    Bez
    Full Member

    Define “better” 😉

    If you want to just get started as easily as possible, you can read less than half of Sheldon’s page and crack on. It’s what I did, and it’s served me well over the years.

    I’ve no doubt Roger’s book has more information in it and is “better”. It’s just that unless you’re building for relatively exceptional demands, you’ll almost certainly only need to know the core stuff; you can pick up the finer details much later, or by experience alone, if you ever find the need.

    So you needn’t feel it’s “better” to digest an entire book in order to build a decent wheel.

    dovebiker
    Full Member

    Firstly, £120 for a wheel build is pretty steep, assuming you’re being charged £1/spoke for some pretty chi-chi spokes? I wouldn’t expect to pay more than 50p/spoke for regular double-butted. Normal rate is £25-30/wheel unless you’ve got some ultra-light, low-spoke count rims?

    Best thing is to copy an existing wheel i.e. spoke count / crossings and to learn how to lace a wheel. As Epicyclo/Brian says, taking an old wheel apart and rebuilding it is a great way to get a ‘feel’ of how it comes together. You don’t even need a wheel jig – simply an old pair of forks / frame and some cable ties. The key part is being methodical e.g. how many turns of a spoke key produce the desired effect at what stage of the build process – as the build progresses, adjustments get smaller and smaller.

    Start off on a 32 hole / 3-cross builds rather than a 16-spoke, bladed spoke carbon rim job!

    submarined
    Free Member

    Interesting stuff. This is something I’ve thought about for this year.

    Would it be daft to consider doing the assembly myself, and then asking a LBS to do the final tension/true? Am I likely to be laughed out the building for this? Would seem like a good way to save a bit of money, and learn a bit, but without the risk of death that me doing the whole build would present?
    Obviously I wouldn’t expect the truing place to take any responsibility for my cock ups (which could present an issue in itself).
    Would mean I could build some nice lightish trail wheels using something like Novatechs for a reasonable price.

    nickc
    Full Member

    I’ve done a couple of cheap deore hubbed builds, via the Sheldon page on’t internetsweb but TBH, it’s hard to save much money buying parts separately and once you take into account the reasonably specialist tools and your time (although that’s a personal decision obvs)

    Got Mavic factory rims now that haven’t need trueing or rebuilding, happy days!

    fudge9202
    Free Member

    I was quoted £64 for the spokes (@£1each) then £30 per wheel to have them built?
    I really have not got the time to build them myself so will have to stump up the dosh.

    robertgray05
    Free Member

    Friends got me a nice truing stand for a birthday. Got the Musson book and bought the bits and loved it.

    My first set were perfectly usable but not especially true or evenly tensioned. Second set have been brilliant and I think as good as I’d get from someone who actually knows what they’re doing 🙂

    I love it and will probably never buy a built set again.

    I’ve not found it to be cheaper than buying factory wheelsets or from a shop/pro though.

    B

    colournoise
    Full Member

    Is it the Musson book that goes into building a simple truing stand too, or is that Sheldon?

    Interested in this more out of DIY curiosity than anything. Under no illusions it will be better or cheaper than getting someone else to build wheels for me.

    Bez
    Full Member

    Under no illusions it will be better or cheaper than getting someone else to build wheels for me.

    While not cheaper, it gives you complete freedom. And, personally, the reason I started building my own was repeated disappointment in the build quality of wheels that other people had built. I had plenty of trouble with everything from stock wheels to handbuilts going out of true, and half a page of Sheldon was enough for me to consistently build wheels that I’ve never had to true. Don’t underestimate yourself 😉

    kerley
    Free Member

    If you want to just get started as easily as possible, you can read less than half of Sheldon’s page and crack on. It’s what I did, and it’s served me well over the years.

    +1. Exactly my approach and I have built around 10 wheels over last few years and none have given me any problems at all.

    I am such a cheapskate I just put the wheel in the frame with zip ties to check for roundness and straightness but I end up with true wheels.

    Although wrong to assume that every one needs such little guidance I guess.

    submarined
    Free Member

    While not cheaper, it gives you complete freedom. And, personally, the reason I started building my own was repeated disappointment in the build quality of wheels that other people had built. I had plenty of trouble with everything from stock wheels to handbuilts going out of true, and half a page of Sheldon was enough for me to consistently build wheels that I’ve never had to true. Don’t underestimate yourself

    Excellent, thanks. I’ve been poring over the SB and MBR stuff this morning, and in actual fact the truing bit is very similar to what I’ve done myself over the years, and I’ve never exploded a wheel!

    The thought of building up a wheelset combo that’s not available from whatever reasonable parts I can get hold of cheap (as opposed to saying ‘where’s the cheapest place I can buy a Hope) is appealing, as is truing my own wheels. I’ve read in a few places that it’s not as cheap as you think, but when I look at the price of something like some Novatech Hubs (or SH DT350s/Hope Pro2 Evos), £15 Pacenti TL28s, reasonable spokes and nipples, it seems like I could assemble a decent weight ‘trail’ wheelset for a very modest price.

    As said, I’ve done the wheels a lot before but only when they got older. I’ve got a set of Pro4s/Easton Arcs that are in need of straightening as well, so learning to DIY will save an awful lot.

    Bez
    Full Member

    The thought of building up a wheelset combo that’s not available from whatever reasonable parts I can get hold of cheap is appealing

    Yeah, this is one of the great things. On the one hand I’ve built myself some highly customised wheels for reasonable prices and on the other I’ve been able to pick up bits and pieces when they’re cheap and then make them into wheels when I find a use for them: the 29″ disc wheels on my Longitude are perfectly functional and they cost me £40 for the whole lot (secondhand Halo rims with new Halo spokes and new SRAM hubs).

    Though you should be careful not to offset those savings by getting into habits like this:

    😀

    dovebiker
    Full Member

    I’ve been building my own wheels for nearly 20 years – the only time I’ve had anything break was due to stress-cracking of alloy nipples – avoided alloy nipples since and never had any problems. My last pair of wheels were carbon-rimmed fatbike wheels – sourced a pair of rims from China for the price of one rim in the UK

    srshaw
    Free Member

    Buy spokes from rose bikes. You can buy Dt comps for about £15 a wheel. Postage is a bit steep but still works out cheaper.

    keir
    Free Member

    Sapim race from the cycle clinic is my go-to spoke choice. £16 for 32 in silver, a bit more for black. Postage included.

    once you’ve built a few you start to notice how many of the “brand” wheels are kinlin rims on novatech/bitex hubs, and realise just how much margin they’re putting into them

    Bez
    Full Member

    I nearly stockpiled loads of black DT Champs from Rose yesterday, because they’re selling them at 8p each.

    Then I noticed (fortunately before I checked out) the 8p ones are straight pull. Bah.

    But if anyone out there stocked up on cheap Pulstars back in the day, now’s your time to shine 😉

    Bez
    Full Member

    a bit more for black

    Hmm, £12.80 more per 32. Total cost of about £57 for a pair of wheels, vs about £30 plus postage from Rose for my usual black DT Comps.

    My other default choice is black plain gauge Halos for £12 per wheel on eBay.

    andyl
    Free Member

    Alpina F1 black DB are my default spoke. I splashed out on D-lights for my Bird FS build but in all honesty i am not sure it was worth the extra over the Alpina.

    Bez
    Full Member

    In vaguely related news, this is today’s purchase. You don’t get these and a dyno hub on an off-the-shelf pair of wheels 🙂

    aracer
    Free Member

    Ooh, where do you get those? Not that I need a new wheel, but tempted to build one just in order to have those nipples!

    I agree with the above – I tend to build highly customised wheels, if you’re building something you can get off the shelf it doesn’t really seem worth bothering (apart from that when you’ve done a few you can make them much better than machine built wheels at least). Most recently I’ve built unicycle wheels which aren’t available off the shelf at all, but my road bike rear wheel for example is a 24h rim triplet laced to a 32h Record hub and you won’t get that without building it yourself or paying lots to a specialist (I doubt a normal shop would want to do it).

    Bez
    Full Member

    They’re TLC rainbow brass nipples. I ordered from Alan’s BMX as they seemed to be cheapest.

    I’m more excited about them than a grown man probably should be 😉 but I’ve been having rainbow withdrawal symptoms now that I no longer have these:

    fudge9202
    Free Member

    After reading all this recommend me a trying stand. Cheap my new shiny bits for my new frame has me wiped out 😀

    andyl
    Free Member

    don’t scrimp on a cheap nipple wrench and just go with brass nipples. Silver if you dont want to be constantly swearing at every little chip on the coating.

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    fudge9202 – Member
    After reading all this recommend me a trying stand…

    I’ll go the cheap route again.

    An upside down bike frame. It’ll likely be more accurate than a cheap truing stand.

    blastit
    Free Member

    Just bought 68 spokes ACI Alpina DB 2.0/1.7/2.0 so a bit lighter than DT swiss comp (1g)including 12mm nipples for £20.38 delivered to my door next day 😀 from spokes Cyclebasket.com
    Nice chap at other end of phone if you need any help.
    Used a few times now and always been spot on.

    fudge9202
    Free Member

    Cheers blastit will give them a ring in the morning, epicyclo that certainly is a cheap truing stand Cheers

    blastit
    Free Member

    Received spokes today , just popped them on scales for anyone who is interested . 34 x 272mm , 34 x 274mm spokes and 64x 12mm nipples come in at 454g so thats 6.7g per spoke and nipple. Nipples come in at a gram each so thats 5.7g per spoke.
    Will build up for sons xmas wheels onto hope pro4 hubs and those WTB ST 25 rims from PlanetX at a very nice £8.00 each. So should build into some nice wheels.

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    I think most places charge about £20 for the labour don’t they? Or am I well wide of the mark?

    Yes, you’re well wide. 🙂
    I’ve built a fair few wheels (Over 100) and whilst I’m not blowing my own trumpet, it’s an hour a wheel to me or just under. I doubt anyone else is much faster. More than once I’ve done 6 identical wheels back to back and whilst that teaches you the method, I still doubt I was under 45mins/wheel.
    £40/hr is cheap bike shop labour…..

    On Mussons book, I learned from that, then when I did my Cytech I learned how to do it properly…. Not really because the book is lacking, but because thre’s so much to take in you need it explaining. Also, his method of lacing, whilst perfectly fine, isn’t the easiest to remember or get the best results from. The diagrams in THIS BOOK make more sense and his method is what I moved onto and now use all the time. I can not build a wheel for months then pick up some spokes etc and build one without referring to it, because it makes more sense and seems more logical (to me) whereas Mussons method I was always having to follow step by step with the book in front of me.

    Bez
    Full Member

    A note on cheap wheel jigs. I have a Minoura jig but like many consumer jigs it’s not possible to guarantee the feelers are properly centred. I use the dishing stick to check centring: by placing it against the wheel with the axle bracket against the jig’s dropouts in turn, it’s easy to see which way the rim needs to go. Once it’s close I use the feelers to make small adjustments to whichever sections are furthest out. When the bracket ends up in the same place relative to the locknuts on both sides you’re central.

    An old frame/fork plus a dishing stick will work perfectly like this, it’s just that a jig is easier to sit down with on the floor in front of the telly 😉

    But at least it means that you can still centre a rim perfectly without a professional quality jig.

    HoratioHufnagel
    Free Member

    I’ve built several pairs of wheels using nothing other than Sheldon Brown guide (in fact I still use it even though I have the e-book) and truing the wheels by zip tying a pencil to the frame/fork.

    I used ACI spokes from cyclebasket.

    Not had a wheel fail yet in 10+ years. I think that’s because I stick to standard 32 double butted spoke builds rather than going for anything super light. i.e. It’s not down to my wheel building skills.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 116 total)

The topic ‘Wheelbuilding. From scratch.’ is closed to new replies.

New deal added to Members Discounts