wheel finishing

Random Vince

i've built myself a pair of wheels (first time i've done it) the rear needs a bit more work, the front is nice and round
about a mm of movement here and there but its not gonna get perfect.

is there anything i need to do to it before putting a tyre on and going riding (rim tape and innertube are assumed to be needed :P )

is there any kind of wheel stressing i need to do or anything?

robbarker

Have you been stress-relieving the spokes during the build? If not, you can probably salvage things by doing it now - get some thick leather gloves on and squeeze pairs of parallel spokes together hard (until it feels like you're going to break them - they won't) Work your way rounfd the wheel until all the spokes have been stress-relieved. You'll probably have to true the wheels again after doing it.

I'm no expert and taught myself from two main sources - Jobst Brandt's book "The Bicycle Wheel" and Roger Musson's ebook - very reasonably priced as a PDF from his website www.wheelpro.co.uk.

Random Vince

followed jobst's guide, not quite to the letter

been stress releaving but could be a good idea to do it again and be vicious with it

cheers

robbarker

No problem then - just get them trued up and get out and ride.

Kudos to you for doing it - too many people assume it's too difficult and never try, but if you're into bikes, building wheels gives you a great buzz.

Random Vince

it'll only give me a great buzz if they don't fail,

if they fail it'll get me a clip round the ear from millie for being silly.

fossyant

I also give the wheels a good thump from the sides as well when truing - same as the squeezing the spokes I'd say...

robbarker

Brandt doesn't agree:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/stre ... eving.html

Neither does Roger Musson in his book.

I'm a spoke squeezer personally!

aztecboy

Roger Musson is king for me.
All wheels I have built to his standard haven't shifted a millimeter even after 1000s.

The tricks I learned from him were:
1) Nipple driver (absolutely essential - gets the nipples threaded to almost the same for ever spoke so you are leaving yourself very little work to do)
2) even pitch (as much as possibel Obviously a dished wheel will have different pitches per side)
3) Build it tight! This is hard for a first time builder because you have no reference and are terrified the whole thing is going to crisp. I actually have recorded past wheel builds plucks on my mobile phone for reference, sad I know. If it ain't tight, regardless of how well you've finished it, it will work loose.
4) Stress as described by Rob.

Buy this
http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php
At nine quid, it is a bargain.

Ted

geoff_ss

You'll soon know if the wheels aren't properly stressed from the tinkling sound they make in the 1st few metres as you set off as they settle down. In any case give them a check after the first ride to make sure they're still as true as when you set out. I'm a spoke squeezer too. I always keep the nipples well lubricated by having them in a small pot of thin oil which makes even adjustment easier.

Be very careful tightening spokes too much and wear safety glasses. I once overtightened a spoke and it sheered and shot out of the rim like an arrow. Only happened the once but it frightened me.

Geoff

aracer

Geoff_SS wrote:

You'll soon know if the wheels aren't properly stressed from the tinkling sound they make in the 1st few metres as you set off as they settle down.

No, that's a sign of having left twist in the spokes (and is the sound of the wheel going out of true as the nipples unscrew), not being stress relieved doesn't result in any noise.

Nowadays I use Sheldon's method for stress relieving - far easier on the hands http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html#seating