Wheels - do you buy, build or get built?
MarkDon
Posts: 200
Just curious, do you buy off the shelf wheels, build them yourself or do you get them built up to your spec?
Do you have a prefered supplier? Any particular reasons?
If you build them yourself, do you save much money doing so, and how did you figure out how to build them?
Just curious, cheers.
Do you have a prefered supplier? Any particular reasons?
If you build them yourself, do you save much money doing so, and how did you figure out how to build them?
Just curious, cheers.
2009 Kona Blast Deluxe - W.I.P Started...
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12693279
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12693279
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I buy them hand built to spec. Thhey work out cheaper than me getting the parts seperate and building!
Merlin.0 -
all of the above."Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown0 -
Merlin get mentioned quite a bit for custom builds, though unlike most others I've looked at, they don't offer nipple upgrades?2009 Kona Blast Deluxe - W.I.P Started...
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=126932790 -
why would you want anything other than a brass nipple?"Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown0 -
I guess some people offer the pro lock brass nipples, and coloured nipples, if I was getting a set, I wouldn't mind getting the coloured set.2009 Kona Blast Deluxe - W.I.P Started...
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=126932790 -
I avoid the locking nipples - usually a sign the builder can't build them properly.0
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I buy them as any of the above and get my mate who used to build classic car wire wheels to give them the once over.0
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building wheels is a bit of an art, requires a lot of skill to do them well. So I leave it to the experts.0
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Merlin built to order here too..
Nipples provided always been ok for me :-)0 -
Currently getting the LBS to build me a set.0
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Only wheels I've brought that weren't already on the bike where Factory built Hope Hoops (pro3 on dtswiss4.1) seem very well made, no lose spokes and perfectly true, been running for a year with no problems.Santa Cruz Chameleon
Orange Alpine 1600 -
Built to order from Merlin. They've always done a top job so haven't needed to try anything else.
Current wheels have standard nipples, but in the past I've had coloured ones. Also had snowflake spokes, back in the day.
Just ask and Merlin seem happy to provide.0 -
factory built. they always seem to look better.0
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I bought rims, hubs & spokes to build myself, thinking it would be cheaper than getting ready built.
Wrong.
Still, it was an interesting exercise and I learned something useful.
If you want advice on building wheels I would recommend Roger Musson's book:
http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php
and Sheldon Brown's website is fairly handy:
http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html0 -
Handbuilt is the best. I work in a bike shop and like to built my own. However with the price of the Hope/DT Swiss wheels, it's kinda hard to justify building my own wheels...
Not sure about the next set of wheels, as I'm wanting another 29er, so may be building myself some wheels with Pro 3 hubs... :roll:
FCN 3 or 4 on road depending on clothingjedster wrote:Just off to contemplate my own mortality and inevitable descent into decrepedness.
FCN 8 off road because I'm too old to go racing around.0 -
+1 for Merlin. Always good value and last well
I'm tempted to build my own though just so I can say I've done it. Seems to work out more expensive than the equivalent parts built into a wheel though0
