Wheel building - how hard?
I need to replace the rims on a pair of wheels on my training bike, and quite fancy the idea of rebulding them myself.
How hard is it? Will be something like open pro rims and ultegra hubs.
I suspect that I'm under estimating it one way or another, but no learning like throwing yourself in at the deep end.
Has anyone successfully taught themself to build wheels?
Any recommended resources?
Cheers!
How hard is it? Will be something like open pro rims and ultegra hubs.
I suspect that I'm under estimating it one way or another, but no learning like throwing yourself in at the deep end.
Has anyone successfully taught themself to build wheels?
Any recommended resources?
Cheers!
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Wheelbuilding is a straightforward mechanical process, all the skills can be learnt by anyone who can wield a spoke key. The beauty of it is if you go wrong and it goes uncontrollably wobbly you just slacken off and start again as many times as you like. It is a very satisfying skill to learn, go for it.
There's nothing complicated to it, you just need to ensure that you can repeat the lacing pattern on the wheel at present. The spokes are usually of a length which is somewhat specific to the lacing pattern used on the wheel.
Also, an obvious point, but ensure that you start lacing from the valve rather than from some arbitrary point on the wheel.
If you are building a wheel for use with rim brakes, it is somewhat easier, as you can use the brakes to assist with dishing and truing the wheel, (As I assume you have no jigs for truing or dishing a wheel).
On a wheel with a disk, it is harder without proper jigs, as you have no reference point against which to true the wheel. Dishing can be done reasonably well by eye, but it will never be perfect (as it would be if a dishing gauge were used).
My advise would be that if the bike is being used for commuting or as a beater, then go for it. If on the other hand, it's your pride and joy then get the job done professionally as they will do a better job and the cost will be negligible when compared to the cost of the bike.
The thing you have to weigh up is whether you're happy with it being just about right. Building a wheel is not like setting up gears, whereby you know when it is wrong and with sufficient tinkering it will be perfect. On a wheel it is not uncommon for an adjustment to one point to knock another point off. It does take skill to get a wheel with correct spoke tension perfectly dished, perfectly round and running perfectly true.
If you are using expensive parts, it may well be worth having the wheel built professionally, as a properly built wheel will last longer than one built to a slightly lower standard.
Given good materials and process, the end result will be the same.
All true except when the amateur mechanic lacks the equipment necessary to do a professional calibre job.
Quality truing stand, spoke tension meter, spoke wrench, nipple driver, and dishing tool.
However, John is right: instruction is important. You can work it out yourself but you will make the same mistakes everybody else did and learned from. Stand on their shoulders and read a book. There used to be only one of any value- "The Bicycle Wheel" by Jobst Brandt. Now there's another well respected one by Roger Musson.
Buy one of those, and build your own wheels forever more, probably better than your LBS wheelbuilder who is invariably above such things as book reading.
I'll have a look into those books, youtube etc.
How helpful is a spoken tension gauge? Or better put, if I were to buy one speific tool (except spoke key) what would be the most helpful, given that I can easily put a old bike in a stand and true against the rim brake.
The cost effectiveness doesn't really come into it.
+1. Wheelbuilders will tell you it's a black art and their knowledge is the difference between a wheel that lasts 2 years and one that lasts 10. But they would say that, wouldn't they?
It's not difficult; as long as you work in a methodical manner and can read simple instructions.
Best for a newbie to wheel building??? Spoke tension gauge. Dishing tool is a must have.
I started building wheels about 10 years ago and in all that time have never popped a spoke on any of my wheels nor have I ever needed to tinker with them.
All you need is a jig, dishing tool and spoke key. You could use a frame, but a jig will make it easier. Worth the investment in a jig if you plan to build your own wheels regularly, but not if this is going to be a one off. I've never felt the need to buy a spoke tension gauge.
Unfortunately unless you get the hubs, rims and spokes in a sale it's likely to work out costing more than buying a complete wheelset (even without adding on the cost of the jig).
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=60966
£800 :shock:
£800, thats pretty steep. How much is it for even a very good shop to true it?
Sexy as though!
I have since built a few more. All have stayed true so far.
My only pro tool is a Spokey spoke key, I use cable ties around th frame/forks to set dish and/or runout. Sheldon's method doesn't make the use of a spoke tension gauge essential.
I'm making and using bombproof 32 or more often 36 hole MTB gear though, YMMV.
Good luck.
I bought this book: http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php which was very informative and amongst other things shows you how to make a rudimentary dishing tool and, if you feel that way inclined, a wheel truing jig.
As it happens I made the dishing tool which was useful, but not the wheel jig.
Instead I used a combination of turbo trainer, old fork, blu tak, a ruler and some bits of paper as markers to true the wheel. It wasn't difficult in the end, I just needed a quiet room without kids to do the job properly
It seems tight and true and has survived a few cross races since without me loseing my teeth.
I must admit though I was just a teency bit apprehensive when I set off from the line in it's first race out
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If you're building an aluminium wheel, you don't need a spoke tension gauge.
Most shops/ wheel-builders only use tension gauges with carbon rims (and Mavic carbon spokes).
I would say a dishing tool is the most important. You can use the calliper brakes to ensure that the wheel is round (no egg) and true the wheel. You can estimate the tension by the sound when the spoke is plucked.
Dishing can be done by putting the wheel in the frame and dishing it to be roughly centred, but this is the aspect most prone to error.
Everything other than dishing can be done acceptably using the bike.
I've had to work with friends' wheels, as they built them without gauge at 1500 N, which is excessive and will lead to cracks developing around the eyelets.
Once you get experienced, you'll get a feel for the correct tension and you'll forget about the gauge (I guess, I still use it).
Dishing tool is useful and cheap enough not to bother about building a DIY alternative. A truing stand is also useful, but can be replaced by using pads and similar as references... you won't get the same result though. You are looking at small decimals of a milimeter, which is hard to achieve using pads
You can check the dish with the bike too. Use a marker (one side of the calipers is ideal) and then put the wheel in the otherway round. When the dish is correct the marker will line up with the both sides of the rim.
I agree. The RIGHT tools to do the job is the way to go. I, for one, would not pay someone to build wheels for me if I knew they were just throwing them together using brake pads as truing guides, with an old set of forks as a truing stand or any other tool that wasn't the right one. But, people can do as they please.
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