Handbuilt wheels

Rudd

Hello All,

Not quite sure where to post this – hopefully this is the right place!

My wheels seems to need constant re-trueing.

About a year ago I acquired some handbuilt wheels from a friend. They are ambrosio excellence rims with ambrosio hubs – I’m not sure what type of spoke but there are 32 per wheel so I would have thought reasonably strong. Trouble is they seem to need re-trueing every 300 miles or so. My friend is lighter than me, so I suspect this is probably why I’m having this problem ie they were built for a lighter rider. My question is, is, there anything inherently ‘wrong’ with that rim and hub combination for a heavier rider (I’m about 13 stone)? Can I solve the issue buy just getting the wheels rebuilt – and maybe just using new spokes or do I need to consider a different rim / hub combination?

Any thoughts much appreciated.

DR

gozzy

More spokes is better the heavier the rider. They probably need re-tensioning all over if they're going out that often.

estampida

they need tensioned correctly

so they have never been built properly (who ever did that.....)

they need trued then pre-stressed, then re-trued again until there is sufficient tension within the wheel, this tightness stops the spokes winding off (I would normally do this 3 times over a few days to minimise spoke creep, and let the wheel settle as it is a dynamic structure)

using old school lubes like linseed oil on the nipples will gunge up the thread a little and act as a threadlock

but I don't use old school stuff and never never put thread lock on spokes

if you were in edinburgh I could sort that out............. but check youtube and read up on the matter

drlodge

Gozzy wrote:

More spokes is better the heavier the rider. They probably need re-tensioning all over if they're going out that often.

Exactly...try and find a decent wheel builder, they will likely loosen off all the spokes and then retension them from scratch.

high tower

Sounds like the wheels have not been built correctly or someone has been out with the spoke key making adjustments.

I did have a problem with a set of factory wheels, every two rides I was having to true the wheels. Eventually used them for the Turbo and the Rollers and got myself a set of hand built's from the LBS who really knows his stuff.

Collected the new wheels and he asked me to pop them back in a few weeks just to check them over again which I did.

3000km later and never had to true the wheel and trust me I have hit a few pot holes that have been that bad I have stopped to check to make sure the wheel is still round.

I would never touch a set of factory wheels ever again, I now have a summer and winter wheel set hand built. Best way to go.

smidsy

Indeed it does sound like a tension problem. Go to someone who knows how to build wheels. If they say they do not use a tension guage then do not let them do the work.

A properly built (tensioned) wheel will stay true for many 1000's of miles, barring incident.

Rudd

thanks all, thats really helpful. Does anyone know a friendly wheelbuilder in south east london (ish) who'd be happy to rebuild the wheels?

DR

drlodge

Rudd wrote:

thanks all, thats really helpful. Does anyone know a friendly wheelbuilder in south east london (ish) who'd be happy to rebuild the wheels?

DR

Where's Ugo located....?

smidsy

drlodge wrote:

Where's Ugo located....?

South West London - unlucky :-)

Rudd

I'm Dulwich, so south west london is just a quick spin away! Who's Ugo?

smidsy

Ugo.Santalucia is his user name on here.

Top bloke and great wheelbuilder.

Rudd

thanks smidsy!

pinarellokid

id guess if you were going to get then re done it would be best to get new spokes and then its like a new wheel build..

thats what id do anyway