wheelbuilding

top_bhoy

I have little idea of whats involved so is there a good wheelbuilding book that can be recommended which takes a novice through every step of the way from acquiring the tools to the finished article. More importantly, sets it out in an understandable way with pictures and photos to describe where necessary, the outlined step.

If it comes with a DVD, even better.

gllewellyn

http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php £9 - tells you everything you need, from tools, selecting components, building and repairing.

marcusjb

^ I'll second that.

Good read - well laid out and easy to follow.

I've not built many wheels (4!) - but they've all followed this guide and they've all covered big miles without drama.

alan_sherman

I use Sheldon Brown's website - printed out. Absolutely fine for 32 or 36 spoke 3 cross builds (i.e. standard builds)

top_bhoy

gllewellyn wrote:

http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php £9 - tells you everything you need, from tools, selecting components, building and repairing.

I've just downloaded it. I'll print it out and ringbind it in a few days, The little bits I've read so far were understandable until it came to calculating spoke sizes; that's a little too advanced for me. I'll learn to true the wheel with the existing spokes first before I start getting too cocky :P

Thanks for the replies.

ugo.santalucia

Top_Bhoy wrote:

gllewellyn wrote:

http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php £9 - tells you everything you need, from tools, selecting components, building and repairing.

I've just downloaded it. I'll print it out and ringbind it in a few days, The little bits I've read so far were understandable until it came to calculating spoke sizes; that's a little too advanced for me. I'll learn to true the wheel with the existing spokes first before I start getting too cocky :P

Thanks for the replies.

Just use a calculator available online... plot in the numbers and it'll do it for you... nobody alive makes these calculations any longer

cycleclinic

There has been a thread on this just a few days ago. My guide on retro bike.
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... 1&t=276826

Process for am MTB wheel is the same as a road wheel. Never read these books properly. I don't need too.

Monty Dog

Use an online spoke calculator - life is too short to need to do it longhand. I use DT Swiss.

Once you can lace a wheel without having to refer to another wheel or guide is when you've got it sussed.

cycleclinic

Given the formula in spocalc the excel version I am not sure I could do it long hand without making some sort of error. I worked out how do do it once but even then I found the long method a bit awkward. Then I discovered spocalc.

wotnoshoeseh

+1 for the wheelpro book by Roger Musson

hypster

Roger Musson's book is the most up-to-date and is worth every penny. You also get free upgrades whenever he updates the content which he has done about four times since I first bought it. I also programmed his formula for spoke length calculation into a spreadsheet as well which is really easy to do so have my own calculator available at all times.

Gerd Schraner's book "The Art of Wheelbuilding" and Jobst Brandt's "The Bicycle Wheel" are also available for free download online if you search around the web. They are both worth a read and give a slightly different perspective on various areas of wheel building.