Building my first wheels

craker
craker Posts: 1,739
edited February 2012 in Workshop
I got some hubs I don't need off ebay today, so I might as well build them up into a wheelset I don't need. Anyone point me at a beginners resource?

What tools do I need? What components?
Px have got some rims for a tenner for example.

Thanks.

Comments

  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    You'll need a spoke key and wheel jig though you could get away with using the frame/forks. The correct length spokes make building wheels much easier. I've used Wheel Pro to calculate the spokes I've needed for wheels I've laced and left for the LBS to tension for me.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    The Roger Musson book is pretty much a one-stop-shop for how to do it. Even shows you how to build your own wheel jig and dishing tool if .
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    On Strava.{/url}
  • craker
    craker Posts: 1,739
    Thanks all. I did find a decent length article by Sheldon Brown thats a good starting point - now I'm wondering whether to throw £10 for a rim + similar for spoke and nipples and get a cheap badly built wheel.

    Is that Roger Musson book an actual corporeal volume or a download?
  • craker wrote:
    Thanks all. I did find a decent length article by Sheldon Brown thats a good starting point - now I'm wondering whether to throw £10 for a rim + similar for spoke and nipples and get a cheap badly built wheel.

    Is that Roger Musson book an actual corporeal volume or a download?

    If you plan to spend 20 quid to build a bad wheel which you will never ride because it's too bad... you will never know if you did a good job, it's a waste of 20 quid. Buy a good rim (DT465 are on offer on PX) a decent hub (you can get a front hub for 20 quid from Shimano or Novatec) and some good spokes, like DT champion and build a proper wheel... front wheels are easy to build. Most difficult thing is to get the ERD measurement right...
    You will love it, honest
    left the forum March 2023
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    It's a download. I printed mine out and bound it into an A5 ringbinder.
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    On Strava.{/url}
  • I'd buy an OK rim rather than a really cheap one.

    I've built a few wheesets and the only ones I had trouble with were the cheap rims (my most recent build). You just couldn't get an even tension on them if you wanted them true. My Open Pro's however (first build I did) built up perfectly and are still flawless 1,000 miles later.
  • The Musson book is excellent.

    I got taught to build wheels as part of my C&G mechanics course and our tutor recommended that book as a complement to our tuition and to steer clear of Sheldon, which is unusual as he was very much a fan of Mr. Brown for everything else.

    It's actually not that hard provided you prep everything, take your time, concentrate on getting the lacing spot on and tension steadily. A spoke tension meter is very handy to make sure that you have an even tension around the wheel too, and that you're hitting the manufacturer's recommendations for the rim/hub.