Suggestions.......Wheel Building....

[jhcakilmer]

Well, I think I'm going to try and build my first wheelset. And I'm looking for suggestions.......I'm 6'3 210lbs.........I'm pretty easy on equipment. I know their are several wheel building guides out there, and I would like to have something to reference, so what do you recommend. Also, what type of lacing pattern? Thanks.....

[SoCalSteve]

Being the BIG guy that I am, I suggest that you do a slightly aero style rim such as a Mavic CXP-33, DT Swiss RR 1.2 or the Velocity version (the name alludes me now) laced triple cross with double butted 14/15 spokes (32 of em) both front and rear.

What hub you choose really depends on the amount of money you have as I have used very expensive hubs (Phil-Chris King) and not so expensive ones such as Dura Ace and I find them all to work well.

There are 2 really good wheel building books out there one by Jobst Brandt and the other by Gerd Schraner.

As a very wise wheelbuilder on this Forum once told me (thank you Ergott) it takes one thing more than anything else to build a set of wheels.....PATIENCE!

Good luck to you!

Steve

[Louis]

There is also lots of good wheelbuilding advice here Sheldon Brown along with some spoke length calculators.

Louis

[ergott]

Make your first wheels you build last the longest.

Ultegra hubs (Record if you own Campy, sorry no more Chorus except NOS)
Velocity, Mavic, DT or IRD rims.
Sapim Race, DT Competition or Wheelsmith DB 14 spokes (they're all good)
brass nipples
32 spokes 3 cross all around

It's really basic, but its a formula that has worked for over a century. If you plan on building more than one set of wheels in the future here are some tools I recommend that aren't too expensive.

Park tensiometer (decent accuracy)
Wheelsmith rim rods (the only way to get a good ERD is to measure yourself).
Dish tool
Good spoke wrench (Spokey is good and cheap)
antiseize compound
grease
truing stand (an upside-down bike can work)

To get consistent results, get the components together and measure them. Don't get the spokes until you have all the measurements and have plugged them into a calculator (www.dtswiss.com has a great one). I have seen ERD (effective rim diameter) numbers supplied from the manufacturer that have been off by enough to have the wrong length spokes. Nothing is worse than building a set of wheels and finding out you have the wrong length 3/4 into the build.

Building them right does more to making wheels that last more than buying the best components.

Get the books mentioned above (Sheldon's site is also a must read) and set aside plenty of time. To plan on finishing 2 wheels in one night. Concentrate on one wheel and the front is a good place to start. Patience is your best tool. Post your results. You will be fine.

[jhcakilmer]

Thanks for the encouragement, and advice!!

I'm probably going to go with NOS chorus or record hubs, but still considering DA. How do the DA and campy build up....either 06 or 07...?

I was thinking about Ambrosio Excellights....I like the shallow box section, it seems they are strong and durable.........any advantages of eyelets or non-eyelet rims (I was also considering Velocity Fusion, or Aerohead).

Finally...Sapim Race vs. DT Competition vs. Wheelsmith DB14.....and why?

Thanks again

[bobscott]

Anti-seize for the nipple threads... grease for the nipple heads? And why?
Thanks
bobscott

[ergott]

Originally Posted by bobscott

Anti-seize for the nipple threads... grease for the nipple heads? And why?
Thanks
bobscott

Anti-seize compound will not dry out or wash out. It takes the abuse that cars can dish out. I've had alloy nipples on wheels that I can adjust after 4+ years of wet, salty, and muddy road and cross conditions.

The grease will protect from water penetration and reduce any galling of the nipple while building. Any metal to metal needs a barrier.

[ergott]

Originally Posted by jhcakilmer

Thanks for the encouragement, and advice!!

I'm probably going to go with NOS chorus or record hubs, but still considering DA. How do the DA and campy build up....either 06 or 07...?

I was thinking about Ambrosio Excellights....I like the shallow box section, it seems they are strong and durable.........any advantages of eyelets or non-eyelet rims (I was also considering Velocity Fusion, or Aerohead).

Finally...Sapim Race vs. DT Competition vs. Wheelsmith DB14.....and why?

Thanks again

Get which ever you can. They are all very high quality. I build with all three as well.

[Too Tall]

Dewd! you can not go wrong Eric know his 'chit Since you asked I'd pick the DA if you've got a choice.

You can use blue loctite since it is a weak compound and acts as a lube during assembly..however I'd skip it for your first wheelbuild because you will make a few mistakes and dry loctite makes it more diff. to spin the nipples. Old school boiled linseed oil takes a few days to setup so may be a better choice for your first build.

Def. start with the front wheel and don't be shy about manually setting the spokes...grab the (most) parallel spokes on opposite sides with the wheel in your stand and flex em' hard!

HAHA, when I was building wheels I'd lace up one wheel / 1/2 of a football game while drinking a couple beers....I'm sure you can beat that

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by jhcakilmer

Thanks for the encouragement, and advice!!

I'm probably going to go with NOS chorus or record hubs, but still considering DA. How do the DA and campy build up....either 06 or 07...?

I was thinking about Ambrosio Excellights....I like the shallow box section, it seems they are strong and durable.........any advantages of eyelets or non-eyelet rims (I was also considering Velocity Fusion, or Aerohead).

Finally...Sapim Race vs. DT Competition vs. Wheelsmith DB14.....and why?

Thanks again

Campy and DA are nice hubs. I assume that you have bikes with both systems so that you can build a wheels-set for either Campy or Shimano. The DA hub produces higher relative L/R tension, so it may be a little easier for your first build.

Ambrosio Excellights have a good reputation among wheel-builders. The Fusion is stiffer and stronger than the Aero-head, so it would make for an easier first time build. Non-eyeleted rims are fine. If the inside edges of the spoke holes are very sharp you can chamfer them with a dull 1/4" drill bit (don't use a new sharp one as you may damage the rim). This is not necessary, but it is nice to have a chamfered surface for the nipple. This makes everything smoother and helps to distribute the load over a larger area. Always use a good water proof grease between the nipple and the nipple bed. You should do this with eyeleted or non-eyeleted rims. This prevents the nipple from galling. You also want to lubricate the threads. This helps alot while tensioning and makes it easier to work on the wheel down the road if necessary.

Any of those spokes would be good. They are standard double butted 14 gauge spokes. For your first build you probably want to stay away from the ultra-butted spokes (XL-14, Revolution, Laser). These very thin spokes will twist alot while tensioning unless you have a tool to prevent this. I like to hold the spokes directly under the nipple to prevent any twist while tensioning, but that is difficult unless you have specific tools. The spokes that Ergott mentioned are thicker and resist twisting much better than the ultra-butted spokes.

Good luck and have fun with it.

Cheers,

Jeremy

[musgravecycles]

Jason bro,

Doooood...didn't I tell you at least 3 weeks ago to build up a shimano hub/velocity fusion wheelset with 2.0-1.8's and brass nips...

[jhcakilmer]

I know, I know.......

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by musgravecycles

Jason bro,

Doooood...didn't I tell you at least 3 weeks ago to build up a shimano hub/velocity fusion wheelset with 2.0-1.8's and brass nips...

Can't go wrong with that build. Great first wheel!

Cheers,

Jeremy

[bobscott]

Thanks to ergott for the response on nipple treatments.
Inquiring minds want to know, why grease over antiseize on the nipple heads?
Thanks,
bobscott

[ergott]

Originally Posted by bobscott

Thanks to ergott for the response on nipple treatments.
Inquiring minds want to know, why grease over antiseize on the nipple heads?
Thanks,
bobscott

That mess would get everywhere and it doesn't clean up very easily. Grease is sufficient.