How long to build a pair of wheels

[phcollard]

Just curious, a question for the amateur and pro wheelbuilders alike. How long does it take you to build a pair of wheels?

I only build 4 o 5 pairs so far and I'm starting to get it - or so - it took me 5 hours to build the last pair Haha no, not ashamed, I'm taking my time!

[R3awak3n]

Probably an hour for front and an hour and half to 2 for rear. I am a newb too, built probably about 7 to 8 wheelsets

[DRZRM]

Yeah, 4-5 hours seems right, and I'm 5 wheelsets in.

Edit: That does not count the time invested in getting the right sized spokes ordered, which counting false starts on builds with long spokes, returns, and reorders, brings my build time up to about 2 months.

I suck with those spoke length spreadsheets. I should just work out a flat fee with Ergott for spoke length advice...don't even ask me about getting the right sized spokes on my offset fatbike wheels, I almost missed the entire New England winter.

[drewellison]

Building and truing wheels is a zen-like event for me. Slow, relaxed, focused, careful. It takes as long as it takes in order to get the wheels round (first), true (second).
And I now religiously use a tensionometer, or whatever the Park tool is called.
Drew

[BoCo]

Lacing takes me about a half hour per wheel. Truing, centering, checking spoke tension (couple of passes) takes a good hour to up to 2 hours for me per wheel.

[phcollard]

Tension meter is a must have for me too. There is no way I could tell by ear how much tension I have in the spokes.

Anybody use this app? A bit overkill but as far as I am concerned it helps get an even tension http://www.parktool.com/wtb

[BoCo]

Thanks for the link to the app. Wasn't aware that this existed. I've been using the Excel spreadsheet Park put together, but it is somewhat cumbersome, IMO.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by phcollard

Just curious, a question for the amateur and pro wheelbuilders alike. How long does it take you to build a pair of wheels?

I only build 4 o 5 pairs so far and I'm starting to get it - or so - it took me 5 hours to build the last pair Haha no, not ashamed, I'm taking my time!

From spokes laid out, lace, build, about an hour to hour 1/2 per wheel for me.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by DRZRM

Yeah, 4-5 hours seems right, and I'm 5 wheelsets in.

Edit: That does not count the time invested in getting the right sized spokes ordered, which counting false starts on builds with long spokes, returns, and reorders, brings my build time up to about 2 months.

I suck with those spoke length spreadsheets. I should just work out a flat fee with Ergott for spoke length advice...don't even ask me about getting the right sized spokes on my offset fatbike wheels, I almost missed the entire New England winter.

Good iPhone app from ThirdHand. Bicycle Research calc on iPad. Need ERD, center to flange, flange diameter, number, cross, very accurate.

[echelon_john]

+/- 2 hrs/pair. assuming all goes well.

[Tickdoc]

About a month for me, but that includes hours of YouTube videos, a lot of f-bombs, and gnashing of teeth....but I have never built a set ;-)

[Hermes_Alex]

As far as the actual building (tensioning, truing, etc.), that takes as long as it takes to get it right .

[rwsaunders]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

From spokes laid out, lace, build, about an hour to hour 1/2 per wheel for me.

OP is to wheel building what Tommy D. is to Strava.

[bikinchris]

Originally Posted by phcollard

Just curious, a question for the amateur and pro wheelbuilders alike. How long does it take you to build a pair of wheels?

I only build 4 o 5 pairs so far and I'm starting to get it - or so - it took me 5 hours to build the last pair Haha no, not ashamed, I'm taking my time!

If I am in a hurry, I can build a wheel in 45 minutes from box of spokes and hub in each hand to mounting a tire. Front or rear, it doesn't matter. I have built only a few hundred wheels, since I have only worked in small shops.
But frankly, I enjoy building wheels very much, so I try schedule the wheel builds when I can take my time.

[peanutgallery]

With the introduction of the the relatively poor quality of stans and velocity rims, wheels take me forever to build. Sometime up to 2 hours each. Lacing is like 10-15 minutes each, screwing around with the lack of eyelets and the out of roundness of them right out of the box suck up my time. Find that most stans/velocity generally have something going on with the seam. It can drive me nuts. Miss the quality of mavic stuff like 10 to 20 years back. H plus son are pretty good, too bad they don't do mountain rims. Did I mention velocity/stans are kinda crappy?

My tensionmeter is an old wheelsmith, probably a little dated. Definitely on the list for an upgrade. Use one