Building Wheels

[Repack Rider]

When I started building "klunker" bikes in the '70s, I had to learn how to build a wheel with a drum brake hub.

Gary Fisher showed me how to fan the spokes out when you drop them in the hub.

Later, I built most of the wheels at MountainBikes. I could knock out a pair in half an hour.

[blew]

Built a few sets of wheels, found it therapeutic going through the process and rewarding to use the finished product.

Second the recommendation for Roger Musson's book, it's very easy to follow and really practical. I have Jobst's book and another by Gerd Schraner, but got the most value from Roger's.

Used a basic truing stand, good spoke wrench (favorite is the spokey), and spoke prep.

[StressStrain]

Originally Posted by tellyho

I love building wheels. Start with a simple hub and rim of known ERD. Calculate twice. Use Sheldon's instructions. See how it goes!

^this.

Or even simpler, take an old front wheel apart, spread the pieces out, then rebuild it. Start with the front wheel so you don't have to worry about differences in spoke tension on drive and nondrive sides.

Taking a step back;
OP - honest questions: do you like DIY, and are you patient with DIY tasks?

If not, wheelbuilding is not for you. If you don't like fiddling with derailleurs, you won't like wheels. And if you don't like to sit patiently and work methodically, you won't like wheels.

If yes, go for it! It's a great zenlike task for mechanics who are patient and can follow a few simple rules.

First step is to read books by Jobst Brandt, Roger Musson, and Sheldon Brown.
Second step is buy some tools - this is a few hundred dollars.
Third step is to dive in - preferably with old parts so success or failure is not critical.

Holler if you have questions!

[StressStrain]

Originally Posted by deluz

I have been building my own wheels for decades and love doing it.
The Jobst book is a good start.
The most critical thing is getting the right spoke lengths, tensioning and stress relieving.
Also making sure that spokes are not winding up during tensioning as they will unwind later. I use Teg-Gel on the spoke threads, it prevents corrosion over the long term. I have a Park TM-1 tensiometer. It has limited accuracy but I used it for years with no problems. Not long ago I was building my first set of carbon wheels and wanted more accuracy so I built a tension calibration jig for about $100 which was well worth it. You can get a more accurate tensiometer like the Wheel Fanatyk but it costs $285. You are not going to do a perfect wheel build on your first try, it takes time and experience but can be very rewarding.
Good luck

Very true statement here. But strange reasons sometimes....

I broke the first wheels I built! Name brand expensive carbon rims, laced and true, was finishing tensioning with a Park tension meter and <pop> the sidewall cracked. What the hell did I do? 1 for 1 with rim build failures!?!

Contacted the manufacturer, sent some pics, they decided it was a manufacturing error and they replaced that rim for free.

I'm a curious engineer so I cut the broken rim apart and found that the layup was wrong: someone had missed a layer of carbon off the left side and put an extra on the right.

I was glad to find it was not my fault.

Regardless, I have 6000 rewarding miles on those wheels and I haven't even had to true them.

[tellyho]

Originally Posted by StressStrain

I broke the first wheels I built! Name brand expensive carbon rims, laced and true, was finishing tensioning with a Park tension meter and <pop> the sidewall cracked. What the hell did I do? 1 for 1 with rim build failures!?!

Wild! Never had a failure from a wheel I built (well, had a spoke break because I didn't monitor tension but that's par for the course). I think I've built the wheels on all bikes in my stable at this point. I truly enjoy the process and will even occasionally build for buddies if they ask nice.

[benb]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

Back in the "bad old days", a groupset would include derailleurs, shifters, chain, crankset, bottom bracket ... and a pair of hubs. The bike shop assembling the bike for you would select a pair of rims based on your size and riding style, and build up a pair of wheels for you. Rims and spokes weren't as rugged and reliable back then, and you could expect to go through a few sets of rims and spokes during the lifetime of the hubs, with frequent retruings along the way.

Today, rims and spokes have gotten more robust and reliable, and wheels require much less service and repair. Broken spokes are now uncommon. Wheels going out of true is usually caused by a bent rim, which is infrequent these days: Today's aluminum rims are deeper than in the old days and made of stronger alloys, so they get bent less often; and carbon rims don't bend at all, they either break or don't break when they hit something.

I used to rebuild wheels when the rims got so bent up they couldn't be retrued without widely divergent spoke tensions (if they could be straightened at all). Now I rarely need to retrue wheels, and the last time few times I rebuilt wheels is because the sidewalls had worn too thin from braking. Now that I've got some disc brake wheels, I suspect the only thing they may need is periodic re-lubing or replacement of the bearings.

I would break spokes on the earlier wheels I had but haven't broken one since 2010 or so.

The only issues I've had since 2010 were getting hubs overhauled.

Since I started riding I've had one freehub failure (Rolf Vector) and I think I've had two rear rims crack between the spokes. (Actually one of those was in 2018)

On the MTB side I had Stan's + salt corrode the valve stem hole on a pair of rims to the point the wheel stop sealing. Those rims also had the Alloy nipples corrode to the point the wheels couldn't be trued. They got slightly out of true but since they were disc wheels they just kept on truckin! That took a LONG time though. Those wheels were in use from 2006 to 2022.

Reliable stuff.

[AngryScientist]

The most important thing a new wheelbuilder needs is patience. Once you have the right tools and parts, it takes time to find the balance between spoke tension, roundness, trueness and dish. Don't try and rush it. Make small changes and take your time and you can get a good wheel build.

[Hindmost]

Start?

I started with a spoke wrench and a need to replace a damaged rim. (And a lack of funds to pay a LBS.)

Easier to start with truing or repairing an existing wheel.

Older wheels are easier with respect to standardized parts: hubs, spokes, rims, etc.

[smontanaro]

Originally Posted by TunaAndBikes

How did you start?

I got some help by a mechanic during open shop at Working Bikes in Chicago. I got a good start that way, probably a lot less less frustrating than doing it totally on my own.

Originally Posted by TunaAndBikes

Where should I start?

I like Gerd Schraner's book, "The Art of Wheelbuilding." It's an easy read, and I like his lacing procedure better than other stuff I've seen. I believe it's out of print, but you should be able to scare up a used copy online. I have a used Park TS-2 truing stand, a Park tension meter and a nipple driver as well. I think a decent stand is an absolute requirement unless you like the masochism of using zip ties as feelers on the seat stays of a bike frame as a substitute. The nipple driver doesn't help you build better wheels, but is real handy (at least for me–deep V wheels will probably present some issues) during initial lacing. The tension meter falls somewhere between the other two for me.

Originally Posted by TunaAndBikes

How deep of a rabbit hole am I in for?

Pretty shallow. Note that I only build older wheels (vintage stuff, mid-80s and older), so YMMV. I don't know how much extra complication modern stuff (fewer spokes, deep rims, disk brakes, thru axles) would add. I'm sure there are plenty of PL'ers who can provide guidance there.

[Broccoli Cog]

I would also recommend the Roger Musson book. I would recommend starting with something inexpensive and try to use hubs that are new and not previously laced. Same goes for rims. I would also say be very intentional about your spoke measurements. Ask me how I know! Having accurate hub measurements and rim ERD are crucial to a successful wheel build. Other then that take your time and don't be in a rush to finish them. Go slow and step away if you get tired/frustrated. A lot of times I've done just that and the next morning I was back on track. It's easy to go down the wrong path if you are not focused and giving your work your full attention.

See my previous post for examples of my own trials and tribulations. In the end I made out ok but there were quite a few mistake and subsequent learnings. If I'm being honest I may just have Old Potato build my next set as well!

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=304244

[helldriven]

Thanks for the link to the other post, I will be purchasing the Musson book and which comes with access to the Spoke Length Calculator.

https://www.wheelpro.co.uk/

[Peter P.]

Another Jobst Brandt fan here. He debunks all the myths and explains the physics in terms a neanderthal can understand. Then he explains the wheel building process in similar terms.

A spoke tension meter is not needed; it's an expensive accessory that deters people because of the financial investment. Nice tool to have, once you know what you're doing (which probably doesn't make sense)!

A truing stand, a dishing tool, and a spoke wrench to fit your spokes are all you need.

As has been suggested, start by detensioning an existing wheel. No need to take it apart completely, but you could remove one nipple at a time and add some grease.

[weisan]

Originally Posted by rowebr

I started with Roger Musson's book and I highly recommend it. Well worth the $12 and that will likely pay for itself the very first time you order spokes in the correct lengths!

https://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php

He shows you how to make some of your own tools for building wheels. You do need to make the ERD measuring tool but that just requires two old spokes and a ruler.

I didn't go that far with making all the tools, instead I picked up a basic used truing stand in addition to some quality spoke wrenches and a bladed spoke holder.

I did everything rowebr pal mentioned above plus getting a lot of used spokes, rims and hubs from my local co-op on the cheap that i used for practice. As it turns out, these "practice runs" were actually good enough that I had been riding them for several years now without any issues or maintenance.

Patience
Make incremental changes, don't rush
Just as angry pal said.

Anyone can do it, not rocket science.

[nspace]

Another vote for the Musson book, it is an excellent resource.

I feel like some people make wheelbuilding out to be some dark art, and there are so many myths. It is not that hard to build a wheel set that will last for years if you take your time and use quality parts.

Adding to the tool list:

• the EVT multifinder is a nice tool and I like it better than a nipple driver when lacing the wheel, there is enough friction on the to turn the nipple onto the threads
• get a twist resist tool if you plan to build with 2.0/1.5/2.0 spokes or thinner (like a DT Revolution of Sapim Laser) to combat spoke wind up

Other tips from my personal experience:

• have never needed to use any sort of thread locker/fancy spoke prep product, other than linseed oil on threads, and Phil's tenacious on eyelets/nipple seat
• measure ERD yourself when you can, especially with the nipples you plan to use, especially if building with double square nipples
• alloy nipples get a bad rep; I avoid them for wheel sets that are going to see a ton of abuse and road salt, but for a performance bike they are great if you buy high quality ones (ex: Sapim 7075 nipples, not eBay junk)
• use a dish tool, not the calipers on your truing stand
• tension meter is handy, but its easy to go crazy and try to overthink it trying to chase perfection
• don't get distracted, see whatever task through that you are doing so you don't loose track of where you left off

[deluz]

I have never purchased a dishing tool.
What I do is to place three small same size water glasses on my granite countertop and place the rim on them with the glasses evenly spaced.
Then I measure the distance from the end of the hub to the countertop.
Then flip the wheel over and check the spacing. If it is not even I know I need to dish the wheel more.
If I was doing a lot of wheel building (I don’t) then I could see investing in the tool.