Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Switching out rims ghetto technique? can i do it?

I am gonna be switching some campy aero rims for some open pros and was wondering if i can do a technique i read on an ebay listing.

basically you tape the new rim next to the old and one by one switch spokes over. My only reason to do this is because the LBS charges 35 bucks for wheel build when realistically all i need is a rim swap and true.

Could i use this technique to lace the rim then take it to the lbs to true for 7 dollars. or will i warp the rim.

Any tips or other ideas would be fantastic. And please let me know if i should bite the bullet and just pay the 35 dollars.

are you serious? you'd really risk your life and dope new rims just to save $35?

I wouldn't trust a $35 wheel build.

my life haha. your right. i need to go work like 4 extra hours. I am just pissed at the LBS.

You city folk take for granted choice. I have one bike shop to choose from. Not fun.

I wouldn't trust a $35 wheel build.

How much do builds cost in South Carolina? News flash: You're paying to much if the labor is more than $40.

Still, this is a bad--really bad--idea, because the spokes are almost certainly going to be the wrong length, one way or another.

chances are if 1 rim is significantly deeper than the other you'll need a different length of spokes too

yeah its gonna be pretty significant. I will have to take them to the LBS. I should really learn how to build wheels.

be sure to check against a spoke calculator, whether you go it alone or to your LBS:
http://www.dtswiss.com/spokescalc/welcome.aspx?language=en

yeah its gonna be pretty significant. I will have to take them to the LBS. I should really learn how to build wheels.

here's your chance! :D

you have a friend, or a friend of a friend that knows how to build wheels. it isn't really that tricky. just take the rims/hubs to a shop and make them figure out the spoke length. and have fun.

-jason

I've done it. Re-laced it your way, and had the shop finish the job. Saved me some money, and they are still true. Go for it!

That's the way I do it if the spoke lengths are correct. Go for it.

gonna need new spokes if swithcing from open pros to vee shaped rims

Don't forget to not change the lacing pattern if you decide to lace it yourself. If you do change it, you run a highly increased risk of hub flange failure, according to some sources.

Sheldonbrown.com has a nifty wheel build guide. It's almost Sesame Street like. I had never built a wheel before, but managed to do a decent job on a couple and it really wasn't very hard. I used Dtswiss.com for the spoke calculator and built them with a three cross pattern. My lbs charges $35 to build or $15 to tension and true. Since the lacing is really easy that might be something to consider.

just learn how to lace up on a basic 3 cross pattern.
Its the easiest part of wheelbuilding!

And yea, if your spoke lengths are different.... you can't exactly skimp.
You just gotta buy new lengthed spokes.
and I HIGHLY doubt that your spokes lenghts will be the same
especially if you are changing from aero profile rims to a more box type mavic open pros.

just suck it up and treat youself to some new spokes.
Save yourself money on the lacing & let your LBS tension/true it for you.

oh. and guess what? spokes come with FREE nipples huzzah!

just learn how to lace up on a basic 3 cross pattern.
Its the easiest part of wheelbuilding!

And yea, if your spoke lengths are different.... you can't exactly skimp.
You just gotta buy new lengthed spokes.
and I HIGHLY doubt that your spokes lenghts will be the same
especially if you are changing from aero profile rims to a more box type mavic open pros.

just suck it up and treat youself to some new spokes.
Save yourself money on the lacing & truing/tensioning part by doing it yourself.

oh. and guess what? spokes come with FREE nipples huzzah!
You know how to build wheels?

yea.
I recently got a part-time job at my LBS and they taught me everything.

yea.
I recently got a part-time job at my LBS and they taught me everything.
i wish i could build wheels :(

Let the local shop do the work, but make sure the guy or gal is experienced. The guy I go to charges $25 and has been building wheels for 25 years. Building a wheel is easy with experience, but not something to mess with unless you plan on making a living doing it. $35 is the way to go.

ask sheldon brown.
you can learn for yourself :)
Also, a REALLY REALLY good book is the art of wheelbuilding.
Its not overly technical and is basically like a little reference book.
Its written by Gerd Schraner

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0964983532.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Its written by Gerd Schraner

It may be heresy but I think the Gerd Schraner book is a better place to start than Sheldon's site. You should read Sheldon as well because he has a lot to say too. But the Gerd book is a fun quick read with a very straightforward practical wheel building section.

Its also great if you can watch someone build a wheel. Learnt a lot just by hanging around at my LBS and watching them work.

true that.
try you hardest to become friends with your LBS, you'll learn a LOT.

i wish i could build wheels :(
Once and for all: Wheelbuilding is not some sacred art that only a few "inner-circle" types practice in secret caves beneath the surface of the ocean.

Read Sheldon's page on it, and a couple other webpages. Lacing isn't complicated once you realize the pattern. Try it. After one wheel, you will be all set.

I know this is uber-obvious, but do them 1 at a time so you have a "reference" wheel the whole time. No online guide or photo is as good as the exact same thing sitting right there. 90% of my n00b mechanical mistakes have come from being too eager to take stuff apart. (The other half were from not knowing WTF I was doing)

you have a friend, or a friend of a friend that knows how to build wheels. it isn't really that tricky. just take the rims/hubs to a shop and make them figure out the spoke length. and have fun.

-jason



Make? How about ask?
Or as you are on a computer, you could do some measuring and figure it yourself from the Dt Swiss site.

The hardest part to lacing up the spokes is keeping the logo on the hub and the rim and the valve hole on the rim aligned the way you want it...if you are into that sort of thing.

On my 5th build with 2 more lined up next month. Starting the first wheel was daulting, then you wonder what all the fuss is about. The hard part I found is deciding when good enough is good enough.

The hardest part to lacing up the spokes is keeping the logo on the hub and the rim and the valve hole on the rim aligned the way you want it...if you are into that sort of thing.

On my 5th build with 2 more lined up next month. Starting the first wheel was daulting, then you wonder what all the fuss is about. The hard part I found is deciding when good enough is good enough.

word...I was one spoke hole off from perfect logo alignment on my last build and it took all of my self-control not to unlace and rebuild. But yeah, building wheels is easy once you start doing it. Just allow yourself lots of time and use proper equiptment. Much easier to build a wheel with proper-length spokes and quality parts than with junk.

The hardest part to lacing up the spokes is keeping the logo on the hub and the rim and the valve hole on the rim aligned the way you want it...if you are into that sort of thing.
That's why I love formula hubs. No logos = no alignment problems.

90% of my n00b mechanical mistakes have come from being too eager to take stuff apart.

I went to repack the headset on my new frame two nights ago and it didn't occur to me that the bearings wouldn't be in retainers. Result of impetuousnes = greasy 5/32" ball bearings all over the living room floor.

m.

I went to repack the headset on my new frame two nights ago and it didn't occur to me that the bearings wouldn't be in retainers. Result of impetuousnes = greasy 5/32" ball bearings all over the living room floor.

m.

that's why i turn my bikes upside down when servicing the headset.

I've done this, but only to replace a damaged rim with the same thing. If the difference in rim height is too great, which is what I think you'll come up against, you're screwed and will have to swap out the spokes as well.
If you want to try it with one wheel, just to see how it works out, make sure that the valve holes line up, and that you have the spoke offsets matching. Transfer each spoke one at a time; a very small drop of oil on the spoke threads will generally remove any crud and make retensioning the wheel easier.

See how it goes. It's a good way to work on a wheel and to learn how to do it, but you're probably gonna end up at your LBS due to the spoke length. Show up towards the end of the day, and bring a 6 of Heinies. The beer investment should pay off with a discount for the work involved.

Be Nice To Your Wrench, For He Will Bail Your @ss Out Some Day.

You also want to bring the tension down in the rim before swapping spokes. Makes life easier on the hub and spokes and it also gives more room to move when you start swapping

hmm, can anybody point me to an online reference that has diagrams for different wheel building patterns?

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

here's a good wheelbuilding book available online as a pdf. just paypal and download. instant!
as for other spoke patterns...
crazy:
http://www.terminalvelocity.demon.co.uk/WheelBuild/
normal:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html

real quick and I know this sounds stupid, but there's no difference in length between trailing and leading spokes, correct?

Correct. Sometimes there is a difference between sides depending on dish.

Well... over the past 3 days @ work, I laced up WAY too many wheels. I need more fingers and toes to count up to that number.

Anyways, on the aligning logo to rim.
To me, an aligned wheel is when you look through the valve hole and you see the logo on the hub is centered.
I was just experimenting and such and found that generally:

If you are lacing up a 36 hole w/ 3 cross:
Take the hub and find the hole that aligns with the center of the logo.
Count 4 holes to the right (not including the one your starting with) and drop your key spoke in.
(so 3 holes between the hole that aligns with the centered logo and the hole that you just dropped your key spoke in)
Then flip the hub and look down the holes. Find the hole that is just a tad right of the key hole and drop your second spoke into that.
Now you can start lacing, when you twist the hub and start the 3 cross, the logo should be perfectly aligned and be centered when you look through the valve hole.

With 32h Laced 3 cross:
Do everything the same, cept only count 3 holes to the right of the hole that aligns with the center of the logo.

Lastly, I wouldn't recommend trying out exotic patterns such as crows foot for your first wheelbuild.
It is confusing enough your first time.
Lace up a few with the regular 3 cross to get a feel for exactly what you are doing and how it work.
And just get a feel for the pattern.
Once you get that down, you can start messing around with other patterns.