Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - where to have wheels built??

can anyone recomend N.Y. bike works???

i'm cross-posting this from the worldclass cycles thread:

build them yourself, it's not hard, really it's not.

if you're not comfortable doing that, lace 'em up yourself, get them close to round and true, then take them to the lbs, confess your sins and ask them to help you out.

they might make fun of you, but they'll true and tension them for WAY less than a complete build.

i dont have spokes + i have no clue how to lace them, i asked trackstar,the guy said $280+ tax, mind you i have the hubs already.

I think you had a misunderstanding. I seriously doubt they would ever charge that much. Maybe they just hate you.

bikeworks builds great wheels.

i dont have spokes + i have no clue how to lace them, i asked trackstar,the guy said $280+ tax, mind you i have the hubs already.


$280 for rims, spokes and labor?

Out of control.

yep! thats what they quoted me. for open pro's 36H + straight ga. spokes + labor, excluding tax.

here's how to do it: go to the lbs with the hubs (and rims if you have them, if not, buy them there), and ask them to set you up w/ some spokes (get double-butted), and a spoke wrench.

take all the parts home and lace the wheels (see sheldonbrown.com for the technical details), and then get them as close to true and round as you can (see sheldon again for the 'fork, pencil, and rubber band method).

once you've done that take them back to the lbs to be trued and tensioned.

$120 for Rims, $1 per spoke, $72, which brings you to about $200, plus $40 per wheel to build. not unreasonable.

I think you had a misunderstanding. I seriously doubt they would ever charge that much. Maybe they just hate you. they dont know me to hate me,probably cause im not a messenger i guess.

yep! thats what they quoted me. for open pro's 36H + straight ga. spokes + labor, excluding tax.


What are Open Pros? $40 a rim?

So, $80 (rims) $60 (spokes) ??? (labor).

It shouldn't cost you more than $180.

I agree with Dolface.
Wheel building can be intimidating but it really isnt as hard as it seems. Let Sheldon guide you and let your LBS do the final true.

also, what mrRed said.

$120 for Rims, $1 per spoke, $72, which brings you to about $200, plus $40 per wheel to build. not unreasonable.

Open Pros are $60 each?
Whoa.

Open Pros are $60 each?
Whoa.

yup.

they dont know me to hate me,probably cause im not a messenger i guess.

I hate messengers (Grumpy Smurf)

Enjoy

yup.


Nevermind, then.

I guess I misunderstood you. I thought you wanted just a build (i.e. JUST labor). I was joking about them hating you!

is there ever a clinic where one can learn how to build a wheel? while i can build a bike blindfolded, I neverlearned how to do the wheels :( i hope to find someone who can teach me so i dont get shaged ever again

Nevermind, then.

ma3's are solid rims, for about half the price of open pros.

ma3's are solid rims, for about half the price of open pros.

That must be what I was thinking of.
Or CXP22s?

is there ever a clinic where one can learn how to build a wheel? while i can build a bike blindfolded, I learned how to do the wheels :( i hope to find someone who can teach me so i dont get shaged ever again

cheack your local bike co-op, they'll prolly have classes.

na, the price is reasonable, and they build great wheels. I've also never had a problem with the few wheels built for me at NYC Velo. Both shops take time and care in building their wheels and they should last you forever. If you want to try yourself. I say go ahead. There's a couple of books on it that should point you in the right direction. Always start at sheldon brown.

...Always start at sheldon brown.

truer words were never written...

yeah, i have a book, THe bicycle wheel - a truing stand,spoke wrench. i dont really understand what im reading esp about calculating spoke lenth

I used to be in the same position as you before.
Scared to work on anything in case I messed up all my parts.
So I just sat down. Read all the crap I could about building wheels & spoke length calc and stuff.
Realized how simple/logical it all really was.
and just took it slow when I built up my first wheelset.

You gotta start somewhere. Don't be scared off by thinking its hard and is only for hardcore messengers.

Just take it slow and see the logic behind what you are doing. And be VERY methodical.

yes, your right! so your saying you now can build true & strong wheels?

i dont have spokes + i have no clue how to lace them, i asked trackstar,the guy said $280+ tax, mind you i have the hubs already.

I decided to make a new set of wheels for my old Schwinn. I found a set of Shimano hubs on eBay for $27; a pair of rims from my LBS at $30/each; 64 spokes & nipples from my LBS for around $50. Took me about six hours total to build both wheels. My LBS charges $40 to build a wheel. $280 + tax sounds excessive… Actually, if they supplied the hubs, then perhaps that figure starts to sound about right.

…but as others have mentioned, it really isn't too difficult to learn to build wheels - and think of the money you'll save. Think of the money you'll earn as people from miles around flock to your door asking you to build wheels for them :)

- Wil

it may not be hard, but is tiring to do. but i will try to learn from an old set of wheels 1st. thanks.

it may not be hard, but is tiring to do. but i will try to learn from an old set of wheels 1st. thanks.

Don't be scared, just dive in and do it.

Here are some photo guides, which may be more helpful to you than the diagrams on Sheldon's site (or maybe not):

4x lacing (http://www.gsportbmx.co.uk/custom/wheel_build/wheels.html)
3-leading 3-trailing (http://www.baldurdash.org/OtherStuff/3leading3trailing.html)
3x lacing (http://www.thecycleshed.co.uk/wheelbuilding.html)

m.

www.youngwheels.com
without peer atmo -

yes, your right! so your saying you now can build true & strong wheels?

can't say they are the best. but I have ridden my own wheels for a few months now, everyday on avg. 20ish km a day and they're still true :)
and they're 28h as well. so they're good enough for me.

just read the instructions until it all makes perfect sense to you. It took me a while.

best advice I can give: keep EVERYTHING relative to the valve hole. and try to always just work to the right of the valve hole.

Take it really slowly the first time, and as soon as you have them as good as you can get them, put them down and walk away for a few hours, preferrably overnight.
Then take a look at 'em: make sure you didn't put a spoke in the wrong hole, or have two spokes crossing overtop of the valve hole (makes inflation a royal pain in the @ss), or something.

Take a look at the spoke length calculator over at DTSwiss. Once you know the proper size, you can pay a more reasonable price. My latest wheelset are Open Pro Ceramics laced to Gipiemme low flange track hubs, 36 hole, X3. Inside pulling assymnetrical, if you must know. Front and Non-Drive side rear are 295mm 15/16 butted, and the drive side are 14/15 butted 294's. And Yes, you can see "Gipiemme" when you look through the valve hole. :D

Proper tensioning is going to involve between 14-16 turns of the nipple per spoke, assuming (of course) that you have the proper length to begin with. I usually lace up the wheel, and then give each nipple a dozen turns, at which time I recheck (again!) the lacing pattern, valve hole alignment, and all that good stuff.

Then it's into the truing stand for the final runup. Before I could afford a stand, I used a bike with brakes. You can use the brake pads as impromptu truing guides. Now you know what road bikes are for.

My advise and opinion:

Just go to Bikeworks.

How many wheels are you going to build in your lifetime?

The folks at Bikeworks build wheels every f*ckin' day... You will spend how many hours reading and learning how to build wheels for one f8ckin' wheelset...maybe two?

Pay cash at Bikeworks and you will get a break. And they are good people.

I usually lace up the wheel, and then give each nipple a dozen turns

what the crap, do you ACTUALLY do that!?