"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - how much to build a wheel?

Hey der,

I currently have a PT build into an open pro but would like to get something a little more conducive to racing. If I bought a nice rear wheel what would I be looking at paying to have the hub switched out? I live in the north Chicago burbs if that means anything.

Maybe 50 bucks, possibly less if you're a regular at the shop. I'll do it for 20 bucks :D My vast wheel building experience (3 ENTIRE TIMES!!!) makes that a real bargain.

Buy a truing stand, pick up a book on wheel building (Jobst Brandt's is good) and assemble and disassemble a beater wheel a few times, then once you're comfortable - do it yourself.

I would rather pay 50 bucks and not think about it every time I saddle up. Interesting though, I didnt realize it would be so inexpensive.

I've built 3 or 4 this year and have done two Powertap wheel builds. The most recent was built with an older Hed Jet 60, 28 spoke, 2 cross. It sure isn't rocket science and my wheel builds have done beautifully so far. I had to touch up the truing on the rears after a few hundred miles, but the nice thing about doing your own builds is that re-truing is fairly trivial and quick once you've gotten a little practice.

My hub is a 32 hole, does that mean I can only get 32 spoked wheels? Or is it possible to, say, use only 20 of them?

update: nevermind it seems that it can be done if I come up with a good lace pattern.

You could use 24 if you skip every other non-drive side (I'd also use a 32 hole rim and skip every 4th hole), but you have to decide if it's really worth it. I think you'll save about 30-40 grams with that.

Saris frowns upon 1/2 NDS lacing.

Saris frowns upon 1/2 NDS lacing.
I agree. It's a useless venture, but if you're a weight weenie who really doesn't need 32 spokes under his @$$, it's not a fatal error either. Just be sure you know the strength of the rim you're building, as I imagine there's a reason some rims aren't available with less than 32 holes.

Actually I'm not really a weight weenie. I just dont know what I can do since I have a 32h hub since most racing wheels seem to have a far less number of spokes. I guess my other option would be to sell this and buy a hub with less holes.

the price suggested would be for the build only. Understand that you'd be buying a new rim and new spokes as well.

Do you really need to race w/ your powertap? I suggest doing a few B-races with it and see how much it really helps. The data is nice afterwards, but it won't help you win the race. Then you'll have to ride everyday on your race wheel if you want power data.

My suggestion, stick w/ the strong PT training wheel. I built mine even stronger (deep V rim), and get a light, aero racing wheel for races you really want to win. Or buy another PT. The point of those low spoke count "racing" wheels is that they should be used more for "racing" and have less miles on them.

FWIW, I own a tough, heavy PT wheel, and a blingy, deep, carbon tubular non-PT wheel and I like it that way. In the actual race, there are only 3 speeds: getting dropped, keeping up, and attacking, unless you plan on winning everything in a solo TT off the front. But even then I'd rather be on a carbon race wheel that's too light for everyday training, than a compromise built onto a heavy hub.

EDIT: If you claim you aren't a weight weenie, get the best of both worlds, build the PT onto a deep v. It's aerodynamic, super strong, and heavy, but not really that bad. That's what I'm on 95% of the time and I love it.

Actually I'm not really a weight weenie. I just dont know what I can do since I have a 32h hub since most racing wheels seem to have a far less number of spokes. I guess my other option would be to sell this and buy a hub with less holes.
Most racing wheels don't have a powertap either. Brianappleby had a good point. What do you use a PT in races for? I imagine it's a more of a training tool than a race data device.

I would just race the Open Pro until it dies from training. It's not going to slow you down (much). In races, the PowerTap is more valuable than any benefits you could get from a "race wheel." The post-race data analysis is very important (not of much use during the race).

If you want to rebuild, I think most builders will do it for around $30. You can learn it for yourself too. It just takes patience.

If you want to go fairly lightweight without breaking the bank, consider the Aerohead OC or IRD Cadence VSR rims. If you spend more on spokes, you can save some weight there too (CX-Ray).