Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - New fixie wheelbuild complete

Well, they're not the best wheels in the world, but I built them myself, teaching myself how to do it as I went. And that ought to be worth something.
Alex 700c CX disc rims (no braking surface, baby!), Bullseye front hub laced radially, Nashbar fixed/fixed rear hub laced 3x, EAI 16T cog.
I've got a new 47T chainring and KMC 410 chain waiting to go on too... can't wait to try them out!
Just wanted to show off my handiwork :D

nicely done Ryan.
From the ground-up and all...color me impressed.

I feel proud as heck, and I don't even know ya! Bullseye hubs look cool from what I've seen, and that one even more so! Good job!

You know you'll owe us a follow-up on the your wheel build AND the rear hub, right?

What bike is this stuff going on?

Cool feeling isn't it?

I've yet to build a rear-wheel, but the front I built for my current fixie is still holding up after a year's worth of riding ('bout 2500 miles).

I'd imagine fixed rear wheels aren't much more complicated than the front ones, huh?

Not nearly as much (any?) dishing to worry about...

-Trevor

I'm trying to work up the ambition to do the same thing, nice looking job and those hubs rock! Did you have any previous training or experience in this or did you consult sheldon's site?

congrats dude, that's awesome!

They do look nice. 2x on the rear?

For anyone who's been thinking about building up their own wheels, do it. I had such a great time building mine. It's great to ride a bike that you built up 100%. I'm sure ryan_c will validate.

SWEEEEET. Nice work. I will eventually build new 700c wheels for my bike too, when I upgrade from the Suzue Basic hub.

those red/white/blue bullseyes are my favorite hubs EVAR! i so wish roger would make some real fixie rear hubs. i'd build a set of those r/w/b ones with alternating red/blue spline drive nipples that i've been saving in case the day ever comes.

good job!

Nice work. They look awesome. Did you use a tensiometer to tension the spokes?

whoah, thanks for all the positive feedback, guys!
no previous experience, consulted sheldons site to double check the leading/trailing elbows in/out stuff and verify that i was doing everything right. really wasnt too bad. for the front at least, i just popped in Blade Runner and kept alternating between radial and lateral truing, and before i knew it it was looking pretty good. mmm, blade runner. the back was a little more challenging, stress relieving the spokes and all (again, thanks sheldon) and there is still a little irregularity by the seam of the rim, but ill live with that.
I was going to put these on the Fuji road conversion (and probably will) but am somewhat apprehensive about exposing these babies to the snow and salt just yet - my current rear wheel and chain are getting eaten alive. everything is brown and noisy. I would love to put them on the steamroller i will probably be getting soon (thanks, you know who) although that will need some cranks too...
i didnt have a tensiometer - it would be nice, but i did it by feel. if the wheel collapses and i die, ill know i did something wrong. or at least the emt's will.

....was that coherent? señor corona and his friend jose cuervo partied with me this evening. quite the fiesta.

ryan,

if you don't mind my asking, how much did this all cost you in the end?

p.

uhm, lets see. not including shipping:
43 for the pair of rims
50 for the rear hub, including 2 lockrings.
10 for the front hub
25? for DT spokes (could have gone way cheaper but want them to last w/o worry)
a few odd bucks for nipples (story of my life)

not dirt cheap, but cheaper than iro wheels, w/ that custom touch :D

a few odd bucks for nipples (story of my life)

I know how THAT goes.

señor corona and his friend jose cuervo partied with me this evening.
pants party?

$10 for a Bullseye hub?!?!

Congrats on the excellent wheels.

Coupla questions: 1) did you use any thread compound on the nipples?
2) you said the wheel was tensioned 'by feel'... did you do any comparisons between spokes to get relatively even tension around the wheel?
3) can I have your autograph?

1) No. I'm assuming you are talking about a thread lubricant. Others may not agree, but I've read that its unnecessary on radially-laced wheels, as they may loosen of their own accord since the nipple does not lie at a strong angle in the eyelet, and that even in the rear it is not too important with the high quality of spokes and nipples these days (Sheldon), so I opted not to spend the extra money. If this proves to be a problem on the rear (I'm guessing I will know after a few miles) then I'll take care of it, but really I'm not too worried. (Should I be?)
2) Yes, I feel that by doing things like squeezing spokes at the crosses, tugging on them every whichaway, I did a decent job. Hey, they didn't have tensiometers back in the old days, right? I'm probably going to re-truing the wheels (at least the rear) after the first couple rides anyway, as the spokes will probably settle a bit more, so tensions may change.
3) I'll have a signed 8x10 glossy for you the next time I'm out for a ride.

That's a nice lookin' wheelset, man. I plan on lacing my first set soon and have been collecting parts. I'm feelin' the "no braking surface" look too. Keep us posted on how they work out.

$10 for a Bullseye hub?!?!

that's exactly what i thought. nice wheels. you just inspired me to post my own new set.

Just what are you guys trying to say!? The bullseye was an ebay gem - i was the only person to bid on it so I got it for the starting price.

i always use a moly based grease on my wheel builds. i do not use spoke prep type stuff, because most of that stuff sort of turns into thread lock after a month or so. then i end up rounding nipples when i try to true a whacked wheel. moly based grease is good because it gets into the pores of the metal so you still have a lubricant present even if you wipe the surface clean.

but my wheel building opinion is just one drop in a sea of millions.

nice score on the hub.