cs1

I would like to try my hand at wheel building. Where can I find a good selection of spokes and wheel building supplies in general.

Tim

TallRider

I just picked some up at my LBS. They had a variety of spoke types and lengths, and the database to calculate what length spokes I needed, given the hub and rim I was building with. They also have spoke prep. I already have a trueing stand, but most LBS places could order it for you, or you could mail order one.

spider-man

I sometimes buy spokes at https://www.icyclesusa.com/

For my most recent build, I ordered the spokes, rim and hub at the same time from Harris Cyclery: www.harriscyclery.com

Your LBS is of course a good recommendation, too.

spinbackle

Cambria is also a very good spoke source.

https://www.cambriabike.com/

crusty_pedals

go to your ****ing bike shops people. they have or can order the spokes you need, based on rim and hub used. you're all going to be so screwed when your LBS' go out of business because nobody uses them for anything other than stealing their opinions and knowledge and these huge online mega stores aren't going to give you the info you need because you cannot actually talk to them. im so sick of you people. why can't you help out your community a bit and just not be *******s.

spider-man

My LBS was flooded by Hurricane Katrina and has been closed ever since.

TallRider

That's why I go to my LBS for most things. But I don't always need their knowledge. But, for comparison, there's a Performance outlet in my town, and they are always understaffed and the workers don't know all that much.
Also, some online retailers (e.g., Harris, Rivendell, Lickton's) are run out of real bike shops by people who will talk to and help you. Performance and Nashbar and Supergo (all owned by the same company, btw) don't fall into this category. But I still buy some stuff from them, because lots of times I don't need opinions or help with what to buy, and I want a really large selection or strange parts.

halfspeed

They're not a ****ing charity. I won't pay a 20-50% premium to keep them in business unless they're adding some value. Sometimes they do, mostly they don't. They don't ride or sell the bikes I ride anyway and they don't stock a lot of the parts that I need. As far as the "info I need" is concerned, I can find that myself and don't need to depend on the sometimes questionable advice of a bike shop employee. If the LBS' business model isn't working any more, it's time to find a new business model. Although considering that bicycle sales last season were the best they've been since the 70's bike boom, it's probably not in too bad of a condition.

squeegy200

WOW! time to unwedge those undies!

Living in Los Angeles, there seems to be bike shops every ten miles. Here's my experience in trying to support them.

Bike shop 3 miles away -- When asked why his Ultegra was more expensive than DuraAce at the other local bike shop, he informed me that there are different levels of Shimano and the other stores are selling the "Lowend" version of DuraAce. STRIKE 1

Bike Shop 10 Miles Away -- Prepaid for a Chris King Headset in my desired color. When it arrived, it took three salesman to find it and none seemed to want to give me my headset. Finally, the manager came out and said I didn't pay enough. He wanted $10 more dollars before I could take it home! (Last $10 I ever spent in there!) STRIKE 2

Bike Shop 12 miles away -- While shopping for other items, I asked a bike shop mechanic if I could look at the DuraAce Anniversary Gruppo. I wanted to take a closer look at the Shimano Watch. He told me I shouldn"t waste my time with that "crap" and should buy Campagnolo. STRIKE 3

Online retailers provide convenience, shopping 24 hours a day/365 days a year, and comparative pricing between several competing vendors in a matter of seconds. Most will match prices of their competitors. And I can find hard to find items easily.

The Walmart brick and mortar will always be with us. But the digital economy has arrived.

Resistance is futile.

Rev.Chuck

What kind of bike do you ride? Between the guys at our shop we have: five road bikes, four fixed gears, one track bike, three hardtail mountian bikes, two rigid mountian bikes, two full suspension bikes, four singlespeed mountian bikes, one downhill/freeride bike, one mod trials bike, one stock trials bike, two cyclocross bikes, and a unicycle. If you include the owner, tack on a bunch of road bikes, two or three tandems, and more than thirty vintage bikes including two highwheelers.

You must ride a tadpole.

Rich vSB

How about my local LBS...

https://www.bikeman.com/

https://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/c/COMPSPK

Rev.Chuck

Well I checked Performance and Nashbar and they both had a big lack of Sturmey Archer parts, no Campy G springs, Uh-oh, no cottered crank pins or cranks, no stock of cartridge bearings. Wow, you are so right. They have a huge inventory of hard to find parts, not. We have all that stuff in stock.

halfspeed

Yours is not one of my LBSs.

Al1943

I buy 90% of my bicycle needs inclucing all wheel parts from my favorite LBS. He offers 10% discount to regular customers and club members. He will usually match online store prices including shipping. If asked, his mechanic will dip all spoke threads in Spoke Prep at no cost. He offers many parts and services not available on line. He maintains a large supply of old out-of-production parts and is often willing to trade old used serviceable parts.

Al

Sluggo

I think you have a good point, but a weakness of Rivendell (whom I love and where I do buy stuff) is that they are *not* a real bike shop. I bought a rim from them and they did not stock spokes except in the sizes they used for their standard wheel builds, and could not even calculate the right size spoke for my high-flange hub.

The successfull shop of the future will have an online presence, a consistent supply of the some niche stuff, and the complete resources of a real bike shop. Harris and Peter White do exactly that.

Rev.Chuck

"and could not even calculate the right size spoke for my high-flange hub"

Seriously? They could have at least faked it with the Dt site and a few measurements from you.

bitingduck

Or with Damon Rinard's "spocalc.xls" spreadsheet. Available via fine search engines everywhere.

buttbybrooks

Hey Crusty Pedals, you ever buy a book from Amazon.com or buy some music online?

Just curious.

Dogbait

Tim,
I have no negativity to offer, pro or con, regarding local bike shops but here is where I get wheelbuilding supplies:

Wheelbuilder

Bike Tools Etc

Here is an online spoke length calculator:

Spoke Calcualtor

If you email the techs at Bike Tools Etc., they will calculate your spoke length for you. You will have to tell them what hubs and rims you are using.


Dogbait

cs1

Thanks for the info. I was planning on building up a set of old Chorus hubs with a really clean set of Mavic CXP30 rims.

Tim

YellowstoneYeti

www.oddsandendos.com

A great selection and excellent customer service. I just built a pair of wheels for my LHT. My emails were answered promptly, even though they were riding out a hurricane at the time. Check them out.