dthomp1231

I was thinking about buying rims and using the existing spokes and hubs on my bike, there formula, and if i hd the same hole pattern i would think it would be simple. How hard is it to put on spokes and build the wheel?

veggiemafia

The new rims would have to have the same ERD (Effective Rim Diameter, the inner diameter of the rim) as the old rims, which they probably wouldn't.

You'd also have to use the same lacing pattern.

For example, if you had Open Pros, and you wanted to change your rims to Deep Vs, it wouldn't work because Deep Vs have a considerably smaller ERD.

ERD and hub flange diameter are (basically) the determining factors in calculating spoke length.

Retem

get new spokes they are cheap

bward1028

building fixed wheel = not so hard, compared to the dishing for a rear wheel with multiple gears. look online, especially at sheldon brown. after that, get fancy when you're comfortable. spokes are cheap. try to find them online. you can get as low as 40 cents per spoke in some pretty well known names if you look hard enough.

roadgator

go for new spokes. the old ones will already be fatigued (assuming they got rode a fair bit) and and will snap sooner and cause more issues.

goldener

new spokes cost less than $20 (straight guage, brass nips) for a whole wheel's worth...not worth it for me to scrimp on the spokes and have them all break laters...

msneeri2@hotmai

this is all good advice and probably what you should do, but i personally am riding wheels that i did rim transfers on over a year ago and everthing is fine. granted, i don't weigh much and the previous use of the spokes was only on the track on tubular rims. if you are broke, then i would say maybe the transfer would be fine. just get a rim with the same ERD as veggiemafia said, tape it to the old rim, and transfer one side of the hub's spokes at a time, and be careful with your work. then have a pro tension and true them if you are not confident with it. good luck!

bward1028

if you are broke. broke broke broke. but, as i found out the hard way with wheels, it's easier to be a little more broke now (by forking out the cash for new important bits) than to be a lot broke later (if you have to buy a new wheel/hub/rim/etc later when it all goes to hell).

marqueemoon

Building a wheel is not terribly hard, but it's enough work to make it worth investing a little money in to get something that will last and hold up to abuse.

Retem

uh dude you dish a single sided fixed wheel

oldsprinter

I've reused spokes. Easiest way to do it is tape all the spokes at the join with normal Scotch tape. Undo all the nipples, then pull out the hub and spoke with all the spokes held in the right place for the new rim, put old nipples in new rim, true, then ride.