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Old 04-29-12 | 08:14 AM
  #13  
bobotech
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,243
Likes: 4
From: Spokane, WA

Bikes: Specialized Sequoia Elite/Motobecane Fantom Cross Team Ti/'85 Trek 520

If you have patience, then you could do it. If you have the "feel", you will transition easily into building a wheel. I'm far from experienced, I am still a newbie but I have built several wheels.

By feel, I am referring to a natural mechanics ability to sense subtle torque and tension differences when tightening and loosening fasteners. If you don't have confidence in that ability, you can rely on external tools to mimic the feel such as tension meters and the like. I do use a tension meter towards the end of my wheel builds at my bike coop but its mainly to reinforce my confidence that I did the wheel correctly. You can use the plucking the spokes technique or even just feeling the spoke deflection.

But yes, if you like putting things together and are very anal about it and don't mind spending a couple hours or more on a single mechanical task, you could build a wheel.
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