I built my wheels myself because I couldn't find a 26" dynamo wheel that I liked. And then once you get started it is very satisfying to do it yourself. I even bought a tension meter when I decided that my original build wasn't tight enough. I'd guess that sometimes it pays to diy and sometimes it doesn't. My wheels were about $220 total for front and rear, using Shimano 3N72 front, LX T780 rear, Mavic XM317 rims and Wheelsmith 20-17-20 spokes. Total weight is 2200g, mostly because of the front dynamo. It would be 1700-1800 with a regular lightweight front hub.
Last edited by zacster; 05-07-14 at 05:55 PM.