Originally Posted by
daaxix
I'm an engineer, so probably could, but with the Australia move, finishing graduate school, and kids, I just don't have the time.
The difference between shop build cost and just the parts is right at what a decent wheel stand, nipple wrench, and tension meter cost, and I'll have to resell those tools before I move to Australia, taking them over there isn't worth the shipping cost or the time cost.
A spoke wrench is easier to ship than a fully built wheel.
You don't need a tension meter.
And a truing stand can be quite simple (even truing on a bike).
Spending $1000 on a set of "spare" wheels is ambitious.
I realize that being "car free" means you need a robust plan to commute. However, for that same $1000, you could buy 10 used MTBs.
Learning to fix your own problems can be worth 10x paying someone to repair them for you. My nearest LBS is about 10 miles away.
I do like to have some "spares" on hand, but I am always on the prowl for below market value parts. I typically pay less than $5 for a 26" wheel.
The one wheel that is hard to replace might be a quality 20" wheel, so that might be worth spending some cash to get right.
If this car-free thing is new, you may also expect to make some radical changes over the next year or so. I have a home-built cargo bike which I use at times, but I also like pulling kid's trailers, usually using a skinny tire "road" bike. You have kids? Tandem? Afterburner? lots of things might come up.