Originally Posted by
FastJake
Funny, I build my own wheels to prevent things like broken spokes, or the need for constant truing due to poor build quality, not to mention the freedom to build whatever I want. Like an old Campy record hub laced to a Velocity clincher rim for my fixed gear commuter. Try finding that pre-built. Or my cyclocross race wheels with Shimano cassette hubs laced to old tubular rims (GEL280, Fiamme Ergal, etc.)
I'm not disagreeing with you; there are absolutely benefits to building wheels, especially if you need or want something that's not readily available off the shelf. To add one more to your list of examples, I just built a set of wheels for my daughter's road bike because I wasn't likely to find a set of 650c rims laced to a 126 mm hub.
But talking strictly from a price standpoint, pre-built wheels in common sizes can often be found for lower prices than the parts you'd need to build those same wheels yourself. You can go to Niagara or Nashbar or VeloMine and find serviceable brand new wheelsets for under $100. (We don't need lightweight high end race wheels for a 23-year-old Trek 720 hybrid.)
Originally Posted by
nuclear_biker
Interesting. Generally (not even bikes specifically, but very generally) you save money by building yourself. I will try and price it out tonight.
That is sometimes the case, but not always. To name just one example, compare the price of a new car to the price of all the parts you'd need to build your own. The assembled car will cost you A LOT less.