Originally Posted by
bkaapcke
Well, I've avoided wheel truing and building because it seems like some kind of voodoo. I admit, I thought derailler tuning was voodoo too, until I figured it out. Now I can really tune a der. So, the question I have for you experienced wheelsmiths is; Is it reasonably straight forward, like the video shows? Should I quit worrying about this and go ahead and get the tools, and start doing it? At this point, it looks like the last frontier, and I'm still hesitating. bk
Yes it is easy to build wheels; Lacing the spokes or tightening them requires no special talent nor special manual dexterity. However, I recommend doing your homework first. Correct knowledge and and proper techniques builds better wheels (and faster too) than expensive parts. Get Jobst Brandt's book, or Roger Musson's e-book, they are both cheap and good in different ways.
I am not saying it cannot be frustrating to build a wheel; most people makes mistakes in the beginning, sometimes lacing the wheel incorrectly, or usually turning the spoke key left when turning right was the proper thing to do. It can feel like a whack-a-mole game to get that rim straight, but it is very hard to actually destroy anything, so one can just loosen all the spokes and start all over if anything went wrong.
Also, getting the right spoke length can be tricky. However it gives great satisfaction to build your own wheels.
--
Regards