Built my first WHEEL!!!
08-09-08, 08:46 AM
#1
Faith-Vigilance-Service
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Port Orchard, WA
Posts: 8,330
Bikes: Trinity, Paradisus, Centurion, Mongoose, Trek
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Built my first WHEEL!!!
I can't believe this. I've been back into cycling for years now. Built/rebuilt lots of bikes. Adjusted trued, and repaired several wheels. But never built a wheel from scratch.
Well, I finally built one.
My project is for a Flatbar, steel road framed, E-bike I'm working on. I decided to use the old Normandy hub that originally came with the 35yo Peugot bike I decided to repaint. The original wheels had single wall, chrome steel Rigida rims. Beautiful shiney rims. Absolutely mint, and gorgeous. However, not very good stopping for an E-bike I plan on commuting with in the rain.
So, I pulled the old zinc plated spokes and rim. Thoroughly cleaned/regreased the Normandy hub with some new balls, and Phil Wood waterproof grease.
1- I got 36 DT champion 15ga spokes&nipples from Cambria.
2- Then, I bought two Alex DM-18 25mm wide 700c alloy double wall rims. The rims are actually very nice for only $16. WOW!!!. Not the lightest, but definetly very VERY STRONG!!! These babies were definitely made for heavy touring, or even a beginner 29'er bike.
Anyway, my build started yesturday morning before work. I had an hour, so I laced them up. The whole time, I had my trusty computer screen lit up to the web page containing most coveted of all basic wheel building instructions I could find....
Sheldon Brown.
In less than an hour it was laced.
Went to work......
Came home last night, and had another hour. So, I tensioned them up, got them into round, and trued in about 45 minutes. All in all, I built my first wheel in just under 2 hours. Not bad for a first shot. Though I have trued many a wheel, so I guess I had a head start.
Now, I gotta figure out how to do the rear wheel with some heavy duty 13ga spokes, onto a 5303 electric hub motor.
Well, I finally built one.
My project is for a Flatbar, steel road framed, E-bike I'm working on. I decided to use the old Normandy hub that originally came with the 35yo Peugot bike I decided to repaint. The original wheels had single wall, chrome steel Rigida rims. Beautiful shiney rims. Absolutely mint, and gorgeous. However, not very good stopping for an E-bike I plan on commuting with in the rain.
So, I pulled the old zinc plated spokes and rim. Thoroughly cleaned/regreased the Normandy hub with some new balls, and Phil Wood waterproof grease.
1- I got 36 DT champion 15ga spokes&nipples from Cambria.
2- Then, I bought two Alex DM-18 25mm wide 700c alloy double wall rims. The rims are actually very nice for only $16. WOW!!!. Not the lightest, but definetly very VERY STRONG!!! These babies were definitely made for heavy touring, or even a beginner 29'er bike.
Anyway, my build started yesturday morning before work. I had an hour, so I laced them up. The whole time, I had my trusty computer screen lit up to the web page containing most coveted of all basic wheel building instructions I could find....
Sheldon Brown.
In less than an hour it was laced.
Went to work......
Came home last night, and had another hour. So, I tensioned them up, got them into round, and trued in about 45 minutes. All in all, I built my first wheel in just under 2 hours. Not bad for a first shot. Though I have trued many a wheel, so I guess I had a head start.
Now, I gotta figure out how to do the rear wheel with some heavy duty 13ga spokes, onto a 5303 electric hub motor.
__________________
President, OCP
--"Will you have some tea... at the theatre with me?"--
President, OCP --"Will you have some tea... at the theatre with me?"--
08-09-08, 09:04 AM
#2
Senior Member
sound like you did a GREAT JOB !!!! on your first (front) wheel, now to your rear wheel do the same as the first one just made sure the rear is dish and you be good to go. GOOD LUCK !
08-09-08, 02:07 PM
#3
Senior Member
Hey, good job! There's absolutely nothing more satisfying than spinning a wheel you built that last time in the truing stand and seeing it hum along with zero hops! 
08-09-08, 03:56 PM
#4
Faith-Vigilance-Service
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Port Orchard, WA
Posts: 8,330
Bikes: Trinity, Paradisus, Centurion, Mongoose, Trek
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I managed to get it down to about 0.3mm in round and true, so I think that's about the best I can do for now. I have a small dial mic I'm going to set up later to see if I can get it closer, but I will probably wait until I run in the wheel a bit for a hundred miles or so.
__________________
President, OCP
--"Will you have some tea... at the theatre with me?"--
President, OCP --"Will you have some tea... at the theatre with me?"--
08-09-08, 05:55 PM
#7
Cat 6
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Mountain Brook, AL
Posts: 7,482
Mentioned: 27 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 500 Post(s)
Liked 183 Times
in
118 Posts
Now you wonder what took you so long
Congrats, and many more
Congrats, and many more
__________________
72 Frejus (for sale), Holdsworth Record (for sale), special CNC & Gitane Interclub / 74 Italvega NR (for sale) / c80 French / 82 Raleigh Intl MkII f&f (for sale)/ 83 Trek 620 (for sale)/ 84 Bruce Gordon Chinook (for sale)/ 85 Ron Cooper / 87 Centurion IM MV (for sale) / 03 Casati Dardo / 08 BF IRO / 09 Dogma FPX / 09 Giant TCX0 / 10 Vassago Fisticuff
72 Frejus (for sale), Holdsworth Record (for sale), special CNC & Gitane Interclub / 74 Italvega NR (for sale) / c80 French / 82 Raleigh Intl MkII f&f (for sale)/ 83 Trek 620 (for sale)/ 84 Bruce Gordon Chinook (for sale)/ 85 Ron Cooper / 87 Centurion IM MV (for sale) / 03 Casati Dardo / 08 BF IRO / 09 Dogma FPX / 09 Giant TCX0 / 10 Vassago Fisticuff
08-09-08, 08:38 PM
#8
Making a kilometer blurry
congrats! 
08-10-08, 07:20 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 643 Times
in
364 Posts
I think so too. Now you'll never want to own another set of "store bought" wheels. No matter how trendy or expensive they just don't have that pride of ownership factor.
08-10-08, 08:34 AM
#10
Boomer
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 7,214
Bikes: Diamondback Clarity II frame homebuilt.
Mentioned: 106 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 16098 Post(s)
Liked 1,457 Times
in
1,064 Posts
Congratulations. There is an old saying that you are not a complete bicycle mechanic untill you build your own wheels.
__________________
08-10-08, 10:02 AM
#11
Senior Member
Well done.
It was a few years back now but I can still remember the smile I had when I realized that I'd come out the other end of the truing session with a wheel that ran smooth.
You're in the club now. You'll be sent the instuctions for the secreat handshake by special bonded courier in the next few days. Be sure to wear gloves when you open it as you'll only have 5 minutes to study the instructions before the air reacts with the chemicals and the paper bursts into flame.....
It was a few years back now but I can still remember the smile I had when I realized that I'd come out the other end of the truing session with a wheel that ran smooth.
You're in the club now. You'll be sent the instuctions for the secreat handshake by special bonded courier in the next few days. Be sure to wear gloves when you open it as you'll only have 5 minutes to study the instructions before the air reacts with the chemicals and the paper bursts into flame.....
08-10-08, 11:51 AM
#12
Faith-Vigilance-Service
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Port Orchard, WA
Posts: 8,330
Bikes: Trinity, Paradisus, Centurion, Mongoose, Trek
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
^^^ Aye-Aye!!! Waiting anxiously for secret handshake instructions.
Oh yes. Pics as requested.
Now this is a truing stand.
How 'bout those hi-tech measuring instruments?
Oh yes. Pics as requested.
Now this is a truing stand.
How 'bout those hi-tech measuring instruments?
__________________
President, OCP
--"Will you have some tea... at the theatre with me?"--
President, OCP --"Will you have some tea... at the theatre with me?"--
Last edited by Patriot; 08-10-08 at 11:59 AM.
