I was just wondering if it's possible to learn how to true/lace wheels without searching endlessly through videos. I am fifteen and i can fix anything on a bike except for almost anything that has to do with wheels i want to build my own wheel set too but i need to learn how to do it before i put money into it. Yah i googled it looked through youtube did all that stuff any other ideas or personal experience? thanks.

If you're mechanically inclined, you can do it. It takes patience and finesse, and it's a satisfying and useful skill to develop. Few people appreciate a quality wheel, and fewer still can build them, but you can do it if you try.

You can do it with little more than a spoke wrench and a bicycle frame. Read Sheldon's article on wheelbuilding:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html

...and get a copy of Jobst Brandt's The Bicycle Wheel, particularly if you want to understand what you're doing. (Try your local library if you can't afford to buy it.)

thanks but that website shows only one style of lacing but ill consider the book

Well... I learned to build wheels when I was 16 and just starting to work in a bike shop. Maybe there's an old mechanic willing to teach you.

I agree that Jobst Brandt's book is a good one- lots of theory and lots of practical information about how wheels go together.

Don't worry about different patterns. Once you learn how to build wheels one way, it's easy to experiment and build them other ways. The tough part is having the patience to build wheels right: round, true, tight and evenly tensioned. It took me 5 or 6 years before I built consistently high quality wheels. Now I do it for fun.

Getting that first spoke in the right hole is the beginning..

go to your lbs and see if you can get a cheap front wheel, maybe used but fairly new. lube the nipples with wd 40 and take the wheel apart, then put it back together again. if you have an old fork you can make a quick truing stand. the only way to learn is to do it!

Once you read the book, you'll understand why you don't need any other style of lacing.

Good advice...and if the LBS doesn't have a wheel to offer, you can usually pick up a whole bike at a local thrift store for cheap, and jump right in. The thrift bike would also offer the opportunity to learn to build both front AND rear wheels. If possible, try to get a wheel or wheelset (to rebuild) that you have the ability to ride (test) on one of your bikes. This will be easiest if you happen to have an older road or mountain bike that takes freewheels, as these will be much more easily to get your hands on for cheap than the newer cassette body wheelsets. Building and rebuilding will give you practice, but without the ability to test out your build quality through use, you'll be missing out on potential bad habit correction and the higher levels of satisfaction with your work.

-Jeremy

I like this idea a lot. You can get a cheap wheel for probably 30 or 40 bucks, whereas a set of spokes will probably cost you that much. Then you still have to buy a rim and hub... Plus you know the wheel will go back together fine, since it was straight to begin with!

The best guide I've seen was this: https://www.troubleshooters.com/bicyc...ding/index.htm
Far more detailed & thorough than the one on sheldonbrown.com.

I've only built one wheel but I practiced on some older cheaper wheels beforehand and found the experience completely different - the practice wheels were of low-quality components and were a lot of hassle to work with. My new wheel, however, was made with high quality components and the process was practically effortless - no mystery imbalances in the material to trip you up, no low quality spoke nipple deforming when you least expect it.

So - practicing on cheap stuff might help you get the process straight (how to lace) but it's not a 1:1 carryover to building a wheel from high-quality components.

Careful of working with old spokes.I had them break while I was practicing with them!

You would be best off starting with this style, especially as a beginner, as it is the tried-and-true way of building a sturdy long lasting wheel. In my opinion, leave the "style" wheels to the boutique builders, who have the necessary knowledge, tools, and experience to pull them off successfully.

I learned from the Sheldon Brown site and Jobst Brandt books just as sugested above. First you learn the basics and the rest follow. Good plan!

Hi,

First post in the mechanics forum; I usually hang out in the Touring forum. I recently picked up a Park TS2 and a Campagnolo dishing tool from ebay. I already had a Performance bike tool set that has wrenches. I also got some used 26 inch and 700c wheels from Craigslist to practice on and used clunker bikes to put them on. Been following this thread with interest. Seems that mechanics often discourage amateurs from doing their own wheels. Everyone keeps saying it's an "art not a science". Well, I am intending to find out firsthand. Other than the wheel building videos on youtube and the above resources, are there are any pearls of wisdom that can be easily obtained before embarking on my first wheel?

Yes. Don't expect perfection on your first try. If you don't make mistakes, you won't learn anything.

My learning experiences include:
Relacing the same wheel 4 times in a row.
Not lubing nipple threads & seats (squeak!!).
Rounding multiple spokes nipples.
Stripping nipple threads.
Spontaneous spoke loosening.
Exploding hub flanges.