You guys should really start building your own wheels
02-25-09, 04:25 AM
#26
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Yeah I think Beanz was right, I really didn't see the difference. Oh well, just a good place to look occasionally for good deals.
02-25-09, 09:34 AM
#27
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Building your own means that you can do things that commercial builders won't or can't do. For example, not many builders would use Phil Wood hubs. I've got 2 sets
Nor would they use DT Alpine spokes...arguably the best spoke on the market for clydes. All my wheels are build with them...except the wheels that came on my last mountain bike but that will change.Building your own just opens up a bunch of possibilities. Riding on your own wheels is like catching a fish with your own fly...it gives you a thrill that no store bought wheel can.
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
02-26-09, 04:39 AM
#28
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I'd love to build my own wheels, but right now financially its just not an option. I priced the same set of wheels from Universal Cycles and the parts alone where more than the total cost to have the wheels built by the shop using the same parts. Guess down the road when I can afford it I will work on doing my own wheel work.
02-26-09, 10:17 AM
#29
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Granted, if I was willing to shop around over a period of months, wait for sales, scour eBay, etc. I might be able to save $20-30 versus having someone else do the work. Since I don't really enjoy wheel-building, it just doesn't seem worth it...
02-27-09, 09:09 AM
#30
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Building your own wheels
Beanz is spot on.
Nothing passes the time (when not out snowshoeing)in the winter like wheel building.
There's an almost Zen to it once you get the hang.
The nice side benefit (besides being able to build wheels U want vs what the LBS wants to sell you)is being able to bring that slightly taco'd wheel (with the broken spoke) back true enough to get you the 30 miles back to your home or ride (I never go on a ride w/o the spoke wrench..may not need it for 1000 rides but that one time you do....)
I have the park tensionmeter .
Friend I know (who's blind) uses a tuning fork to true wheels (he don't ride-obviously- but man can that guy build wheels and adjust components)
I like Wheelsmith spokes.
Did a set of white hubs this winter..Nice hubs!
Need to get more comfortable with the new bladed spokes.
Nothing passes the time (when not out snowshoeing)in the winter like wheel building.
There's an almost Zen to it once you get the hang.
The nice side benefit (besides being able to build wheels U want vs what the LBS wants to sell you)is being able to bring that slightly taco'd wheel (with the broken spoke) back true enough to get you the 30 miles back to your home or ride (I never go on a ride w/o the spoke wrench..may not need it for 1000 rides but that one time you do....)
I have the park tensionmeter .
Friend I know (who's blind) uses a tuning fork to true wheels (he don't ride-obviously- but man can that guy build wheels and adjust components)
I like Wheelsmith spokes.
Did a set of white hubs this winter..Nice hubs!
Need to get more comfortable with the new bladed spokes.
03-01-09, 03:20 PM
#31
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I've got a spare wheel with a knackered rim that I keep meaning to have a go at rebuilding. As Beanz said, at least I can reuse the hub to keep prices down. Just need to get the car through its service, then I've got a bit of spare cash for bike shiny things just as the weather's starting to turn nice 
