Retro Grouch 

Just had to crow!

I just finished rebuilding the rear wheel for my tandem. It's a dishless wheel with a Hadley hub, Velocity Dyad rim and 40 DT Alpine spokes crossed four.

Final trueing required NO adjustment for dish, NO adjustment for radial runout and only 2 minor (1mm) side-to-side wobbles.

Grampy™

Digital Gee

Everything after the second sentence is Greek to me! But it sounds like you did something good.

CrossChain

You only get one day like this. Now, you'll have to quit cycling and find something else.

Metric Man

I'm with DG...it does sound good. I know what rebuild the wheel is but the parts are greek or french er sumthin' But hey, I'm still trying to figure out what clipless is...

Nermal

Oh, that's easy, Metric Man. Clipless means you got clips. Clear?

Artkansas 

That's wonderful. You use a tensiometer I assume. I've built wheels using the tuning fork method, but I used pitch pipes. It lasted 2 years, not bad for a beginner. I first aligned everything by aligning it using only hand-tightening of the nipples, and then when I got it right, then I worked on tightening it without letting things shift too much.

What did you do this time different than previously?

Wil Davis

Congratulations! Sounds like you did well. So, how is the tension? You have checked the tension…



- Wil

smokeystrodtman

Congratulations on your successful wheel build. There are some days when everything just seems to go right. I haven't gotten up the nerve to build a wheel yet. I've got a great set of Ultegra/Mavic CXP33s on my Lemond and they've held up beautifully, no trueing needed in over three years and I'm 220#+. They were built at Colorado Cyclist.

bcoppola

So, how long you been building wheels? I'm thinking of giving it a try. Meanwhile, I'm feeling pretty good about myself after re-dishing the rear wheel for my fixed gear conversion without it looking like a taco.

Retro Grouch 

I built my first wheel around 35 years ago. I've built enough since then that I don't know exactly how many I've done but it's in the low hundreds so I've had some practice. My procedure has gradually evolved over the years but I didn't do anything differently this time than I usually do. I've had some pretty good results before, but this one was really over-the-moon.

I think that the biggest key is starting with good components. The Dyad rim that i used, for example, must have been very round when I got it. That's a luck of the draw thing. Other than that, I laced the spokes, tightened them until I had about the same number of spoke threads showing and then slooowly brought the tension up 1/2 turn at a time. I knew it was going good when I only had to make very minor tension adjustments to bring all of the spokes equal on my tensiometer. Before I put the wheel on my trueing stand I held the axle in my hand and gave it a spin. I could tell then that I had a dandy.

I'm stoked!

Metric Man

Uhhh, that's what I thought...I think.

stapfam

It is great you achieve something that your skills will let you do. When the end product turns out just that bit better than you expected it to be- then it is time to find the pie shop and celebrate. I am a mechanic and the only bit I do not do myself is wheel building. I will retrue wheels and replace spokes but I have a wheel builder that is excellent. When i see the final product that he comes up with- and use it- then I would rather pay him than struggle to get a wheel to his perfection, and not succeed.

Well done on the build- but where's the pics.

robtown

That's awesome. I'd need to apprentise to someone to learn how to build a wheel.
I just "trued" my first wheel using the brake pad appraoch. It's probably as round as an egg but I can adjust the brake pads in tight to the wheel without either side scraping.