Sincitycycler

Got a used video on wheelbuilding for $1.00 and it's really a well done production. Doesn't really look that hard. Initial tensioning, lateral and roundness truing , dishing, spoke tension.

The biggest thing is getting all the wheelbuilding equipment.

Probably real satisfying to be riding proud on wheels that you painstakingly built yourself!

urbanknight

I learned how to build wheels from an ex-racer who then officiated events and took me under his wing. I have been proudly building and truing my own wheels as well as friends ever since. I love knowing that I am on a set of wheels I built with care and to my specs.

I highly recommend getting the Park truing stand https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...slisearch=true
It may cost a bit more, but you won't need a dishing tool. I swear this thing makes wheel building that much easier. I use that, a C clamp to hold it to the table, a spoke wrench, and my musically trained ear to test for spoke tension. Then a cassette tool to put the gears on the hubs and I'm set.

Mr. Beanz

Yeah, it's great! I bought a cheapazz truing stand at Performance($29), a cheap azz dishing tool($12), Velocity Deep V on a clearance table($25), a Dura Ace hub ($100) and spokes ($20). Read Sheldon Browns site on building and did it.

Best thing is that this wheel has outlasted and been a much betterwheel than any I have had pro built at high end (EXPENSIVE! ) shops!

Now I've got about 5 that I've built and all are marvelous!

Retro Grouch 

Actually, I think that the biggest thing is not to be in too much of a hurry. Once you've got the spokes laced, match the number of exposed threads on all of the spokes so you're sure that you're starting with them all even. Then gradually build the tension by tightening every spoke an equal (small) amount. That'll keep your wheel round as you add tension and save you tons of time in the long run.

Side-to-side wobbles are easy to fix. Up-and-down hops are something else.

nova

Lol on the hop bit. I tried building a wheel years ago with no special tools and it was so off center it wasnt even funny. Never had the chance to try again could probably do it no with a few special tools. I have how ever rebuilt a wheel or 2 by swapping out spokes 1 by 1. Long as your starting with a good hub and rim that has crappy spokes or just old spokes you should get quite the same effect as building from scratch.

Chad's Colnago

I'm acutally in the process of building my first set now. I'm just builidng the rear wheel first. It's a 50mm deep carbon tubular rim (HED Stinger). I'm lacing it with Sapim CX-ray spokes to a white industries H1 hub that is campy slpined. I've got the lacing done. This weekend I want to finish the tensioning and truing the wheel. One thing I've leard is the deeper the wheel the bigger the pain in the butt it is. And I'll never get internal spoke nipple wheels again. However, just seeing the wheel sitting there all laced up brings a big smile to my face.

eyefloater

I've built a few wheels, but I want to keep at it and really improve my skills. For my next wheel build I want to try using a spoke punch to set the heads, possibly use spoke washers if required and definitely try out the DT spoke prep solution. I think when the time comes that I need a track-specific wheelset I'll also give tying/soldering a try.

When I built my first wheelset, I did both wheels twice. It was great practice and there was a huge improvement right away between attempt #1 and #2 for each wheel.

waterrockets 

I build my own. To get started, all you need is a $6 spoke wrench and a bike frame to hold the wheel. If it's a rear, remove the chain so you can quickly put the wheel on and take it off. If you don't have a chain tool, remove the rear der. and let it hang off to the side with the chain inside it.

I use a toothpick to hold the nipples through the rim and to spin them onto the spoke. Just thread the nipple onto the toothpick a 1/4 turn.

Follow Sheldon Brown's instructions, and as others have said, take your time. Once you get it really close, bring it to a shop and let them get a reference tension for it. Make sure it's the right tension for your rim (email the manufacturer), and then make sure you have even tension all the way around.

If it's a new hub, make sure the bearings aren't too tight out of the box. Shimanos always seem to be...

powers2b

Yes, I build my own wheels.
I also build my own bikes then strip them and rebuild them.
I am currently selling several of my bikes so I can build more.

bccycleguy

You can build and/or true a wheel using your own bike frame and a couple of Popsicle sticks taped or clamped to the frame. The essential ingredient is patience. If you go slow and be methodical you will produce a wheel every bit as good and maybe better than your LBS.

cydewaze

I built my own for ages, but eventually got tired of it (and tired of build requests from friends). Now I buy pre-built.

dutret

Simply can't be said enough. Building wheels is just a bit of simple assembly followed by some tensioning and truing. I you can true your wheel you can build a new set. As long as you go slow it'll be fine.

Scooper

I've got a couple of thousand miles on my first "made by me" wheelset, and the wheels are great. They've remained true and tensioned in spite of some unintentional abuse, and building them gave me a terrific sense of accomplishment. For some reason, the rear wheel wound up with the stem between crossed spokes, and after a couple of weeks agonizing over whether to leave it that way or rebuild it, I decided to rebuild (I was embarrassed to be seen riding the bike with the stem between crossed spokes).

The reason for building my own was that I bought the bike with tubular rims and wanted to switch to clinchers, but wanted to keep the original high flange Campy Record hubs.

I found the $9.00 e-book "Wheelbuilding" to be invaluable. As others have noted, patience is the key to a successful first build.

lotek 

one of the best skills I ever learned.
yah you're 100% correct there is nothing like the feeling of
riding a set of wheels you built yourself.
Go slow, be patient.
be prepared to start over again if you need to.
If you want to get seriously into it I suggest you get
The Bicycle Wheel by Jobst Brandt. Great book on wheel theory
etc.
while the park wheelstand is nice you can get by with a spin doctor
$30.00 special.
I brought my first pair up to LBS for them to double check them
for tension etc.
marty

fruitless

I've been building my own wheels since 1990 and the only tools I use are a trueing stand and nipple wrench. Its really not that difficult but there is always some trial and error involved if you try a new design or use different components. Its an addictive hobby, I'm always on the lookout for exotic rims or spokes on sale. If you build wheels you start understanding that about 90% of what you feel when you ride a bike is the wheels/tires.

Wil Davis

Nice job, Scooper - I have a beautiful pair of Campy high-flanged hubs attached to some Fiamme rims which have been sitting in my sisters attic in the UK for the past 25 years. I'm trying to get them to either send the wheels or cut the hubs out and send them over so I can do the same as you. BTW, any particular reason your pulling spokes on the rear are on the outside of the flange?

- Wil

Scooper

Wil, I don't know that it makes a lot of difference, but Gerd Schraner in "The Art of Wheelbuilding", says the spokes under the most stress are the pulling spokes on the drive side of the rear wheel since they have to cope with the permanently-occurring radial forces to the wheel, and in addition have to transfer the rider's pedal force. He says he inserts the spokes in such a way that the pulling spoke heads are within the flange. He believes that this gives these over-stressed spokes a gentler, healthier angle in relation to the rim. It sounded reasonable, so I figured why not do it that way?

Reynolds 

I build and true my own wheels, it's not that difficult. A truing stand is good, but as others said you can use your own frame. And I feel good knowing I can take apart and reassemble every part of my bicycle.

Wil Davis

Very true, but I remember reading (either Schraner or Brandt, or perhaps it was Sheldon "Birthday Boy" Brown) that having the pulling spokes on the inside of the flange helps to keep them (and the spokes they cross) off the derailleur when under load, such as climbing when the derailleur would be very close to the spokes anyway. I remember doing the same as you re. placing the valve between diverging spokes; but be warned, it can become an obsession - I ended up rebuiling all my wheels so that the logo on the rim is viewed correctly from the right side of the bike, and the logo on the hub viewed through the valve hole…

- Wil

Scooper

I agree that one can easily become obsessed.

I think the thought that the pulling spokes should come from inside the flange is from Brandt:

"Tension changes resulting from pedaling cause an interlaced spoke crossing to move toward the side of the pulling spoke. At the crossing point, the tighter (pulling) spoke straightens while the other spoke bends more. This moves the crossing point inward or outward depending on the spoking. If the derailleur is near the spokes, and the pulling spoke comes from the outside of the flange, clearance will be reduced when torque is transmitted. With the pulling spokes coming from the inside of the flange, derailleur clearance increases with torque. Keep in mind that bending of the rear axle from the pull of the chain can also reduce clearance between spoke and derailleur. In fact, clearance effects are so small that they may not be sufficient reason to insist that all rear wheels be spoked mirror image with pulling spokes coming from between the flanges."

I read both Brandt and Schraner, and made the decision to put the pulling spokes on the outside. I could have just as easily decided to do it the other way.

Sincitycycler

Cool. Sounds like fun! Just have to be "systematic", as my dad always says..

Everman

What kind of cost savings do you see from making your own wheels?

Reynolds 

I'd pay to build my own wheels.

Retro Grouch 

Zero. Generally you can buy pre-built wheels for about the same price as the component parts. I don't think that very many guys who build their own wheels do it to save money. I certainly don't. I just enjoy the process and I get satisfaction from riding on wheels that I built myself.

roadfix

You might break even or see some savings on truely custom builds, built around high end aftermarket hubs.