How Long does it take to get custom wheels built?
 

I ordered a custom wheelset in the beginning of October for my Specialized Ruby. The website that I ordered from states that it usually takes 2-3 weeks to get the wheelset depending on supplies and turnaround time. I am a patient person and can wait for wheels. However, I contacted the person 3x and didn't hear back. Am I being impatient and concerned for no reason or is this standard when ordering a custom product? I didn't pay a ton for the wheels but I hate to be out $450+ dollars. Thanks.

I feel your concern is warrented after six weeks. Is the company in the US?

Yes - they are in the US. Thanks for the reply - I feel better. I just want to make sure that this is standard and that I'll eventually get my wheels.

I waited over 3 months. The hubs and rims I wanted were in short supply.

Ok - good to know! I'll ignore the 2-3 weeks that is stated on the site. Did you contact the company or did you just wait and the wheels showed up?

I traded a few emails. He let me know the issues with supply so I waited. I trusted the builder and it was more or less out of his hands so I wasn't worried and eventually they showed up. Worth the wait.

That's my problem right now. If the distributor has both rims, they're missing a hub. If they have both hubs, they're missing a rim. I've been waiting to build up this bike for a long time now (about 2 months) and would just like everything to come in!

What is it you are waiting for that is causing the delays?

The answer to this question depends entirely on the builder. A good builder will give you a pretty good idea of when you can expect your wheels because they'll "slot" you in once you put down a deposit and they know how long it will take to actually get the job done. Of course, if you go with a solo practitioner who does handbuilt wheels, you'll wait a little longer.

While the wait time you're talking about isn't unreasonable at all, I have an issue with any kind of business that isn't responsive to clients because it takes so little time to answer an e-mail.

3 hours or so, if you have a beer or two on hand.

Getting the parts? Who knows?

if you ordered and payed, you deserve a receipt (you got one when you ordered online, right?) and some general stated time frame to get the weheels, within a few days. If you contacted 'them' 3x and didn;t hear back, YET, I'd ask for my money back and find another builder with some reasonable reputation - there are plenty out there who can build your wheels... hope you have a physical addy for the 'shop'...

mind if I ask which website? maybe others here have had experience with the builder and know some other contact methods?

You should always build your own wheels. It is a basic skill that is easy to learn, and the knowledge comes in handy when a pretty girl you're riding with breaks a spoke.

sced, what a phenomenally unhelpful post.

Jyyanks, while a parts availability delay may be forgivable, lack of communication is not. Cancel the order, get your $ back and get the wheels elsewhere.

Maybe you should sew your own tubulars, lay up your own carbon frame and forge your own chainrings as well. Some of us will continue to buy parts.

Sewing tubulars I can see. And maybe the forging. But the carbon sounds tough. They didn't have that at tech school.

what website is this?

HA! Since I'm a girl, I probably won't care as much about the pretty girl breaking her spokes when I have my own issues to deal with

Thanks for all your help and reassurance. For those of you who asked, I'm hesitant to name the builder as I don't want to cause a flame war or start an argument. Suffice to say, the builder was recommended by this forum (that's where I got the info) and I sort of knew the issues but was told that it was worth the wait and this builder is just extremely busy. My fault for not heeding the warnings. Since I never ordered anything custom before (except an iphone case), I wasn't sure what to expect.

You should certainly expect communication.

I read more than I post, obviously.

I recently picked up a set of custom wheels that took significantly longer than expected. Delivery was stated at 2 to 3 weeks, it took over 6, I believe. Starting week 4, I would email asking for status and would get roughly one response for every two or three emails. The icing on the cake was the message received that "They are laced and sitting next to the stand." Anyway, a week after receiving that message they still had not shipped. I ultimately requested tracking numbers or a refund. I received the wheels two days later.


I researched the vender and knew the reputation. Ultimately it left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not sure if I would order custom again because of it.

Mike

Thanks for the response Mike. Was the vendor someone recommended by a friend?

I think I know who you ordered from. People often complain about his times - apparently he's overly optimistic. But he's extremely conscientious, does a great job building wheels, and stands behind everything he does. I know several people with his wheels, plus read tons of nothing but good things about his work here.

So my advice is wait and you'll be thrilled with his work.

Edit - Plus he's the first one to admit he's not good with responding to emails.

5 hours and a bottle of wine.

Wheelbuilder.com gives you a build date, has a two week build window, you can pay extra for an expedited build, and has excellent communication. I've had two wheels built by them and am very satisfied.

Good value but not cheap. You can't get a pair of wheels for $450.

I do not personally know anyone else who ordered from the same vendor. I had contacted three or four builders, and decided upon this one for various reason.

The wheels were for my wife's bike, but she has not had the chance to put more than a few miles on them. They run true and the spokes appear to be evenly tensioned, as measured by my uncalibrated hand.

So far I am happy with the wheels, but not the experience. If I had been told 4 to 6 weeks, I still would have ordered and would have walked away as a happier customer in the end.

Mike