I laced up my first wheel last night, borrowed a truing stand, and trued it up tonight. I followed Sheldon's turorial for 3 cross. I stress relieved the spokes everywhich way. I got the dish spot on. The amount that it is out of round or out true is so small I can't really pinpoint a high spot. perhaps the width of a piece of paper. It's about as straight as it's ever likely to be. I can't tell you what pitch the spokes are tuned to, but they feel quite firm, and sound even. It took me less than an hour to get it there.

Here's my problem. I can't beleive it's that easy. I'm sure I must have done something wrong, but I can't figure out what. I have horrible visions of the thing blowing up the first time I ride it.

Does anyone here have tips on what to look for for mistakes? My biggest inclination is that I may not have gotten the tension right. Too loose? Too tight? without a tensiometer, I'm not sure how I would know. Sure looks like a good wheel. I got a friend over, and made him look at it. He thought so too. I guess my biggest problem is I don't have that much confidence in the builder.

Sounds like youre just a prodigy! Theres really not much to it. If you start out with a new rim, and new spokes, and just tighten all the nipples evenly, you should be good to go.

Yeah, sounds like you just did it well and lucked out with a rim that started out very true already. FWIW, I finally bought a tensiometer after a few dozen wheelbuilds. I checked out the wheels that I hadn't sold yet and found that I was doing a pretty good job, but now it's even easier and faster to build.

I think I can probably add a little more tension. the spokes feel a little flexier than the ones on the rear of my cyclocross bike. but that bike has straight guage spokes. How am I supposed to know if they are too tight?

if they're too tight you'll start to get a shimmy in the wheel, a nice little lateral wobble that won't go away with more tightening.

if that happens, take all the spokes down a half to a quarter turn, true it up, and you're golden.

congrats on your first build btw! (and just wait 'till you get a rim that's 5mm or more out of round! ugh).

its just a feel thing as far as tension goes at my shop. If its tight enough its tight enough.

For some people it really is that easy. It took me a long time to get it where I could do them quickly. Others seem to pick it up pretty fast

A new rim'll do the trick quite nicely. I built the same wheel up two different times and never got it very true. Then I ordered a nem rim, and in about an hour had a gorgeous new wheel. Congrats.

That sounds way too easy.... you must have screwed something up. I'd take it apart and do it over just to be sure.

D

Don't forget the rim strip.

Thanks. I think I'll add another qurter turn or two, and see what happens. Having really straight rims I'm sure really helped. It was pretty damn straight when I first put it into the stand.

If I get bored I'll take it all apart and start over again. The front hub won't be here 'til monday anyway.

Did you remember spoke fluid? I hope you have the proper spoke fluid applicator.

Dang, don't be telling everyone how easy it actually is...that'll shatter the whole wheelbuilding is a black art myth...lol. Take it out for a ride and listen for pings and zings - if you don't hear any then you stress-relieved it properly.

My own tip for wheelbuilding is during the final tensioning stage turn the nipple just a bit past where you want it to be, then turn it back...seems to result in less spoke wind-up at least for me. Brass nipples rock for easy truing/tensioning, too...I'll never again use aluminun

Yeah, I stand to lose a lot of business if people start finding out how easy it is to build wheels...

quick q.
is phil wood tenacious oil good for using as spoke fluid/lube?

just a thought, sometimes it is also good to put spoke freeze in there. Basically that just helps keeps the spokes from lossening over time. That's what I do when I build up all my wheels and high end ones at my shop.

You have to be sure to top off your spoke fluid every 1000 miles, and do a complete spoke fluid and filter change every 5000.

Spoke fluid jokes aside, some sort of lube/locker is great (and I say essential) when building a wheel. Folks use lots of different things (including olive oil, linseed oil, mineral oil, etc, and lots of different packaged compounds (spoke prep, etc.)) and everyone has reasons why theirs works best. I wouldn't use loctite or anything like that because it may become difficult to adjust your wheel in the future. I've heard different reports on other oils, some folks say that they make it too easy for spokes to unscrew (since they don't gum up in air) others say that the tension on the spoke keeps the nipple from unscrewing.

I use linseed oil because it lubricates during the build, then hardens a bit in the air to become a locker. I also like the smell (an acquired taste) because it reminds me of painting and wheelbuilding, which are both things that I like (though I'm good at one and really bad at the other.)

And don't forget to change the air every 1500 miles. All that rolling causes the air to fatique and will result in loss of firmness. Left unattended, the air will develope stress fractures.

On the serious note, One thing that I've not read anywhere (or I've forgotten that I read it) is to grab the rim like a steering wheel and press the axle against the ground. repeat all around the rim and flip it over and repeat again. It looks like it stress relieves the wheel laterially.

Good luck w your front!

I KNEW things were going too smoothly. I went to lace the front, and it's got 36 holes! Supossed to be 32. Bastards sent me a mismatched pair of rims, GRRRRRRRRRRRR!

oh shiate!
Thats sucks bum.
I was looking at some cheapo low-end alex rim yesterday and one of the holes were'ent even fully drilled through yet.
such crap. But their higher end stuff is decent.

btw,
what components are you using for your wheelset?

you should expect some pings and such regardless.

ride it hard the first two times out, and then true it again. after that it will probably be settled.

Mavic Open Pros (32H + at no extra charge 4 bonus holes NOW how much would you pay?)
Wheelsmith DB14 spokes
Miche rear
Promax front

hey!
thats a real nice wheelset!
contratz, cept for the mismatched rims.

Spoke prep
Spoke washers
Tighten spokes until threads are hidden
Even tensioning all around, watching for hops
Tension to recommended amount for spoke gauge
Stress relieve using a small, sturdy stool and the hub's axle
Tie and solder

BOMBPROOF

Oh, and obviously you should make sure all of your spokes are the same length, that you're using the desired spoke nipples, and that the rim is round.