Wheel Building

Couldn't find a similar thread in the Brum forum - looking to get some wheels built, 1 year old son precludes building them myself - I need some 650b wheels built, got the rims already. So, Scotts or Sprockets (or other)?

http://birminghambikefoundry.org/

Is the rear hub going to be flip flop?

If so I could do it (id be abe to do geared wheels but i dont have a dishing tool).

Is the rear hub going to be flip flop?

Yes, though I have yet to pick the hub.
I'd have guessed that sourcing the right spokes for a 650b would be the issue?

http://birminghambikefoundry.org/

I thought they did training. I'd love to build the wheels myself (I have the book and access to sheldon's website and a spoke key) but I don't have the time to do it with the little one now, and I don't have the space to have half-built wheels and a child at the same time. Obviously, if the consensus advice is it will not take me more than a couple hours...

I thought they did training. I'd love to build the wheels myself (I have the book and access to sheldon's website and a spoke key) but I don't have the time to do it with the little one now, and I don't have the space to have half-built wheels and a child at the same time. Obviously, if the consensus advice is it will not take me more than a couple hours...

I built my first wheel just following the sheldon guide. Its all you need. My rear wheel has been rock solid for the 3 years since, and it once got hit by a car too.

There are many spoke calculators online. The spokes will probably work out to a common length used in 26" mtb wheels.

Hey DFP, how long do you reckon it would take?

Hey DFP, how long do you reckon it would take?

The threading goes quickly, once you get the pattern going. But tensioning, truing, having a feel, tensioning some more, truing again. Takes time. I've built quite a few wheel now, but always like to leave them for a day or so before adding rim tape (well veloplugs). So I can have a last check and true.

The most important advice on the sheldon brown site regarding wheels, is the bit about being prepared to stop aand finish them the next day.

You should be able to do the one wheel in an afternoon without much grief. If its your first one, give yourself a full day and do it at a relaxed pace while watching TV/listening to audiobook or something.

might give it a go then. maybe over a couple of nights. On the plus side half term is looming.

Using some spoke calculators out there, I reckon I want about 283 spokes ... what is the tolerance on spoke lengths, do they need to be spot on or +/- a mm?

They can be shorter by a couple mm and itll be ok. Not longer though or theyll poke out and puncture your inner tube/or you will run out of thread for tightening.

About time I learnt to do this, where's best for spokes in Brum ? Or better to order from an interwebs retailer ?

Cyclebasket is the cheapest for ACI double butted spokes - £0.20 each (silver). I've used them on my one and only wheel build and the seem fine. About to order some more.

Only issue with Cycle basket is the shipping cost and minimum order of £10.

a +1 for cyclebasket here...cheapest place to get plain spokes for road wheels. You can sometimes get fancy mtb lengths reduced at wiggle and chainreaction, but with the new rim tape you'll want as well as anything they might have on sale the postage is ok - its next day delivery I think.

Its sometimes worth asking in the local bike shops. They end up with stock piles of mish mash/leftover spokes, which they let you have cheap.

I'll probably need a truing stand as well I guess ? Might just do the BFF building course instead

I want to do that course too. I've built one wheel which I had issues with until I figured out I wasn't tensioning it enough. Since doing that it's been fine.

I built mine in my frame using tie-wraps as guides. Very crude but it worked for a first attempt :)

you could remove the front wheel off a bike, flip it over and use the forks/barkes as a makeshift truing stand

I did the bike foundry course, v.useful. Built another wheel since using forks and zip ties as a makeshift jig as above. Have invested in spoke tension meter and dishing gauge though, both good bits of kit for ensuring proper job done.

+1 for Bike Foundry. Hyper (Fin) is an excellent teacher.

Go to the Specialized Concept Store up in the Fort Dunlop building and ask for Ian Hughes, he's one of the founders of the Cytech course and builds one hell of a wheel.

Thanks to Dan who sorted out a popped spoke for me in super quick time yesterday. Really need to go on that foundry course...

Question about rear wheel build for 10sp geared:

I understand that spoke tension on drive side will be higher, but what's the lowdown on how much roughly?

When dished my 105 hub on Open pro is about 115 (units once converted from deflection) on the drive side, and about 55 on the non drive side (left). Is this about right?

Obviously, tightening the left will alter the dish, and I can't really tighten the right further to compensate as it's about at the limit for the rim (infact probably slightly over already).

If it makes any difference the drive side are 2.0 1.7 2.0 double butted whilst non drive side are 2.0 1.8 2.0

Ta.