New Forum called "Wheel Building"

The new forum labeled Wheel Building is located just under Shop Talk.
The goal is to unravel the mysteries of wheel building and truing wheels.

I have taken up interest in learning how to build my own wheels and having watched a bunch of video's on building wheels, it just does not look that hard.

Oh masters of the truing stand... panic not!
Most will have no interest in building wheels, but for some, that may be the last ingredient of building complete bikes from home.

Wobbly wheels be gone!

Mikie

 

I promise to contribute here through continued breakage of bicycle wheels so that the masters of the truing stand will always have nipples to twist.

 

Awesomeness.....thanks @Mikie


Wheelbuilding is part Voodoo Magic, part problem solving, part prayer, and part following directions.

Worry not, those that can do it, will gladly charge you to do it for you.

 

You could not have said it better if I said it for you... Well, um... said.

 

Can we post our favorite Vanna White clips here (Wheel of fortune)?

 

Have you SEEN some of the pics of Vanna White?
Click at Risk... Rawrrrrr!: https://www.google.com/search?q=Van...WMiK0KHfdODrAQ_AUoAXoECAgQAw&biw=1920&bih=924

 

Now thats what I call getting a new thread off to a GREAT START!

 

...AND! She is worth about 70 million...

 

As long as someone hands you all the parts, it isn't that hard. I actually find it fun and somewhat relaxing.

If, on the other hand, you are calculating all your spoke lengths and having custom spokes cut... it is a little more exacting. If you don't get the calculations right, your wheels will never fit properly on your bike even if they are perfectly balanced and trued. When I was ordering my spokes I did the math several times, and then asked @mtnbikej to check my numbers before I hit the "order now" button

I found this site to be a great resource:

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html#side

 

I got this - can't remember who recommended it - but its a great resource. Even comes with instructions on how to build your own truing stand.
If you buy a copy then any new editions he releases are free to download.

https://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php

 

I really like building and truing wheels. Not that I'm super good at it. Most turn out egg-shaped, but I'm cool with that.
On topic: Universal Cycles has the best supply of spokes IMO: https://www.universalcycles.com/search.php?q=spoke
I only use DT Swiss. Mostly Competition: https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=16561

Off topic: Vanna & Christie Brinkley have both aged really well. Genetic lottery and all that.

 

I would be sent on long business trips 3 weeks on back in 3 weeks. I bought an Al Aly Schwinn from Sports A. I would ride after work on the rail trail and then at night true the wheels. I got them perfect, it is just learning about opposite reactions. True wheels are killer on the pavement. And of course rim brakes limits your acceptance of a wiggling drive line. By the time my tour of duty was over I had worn the rear tire down to where you could see threads. It was well worth the $250 I put into the bike. Any time you wear a tire out on a bike it is a good ride. I made good distance but the climb was about 20 or 30 feet in 10 miles, and straight aways that were about that long too. The funny thing had paddle shifters, I thought how odd. Now I like paddles much more than brifters.
Happy Rail Trails in the outback

 

I kid because I know nothing about this topic

 

You've never heard of Vanna White?!

 

I haven’t built a wheel in over a year, but we have a wheel builder at work who has been doing it well over 30 years. He shows me new things all
the time. I would love to build up a carbon wheel set for my Kona.....hmmm

 

i like building wheels

 

I would consider wheel building but I am already spoken for...




Just had to get it in...

 

I have that book. It is great, but the science in-depth few first chapters take a truly open mind to follow along with. I am too basic to understand sometimes, but if you want to understand or get a physics lesson that is the book to read about the physics of a wheel.

 

You should read The Bicycle Wheel by Jobst Brandt. When I built my first set of wheels I read this book and used it as a reference when building my wheels.

The Bicycle Wheel https://www.amazon.com/dp/0960723641/?tag=imtbtrails-20