Wheel Builiding?

Hi all,

Ahh a long weekend but sick as a dog so I can't ride. I was just looking at
the different hub dynamos out there and wondering whether building one's own
wheel is possible.

I kind of know that it is possible as I built a touring rear wheel as a kid
without any tools other than a spoke key and time.

However, it was *NOT* a good wheel - the lateral movement was minimal but it
had lots of "dips" and some really freaky loose spokes.

I am thinking that it would be fun to try a front wheel (25+ years later).
Can a lay person make a professional front wheel without, say, a spoke
tension meter or are there other tools required as well?

Then there is the choice of rim - it is for my commuter, but I want to do
some touring on it as well. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

BtC

"Bill the Cat" wrote in message ...
Hi all,

Ahh a long weekend but sick as a dog so I can't ride. I was just looking at
the different hub dynamos out there and wondering whether building one's own
wheel is possible.

I kind of know that it is possible as I built a touring rear wheel as a kid
without any tools other than a spoke key and time.

However, it was *NOT* a good wheel - the lateral movement was minimal but it
had lots of "dips" and some really freaky loose spokes.

I am thinking that it would be fun to try a front wheel (25+ years later).
Can a lay person make a professional front wheel without, say, a spoke
tension meter or are there other tools required as well?

Then there is the choice of rim - it is for my commuter, but I want to do
some touring on it as well. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

BtC


All you need is the right length spokes for the hub, cross pattern and rim, and
a spoke key. You can use your front forks as a stand.

Oh, and a book, and lots of time.

Get tension from plucking sound. Make sure you're not tone deaf, and have heard
a similar (good) wheel before.

Tomasso.

On Sat, 03 May 2008 01:03:51 +0000, Bill the Cat wrote:

Hi all,

Ahh a long weekend but sick as a dog so I can't ride. I was just looking at
the different hub dynamos out there and wondering whether building one's own
wheel is possible.

Yes. BTDT. The hard part is if the hub flangesare different sizes, aka the
SA I did. You will then need different length spokes for each side and
each side will sound differently when plucked. Also need to watch out
that the rim is centred between the flanges. Think different tightenng and
adjustment to each side.

I kind of know that it is possible as I built a touring rear wheel as a
kid without any tools other than a spoke key and time.

Err, any set of forks makes that job so much easier.

However, it was *NOT* a good wheel - the lateral movement was minimal
but it had lots of "dips" and some really freaky loose spokes.

When centreing the rim radially, the trick is to workout which spokes to
let off first before tightening the obes that are too far out; hint not
the ones directly opposite.

Then squeeze thew bunch of fours all the way around, then repeat with
release and tighten, then squeeze, spin repeat.

I am thinking that it would be fun to try a front wheel (25+ years
later). Can a lay person make a professional front wheel without, say, a
spoke tension meter or are there other tools required as well?

Spoke key, hearing(spoon striker) and a set of "forks" are all you need,
if you are usuing new spokes. Old spokes can be a little tricky as they
can be "different".

Then there is the choice of rim - it is for my commuter, but I want to
do some touring on it as well. Any suggestions?

asbestos suit steel of course

On 2008-05-03, Bill the Cat wrote:
Hi all,

Ahh a long weekend but sick as a dog so I can't ride. I was just looking at
the different hub dynamos out there and wondering whether building one's own
wheel is possible.

Yep;

It's a bit easier with a tensionmeter, and you'll end up with a better
wheel, but it is not impossible to build good wheel without one. If
you're on good terms with your LBS consider asking whether you can check
your wheel with their tensionmeter when it's built.

Cheers

Joel

--
Human Powered Cycles | High quality servicing and repairs
| Affordable second hand bikes
(03) 9029 6504 | Bicycle reuse centre
www.humanpowered.com.au | Mechanical and on-road training and instruction

In article ,
says...
Hi all,

Ahh a long weekend but sick as a dog so I can't ride. I was just looking at
the different hub dynamos out there and wondering whether building one's own
wheel is possible.

I kind of know that it is possible as I built a touring rear wheel as a kid
without any tools other than a spoke key and time.

However, it was *NOT* a good wheel - the lateral movement was minimal but it
had lots of "dips" and some really freaky loose spokes.

I am thinking that it would be fun to try a front wheel (25+ years later).
Can a lay person make a professional front wheel without, say, a spoke
tension meter or are there other tools required as well?

Then there is the choice of rim - it is for my commuter, but I want to do
some touring on it as well. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

BtC



I laced up a SON dynamo a few years ago, likewise I had never built a
wheel before.

I just got a cheapo rim and spokes to go with the pricey hub!

It has goven zilch touble. When I was tensioning the lot up, I laid the
wheel on it's side pushed down on the rim, flipped it did the same
again. Lots of popping and cracking sounds, but these stopped after a
couple of decent pushes. Did a final true up and never touched it since.

Tension is your friend, loose spokes invite a wobbly wheel.
I even straightened a wheel the LBS gave up on and it too held its shape
with a good tension in the spokes.

I'm a musical moron, but the spokes sounded similar when plucked.

Ray

Bill the Cat wrote:
Hi all,

Ahh a long weekend but sick as a dog so I can't ride. I was just looking at
the different hub dynamos out there and wondering whether building one's own
wheel is possible.

I kind of know that it is possible as I built a touring rear wheel as a kid
without any tools other than a spoke key and time.

However, it was *NOT* a good wheel - the lateral movement was minimal but it
had lots of "dips" and some really freaky loose spokes.

I am thinking that it would be fun to try a front wheel (25+ years later).
Can a lay person make a professional front wheel without, say, a spoke
tension meter or are there other tools required as well?

Then there is the choice of rim - it is for my commuter, but I want to do
some touring on it as well. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

BtC


Jobst Brandt's book on the Bicycle Wheel is a very good reference book.
It is my wheel building bible.

You need a truing stand, a spoke wrench and time. That's all. It is a
great winter evening activity in front of the TV or listening to music.

"terryc" wrote:

Spoke key, hearing(spoon striker) and a set of "forks" are all you need,
if you are usuing new spokes.

And screwdriver/steel tyre lever/crank end to 'stress relieve' the spokes at
the cross-overs. You tweak them a bit at the cross to set the bend into the
spokes.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html#seating

--
Cheers
Peter

~~~ ~ _@
~~ ~ _- \,
~~ (*)/ (*)

On 2008-05-03, Ray wrote:
In article ,
says...
Hi all,

Ahh a long weekend but sick as a dog so I can't ride. I was just looking at
the different hub dynamos out there and wondering whether building one's own
wheel is possible.

SNIP

Tension is your friend, loose spokes invite a wobbly wheel.
I even straightened a wheel the LBS gave up on and it too held its shape
with a good tension in the spokes.

Up to a point only though, too much tension and the wheel will colapse
onto its self, or the spoke heads will pull through the rim.

Saw the later of these two at work this week on a 6 month old wheel
which had been ''tweaked up'' by the Loophole bicycle colective here in
Melbourne, On the drive side +1mm of spoke was poking out the end of
each nipple and the average tension on the drive side (after failure!) was
around 140Nm.

Cheers

Joel

--
Human Powered Cycles | High quality servicing and repairs
| Affordable second hand bikes
(03) 9029 6504 | Bicycle reuse centre
www.humanpowered.com.au | Mechanical and on-road training and instruction

Patrick Keogh wrote:

Bill the Cat wrote:
Hi all,

Ahh a long weekend but sick as a dog so I can't ride. I was just looking at
the different hub dynamos out there and wondering whether building one's own
wheel is possible.

I kind of know that it is possible as I built a touring rear wheel as a kid
without any tools other than a spoke key and time.

However, it was *NOT* a good wheel - the lateral movement was minimal but it
had lots of "dips" and some really freaky loose spokes.

I am thinking that it would be fun to try a front wheel (25+ years later).
Can a lay person make a professional front wheel without, say, a spoke
tension meter or are there other tools required as well?

Then there is the choice of rim - it is for my commuter, but I want to do
some touring on it as well. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

BtC


Jobst Brandt's book on the Bicycle Wheel is a very good reference book.
It is my wheel building bible.

You need a truing stand, a spoke wrench and time. That's all. It is a
great winter evening activity in front of the TV or listening to music.

A truing stand is really only needed for the practised professional
who can build a wheel in an hour.

I've cycled 110,000 kms on wheels I have built.
They used to have 36 spokes, but now I have aero CX33 Mavic which are
strong as older D mavics
with 36.

I just have the bike turned upside down and use it as the stand after
roughly lacing the wheel in my lap.
I use a 3 cross pattern everywhere.
I get all the spokes in with nipples wound up so the thread just
dissappears from view.
The wheel still has all loose spokes, but can be put into a bike frame
and each spoke it wound 1 turn each all around, then again and again
as the tension nears where you want it, so you need to know
when the tension is about right. Not too tight, not too loose.
I just sort of know, after so much practice.
If in doubt, compare your wheel in a bike shop to what the
tech man does and other bikes.

Something metal can be held in the forks to gauge the straightness of
the wheel
while turning it around.

Its important to get the rim centralised, and without hills and dales
larger than 1/4 of a mm.
When the rim is within 0.25mm of being true both sideways and up and
down,
then you'll find the spokes are nearly at equal tension.

Rear road wheels are a little fiddly because the cassette side has its
spokes much tighter than the
other side, due to the angle of pull of the spoke, ie the "dishing" of
the wheel.
The front and rear rims should end up being exactly on the centre line
on the frame.

To ensure this I made a timber straight edge 2M long with 4 offset
struts of 100mm
whose ends are also in a straight line.
The straight edge can be used to set the wheels along a straight line,
and when eyeballing
front to rear and rear to front you'll see if the wheels also are
aligned on the dead centre
of the frame. Equal measures of frame should appear each side of the
rims.
Handlebar alignment is also done using the same tool.
The rims and frame should both be exactly in the same plane.
If when the front rim is dead plumb, and both are in line, then the rear
rim should also
be plumb. I use a builder's level.
And the rear rim should have equal clearance between rear fork legs, as
with the front rim
and its forks.

So sometimes you have to bring a rim over 1mm to get it right, and it
means loosening
spokes on one side, tightening on the other, maybe 1/2 a turn on all
spokes either way.

Start tightening/untightening at the tube valve hole and work around.

Don't answer phones while wheel building and turn off the tele!

Spokes tighter than the rest can snap sooner rather than later, and
cause fatigue in the alloy rim material and cracks develop.
A good wheel lasts a long while but eventually it secumbs to
wear from brakes and fatigue cracking.

Spokes should be adjusted every time you see a slight wobble in one.

Patrick Turner.

On Wed, 07 May 2008 15:31:11 +0000, Patrick Turner wrote:

A truing stand is really only needed for the practised professional
who can build a wheel in an hour.

Truing stand to me just means a large block of wood with hole to hold a
pair of forks upright, which is then clamped to the work bench. I can
then sit on the high stool and build/true the wheel in comfort with
tools/drink in easy reach.

AFAIK, all a commercial truing stand has is wind in guages. Thumb works
okay for me, but you can also bend a flat strip of metal around the forks
and slowly work it towards the centre, if that helps for keeping them oval
and measuring the wobbles to worked out.


I just have the bike turned upside down

BTDT.