Asking for help building wheels

[Ugo51]

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Richard Wright's book Building Bicycle Wheels got me started and explained things idiot style all those years ago. It's like a paper back booklet so don't feel intimidating

Use an online spoke calculator to determine what length spokes you need

You don't need a truing stand nor a dishing tool to begin with. Hang the bike from it's bars or saddle and use the brakes as guides.

Double butted spokes are better. They are lighter and tend to mesh better where spokes cross. Avoid chrome plate spokes, which were common back then but are brittle

Thanks. I am fairly confident I can get away without dishing tool for the front wheel.
It would be a bit more complicated for the rear one. I won't embark in building the rear one before successfully building the front one, but when I do, I think I will make horizontal supports to place the wheel on top and measure the distance between the hub and a reference plane, such as the table.

 

[cromoman]

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You certainly can get away without a dishing tool for the front.

For the rear, a dishing tool is quite easy to make for yourself.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaWZ_uoE9TY[/youtube]

The one in the video is more complicated that it needs to be - rather than cutting a curved piece of wood, just use a straight piece with a bit glued on at either end!

 

[pigman]

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you don't need a dishing tool for the rear. Just put the wheel in both ways round. When it is in the same position relative to the brake both ways round, the wheel is central.
Yeah its a bit faffy, but works. If you feel you need to continue building more and more, then make/buy one

 

[Ugo51]

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Hi guys,
Thank you all for the advice.
I've been extremely busy these days, but last Saturday I managed to switch the rim in my old wheel. It wasn't difficult at all, just very long (took me about 1hr).
It was also a useless job because the spokes are too long, but it served as an introduction to spoke handling.
I purchased 40 new (cheap) spokes and as soon as they come I'll try to switch them one by one with the old ones

 

[foz]

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If you need to swap all the spokes, it will be a lot easier to completely take the wheel apart and then build again with the new spokes, instead of trying to swap them one at a time.

 

[Ugo51]

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Really?
I thought that swapping was easier in order not to get confused on where the spokes go.
But it might be hard with all the crossing they need to do.

 

[Peachy!]

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Really?
I thought that swapping was easier in order not to get confused on where the spokes go.
But it might be hard with all the crossing they need to do.

Nothing confusing about it, its childs play... go on, jump in.....you will wonder what on earth you were worried about.

Cue photos of my children building wheels.....

 

[Ugo51]

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Do you have some advice on what rim to get?

I purchased an alloy rim, double wall, with eyelets for £22 but I'm a bit disappointed with the quality.
I don't want anything fancy, but a good built and good finish yes.
Should I expect to pay much more than £20 then?

 

[Peachy!]

No sorry, I can’t really give any advice on rims.
The rims I’ve laced have either been what came with the bike, or sourced for catalogue correctness.

 

[Ugo51]

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Yesterday (actually today because it was after midnight) I stayed up to swap the spokes.
I ended up following my initial idea, replacing them one by one. It's actually very easy, although I made a mistake in the second couple of spokes which hunted me at the end for a good 15 minutes because it messed up the order.
It took me a good 1:30 to swap them all.
New spokes, new rim, the wheel is looking good.

Now the hard part. Tension, dish and true.... :shock: