Just busted a rear axle so I'm looking for new wheels...Live in Colorado, 180 lbs and I don't race...looking to keep it around $500. What do the wheel builders recommend?
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LockJovi said:Just busted a rear axle so I'm looking for new wheels...Live in Colorado, 180 lbs and I don't race...looking to keep it around $500. What do the wheel builders recommend?
LockJovi said:Just busted a rear axle so I'm looking for new wheels...Live in Colorado, 180 lbs and I don't race...looking to keep it around $500. What do the wheel builders recommend?
Fenceline said:I built these wheels about 3 years and approx 35,000km ago, they have remained true and characteristics unchanged.
Open pro rims
Durace 7900 hubs
Frt 3x CX-ray brass nipples
Rear 3x CX-ray brass nipples
Recently a drive side spoke broke which brought up an issue that has bothered me form the beginning.
I used a Park Tool TM-1 tension meter, what reading should it have for a fully tensioned CX ray spoke?
Fenceline said:100 kgf was what I was aiming for, The guide that comes with the tension meter has readings for different types of spokes. When I measured the CXrays they did not exactly match any of the listed sizes, close but not exact. My question is what should the meter reading be?
I am 70kg, and spend my time riding up and down hills, generally any wheel failures have been due to worn braking surfaces.
On close inpection 2 of the spokes were bent, the break was where the bladed section begins at the hub end. Maybe I should not have lent them out.
King Boonen said:A general question, how easy is it to build a wheel that's better than a factory bought one and close to a specialist build? I don't mean better components, I mean better made and will last longer than a factory build.
I ask because I've always fancied doing it and with a new mountain bike on the way I thought about giving it a go. However, when I costed out a relatively low spec build I found it was going to cost me more to buy the parts than it was going to cost if I ordered the wheel from a wheel builder (Merlin Cycles, they have a very good reputation). I still fancy giving it a go, but only if I can get a wheel built that is close to what I'd get ordering it and learn some valuable skills along the way to help me maintain it.
What do you think? Am I better getting a professional to do it and learning general maintenance? Bear in mind that I probably won't build many, maybe a couple of sets for myself and some for friends, family etc.
-King Boonen said:A general question, how easy is it to build a wheel that's better than a factory bought one and close to a specialist build? I don't mean better components, I mean better made and will last longer than a factory build.
...
Bustedknuckle said:Most of us 'wheelbuilders' started on our own wheel. I really enjoy building wheels, now 27 years on BUT getting the same components as somebody who would build your wheel..well, they have the skill to get those 4 variables correct at the same time. You probably don't, yet.
So even with the same stuff, hub, spokes, rim...your wheel probably won't have the reliability as the one made by somebody who has built a 'few'.
JayKosta said:-
With using all the same components, I'd expect a mass-produced factory wheel to perhaps be a little out-of-true to start with, and to go noticeably out-of-true sooner. If the fatory wheels had low or excessive spoke tension, that could cause other problems.
If you can do slow and precise DIY projects, then you can build a wheel.
What is your experience with 'truing' a wheel? Replacing a single spoke is usually easy, but have you ever had to adjust for up-down rim 'hop'?
Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA
-King Boonen said:...
No experience, but I plan to learn to do it as I'm getting a mountain bike that I plan to use for what it was intended so the ability to sort out my wheels is something I'd like. I'm good at stuff like this, am fine with pretty much all general bike maintenance, have helped rebuild classic cars and my job involves fixing some very expensive bits of kit.
...
How easy is it to do irreparable harm to a wheel?
King Boonen said:. . .
How easy is it to do irreparable harm to a wheel?
Bustedknuckle said:Most of us 'wheelbuilders' started on our own wheel. I really enjoy building wheels, now 27 years on BUT getting the same components as somebody who would build your wheel..well, they have the skill to get those 4 variables correct at the same time. You probably don't, yet.
So even with the same stuff, hub, spokes, rim...your wheel probably won't have the reliability as the one made by somebody who has built a 'few'.
richwagmn said:So what are the mistakes that beginning wheel builders make that cause the wheel to be less reliable?
richwagmn said:So what are the mistakes that beginning wheel builders make that cause the wheel to be less reliable?
hiero2 said:Choosing less than optimal components - not getting the spoke tension correct all the way around - undertensioning some - overtensioning others.
Now - you will note - a few post earlier - the knuckle gives a particular spoke tension for a given rim, in response to a question. Unless the rim manufacturers have improved the rims astronomically in the last 10 years (that was the last time I bought new rims to build up) - using one tension all the way around will not give you a properly true wheel - nor the strongest wheel. But you don't get all that from reading that post, eh? Rims have deviance from round - and they have a join spot where the characteristics are different. Got to accomodate that with the spoke tension. Experience helps you do that better.
86TDFWinner said:Thanks for the info on the wheelset guys, might have to give those Campy rims a looksy. Also, considering bumping up what I can spend on a set, to about $1K, does that make much of a difference?
Dermie said:I posted this in general but I think it should be here.
This has probably been done before!!
I am setting up a new bike, Dean Ultralite sloping frame, campag super record & I need a set of wheels. I have had great service for the last 9 yrs from a pair of campag neutrons. They are about 1450g, not super light but like I said they appear to be bombproof, i.e. I have no qualms about jumping kerbs, riding off kerbs etc & they are still as straight as the day I bought them.
Is there a wheel as tough but just a bit lighter??? I am leaning towards the campag shamal what does anyone think or know about them.
I have built a back wheel before & it is still ok, I wonder if I could build a wheel that is as strong and lighter than a campag neutron or shamal at a reasonable cost???
Dermie said:Yes I almost would, but braking, and braking in the wet, braking on long descents.
My new frame (Dean superlite) will be set up with disc tabs on the rear so that when Campag get a set of disc gear/brake levers I will be going full hydraulic disc (with a new disc compatible fork aswell).
I think thats may be 2 - 3 yrs away & then lighter wheels may come by way of the route you are suggesting (but tubeless maybe) & with out the need for thicker walls for braking.
Bustedknuckle said:If you want to make that leap to lighter, really lighter but still reliable it means
-carbon
-tubular
Enve, Reynolds based around DT hubs..many used...
besides, clinchers are for nancys.