Wheel building workshop

[Ming the Merciless]

Saw this elsewhere. I attended this workshop back in 2013, and it was very good. Built all my own wheels since.

Places are available on the next Bicycle Wheel Building Workshop I will be teaching in Cambridge on Sat 12/10/19. Master a new skill in a controlled, supportive environment.

Full information and enrolment details on the website:
http://www.cambridgewheelbuilding.co.uk/

David Green

 

[IaninSheffield]

You were right!
Was there yesterday, learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Thanks for flagging it up

 

[Levo-Lon]

Just seen this...
Something i really want to learn.

 

[IaninSheffield]

Just seen this...
Something i really want to learn.

Can'r recommend it enough.
Check the website and perhaps sign up to learn when the next workshop is on? David, the workshop leader did say he had more planned.

 

[Blue Hills]

You were right!
Was there yesterday, learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Thanks for flagging it up

Do you think it will "stick in your head"?
Courses don't always with me so sometimes I prefer to use a book for things with tools and bits in the other hand. Not sure if this is something to do with me or with variations in teaching technique.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I would love to do a course like this. It would never make financial sense as I run discs and buying all the kit would cost more than it would to break even. I don’t even need new wheels on anything. I just want to learn the dark art.

 

[FrankCrank]

A workshop seems a good way to learn the 'dark art'. For me, I used the tutorial over on Atomic Zombie, link below:

https://www.atomiczombie.com/tutorial-3-cross-wheel-lacing/

Been using it these past few years on various size wheel builds, but whatever works best for you

 

[IaninSheffield]

Do you think it will "stick in your head"?
Courses don't always with me so sometimes I prefer to use a book for things with tools and bits in the other hand. Not sure if this is something to do with me or with variations in teaching technique.

The basics will do, but I suspect like most practical skills, it'll need embedding with regular practise... which I probably undertake. However, we were given a detailed set of instructions and other reference sources including books.

 

[IaninSheffield]

I would love to do a course like this. It would never make financial sense as I run discs and buying all the kit would cost more than it would to break even. I don’t even need new wheels on anything. I just want to learn the dark art.

You're right of course, it would probably be cheaper to buy a new wheel if and when required. For me it was more about beimg better placed to know how to repair or replace a broken spoke, although in all my years of cycling I've yet to have one. So call it insurance I guess.
I would still like to build a wheel or two though. I need a dynamo charger on my tourer, so maybe that's the place to start. And how satisfying must it be to be riding on wheels you built yourself?

 

[Blue Hills]

A workshop seems a good way to learn the 'dark art'. For me, I used the tutorial over on Atomic Zombie, link below:

https://www.atomiczombie.com/tutorial-3-cross-wheel-lacing/

Been using it these past few years on various size wheel builds, but whatever works best for you

Have you used that tutorial for re-rimming?
I stress that I have, as yet neither re-rimmed or built from scratch, but I had the idea that if re-rimming it was a good idea to gradually shift existing spokes from the old rim to the new one - ie - so you are just copying/duplicating the original (including seating of spoke heads into any rim marks) . But he seems to take the whole lot out so that, before starting to rebuild, he just has a rim and a bucket full of bits. I am afraid that with my track record on bike tinkering that might be a bit risky.

Views?

 

[Blue Hills]

You're right of course, it would probably be cheaper to buy a new wheel if and when required.

To comfort/encourage you, that's not true is it?

If you re-use the spokes and nipples and have kept your hubs in good nick you can get a new rim for about £20 can't you?
And if you like the wheels have the nice feeling of just riding on.
When I get enough confidence and do a bit of swotting up I intend to give my favourite set of wheels a new lease of life.
I have already got the "new" rims - which by and by are NOS - I understand that the new versions of these rims are inferior as they have had metal shaved off. And so don't last as long.

 

[IaninSheffield]

To comfort/encourage you, that's not true is it?

If you re-use the spokes and nipples and have kept your hubs in good nick you can get a new rim for about £20 can't you?
And if you like the wheels have the nice feeling of just riding on.
When I get enough confidence and do a bit of swotting up I intend to give my favourite set of wheels a new lease of life.
I have already got the "new" rims - which by and by are NOS - I understand that the new versions of these rims are inferior as they have had metal shaved off. And so don't last as long.

You're right of course. I was thinking about replacing a plain front wheel with a hub dynamo, in which case given that I'd need a new set of spokes, I might as well build a swap-out wheel and retain rather than dismantle the original. Or buy a ready-made one.
In truth it's probably more about finding a reason to put freshly leaned skills into practise.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I intend to give my favourite set of wheels a new lease of life. I have already got the "new" rims

Remove the rim tape from the current wheel. Tape (suggest in 4 places) the new rim to the old rim with the valve holes aligned. If the decals or other stuff on the new rim matters to you, take care which way round the rim is. Since these are NOS they are unlikely to be assymmetrically drilled. Transfer one spoke at a time to the new rim, putting an equal number of turns on each nipple (say 3). Easiest to do every other spoke (ie all the spokes from one side and then go round again doing all the spokes from the other side). Tension up and true.

 

[IaninSheffield]

@Ajax Bay Good tips!

 

[Blue Hills]

You were right!
Was there yesterday, learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Thanks for flagging it up

Couple of questions if you don't mind.
Did you use a special nipple driver or just a screwdriver?
Tension meter?