Wheel Lacing Tips

[figbat]

The rim label should also face the RH of the bike. Like the hub label being readable through the valve hole, this is purely an aesthetic thing.

Indeed. I used Roger Musson’s guide when I did my first wheels and from memory he states that although this is purely aesthetic, it is also the mark of a wheel builder who has taken time to get things right, which might then give you confidence in the rest of the build.

 

[lenfield]

The rim label should also face the RH of the bike. Like the hub label being readable through the valve hole, this is purely an aesthetic thing.

I don't see why, there's normally a valve in the valve hole!

 

[rogerzilla]

I don't see why, there's normally a valve in the valve hole!

Valveless tyres will be next after tubeless tyres. When they go flat, you buy a new bike.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Wheel lacing learning continues:

It helped when the trainer translated the bog-awful diagram we'd been given, and I was able to make my own version. This is the theoretical starting point:

This is viewed from the "drive" side on a rear wheel, and the arrow shows the direction of rotation. The "four spoke method" is very useful for orientation, but In practice, I've found it's best not to put the "rear" spokes (yellow in the diagram), at the beginning; partly because they twist the hub and make it hard to connect spokes to the nipple sometimes, and partly because it means bending the spokes to lace the wheel. This isn't a problem for normal people, but when I have to repeatedly dismantle and rebuild the wheel with the same spokes it can result in them looking like wet spaghetti. I find it better to put the two orange spokes in place, put in the "inside" spokes on both sides, then flip back to this side and put in the "outside" spokes.

Now I'm getting comfortable, I need to practice until I'm down to less than 15 minutes for the actual lacing, so I have half an hour to centre the wheel...