approx prices for lacing up some new rims?

[Dejonica]

hi, I got some new rims yesterday from phantomcycles. I was just wanting to know the approx cost of
getting these laced up to my hubs? I was planning on doing it myself as a bit of a project/new
experience etc but currently don't have proper equipment.

So any ideas what i should expect to pay?

 

[Hippy]

"dejonica" <[email protected]_hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I got some new rims yesterday from phantomcycles. I was just wanting
to know
> the approx cost of getting these laced up to my hubs? I was planning on doing it myself as a bit
> of a project/new experience
etc
> but currently don't have proper equipment.
>
> So any ideas what i should expect to pay?

Hmm.. around $40 per wheel I think? I paid $100 for a rear Deore hub, spokes and lacing.

hippy

 

[NickZX6R]

dejonica <[email protected]_hotmail.com> wrote:
> hi, I got some new rims yesterday from phantomcycles. I was just wanting to know the approx cost
> of getting these laced up to my hubs? I was planning on doing it myself as a bit of a project/new
> experience etc but currently don't have proper equipment.

> So any ideas what i should expect to pay?

It'll cost from 50c to over $1 per spoke and around $25 labour.

I've been thinking about learning to do DIY wheels lately too.

These are the costs I've got so far:

- Truing stand $150+
- Dishing Tool $80+
- Cone wrenches $30+ $260+

Looking at the retail costs of hubs and road rims, it's a bit hit and miss on whether it's worth it
financially.

But I'll still give it a go just for "I can do that" thrill

--
Nick

 

[Brian Watson]

"NickZX6R" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> dejonica <[email protected]_hotmail.com> wrote:

[...]

> These are the costs I've got so far:
>
> - Truing stand $150+
> - Dishing Tool $80+

Do you really need these for DIY?? I have built a couple of wheels for myself and both times used
the bike the wheel will run in as the combined truing stand/dishing tool. I use both measurement
from the chainstays and sighting along the wheel to the main tubes for dishing and a screwdriver
blade resting on the chainstay for roundness. I know I am not building race wheels or anything, but
$200+ is not trivial in my books.

Sure, if you know what you are doing and are building (lots of) race quality wheels then you could
justify the above but for simple DIY - sounds like an excuse to buy some more toys

Brian

 

[Richard Sherrat]

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 02:08:54 GMT, "dejonica" <[email protected]_hotmail.com>
wrote:

>hi, I got some new rims yesterday from phantomcycles. I was just wanting to know the approx cost of
>getting these laced up to my hubs? I was planning on doing it myself as a bit of a project/new
>experience etc but currently don't have proper equipment.
>
>So any ideas what i should expect to pay?

It depends on how good a job you want and whether or not you can find someone really good.

I was charged $50 in late 2002 to build a 10 speed Chorus/Mavic Open Pro back wheel. The price
included the DT comp spokes. I'm not a lightweight. I've done about 10,000 km on them since then.
They haven't needed to be touched and are still completely true. That's what I call a quality job.

--
Regards. Richard.

 

[nospam) (Sasha]

Hi,

Did you buy the FIR rims that Phantom Cycles currently have on sale? I would be interested in
hearing about the quality of these rims, and how they compare to other brands. I am unfamiliar with
the FIR brand?

Sorry, cannot help with the cost of lacing wheels, but I would be interested in hearing the answers
to that as well.

Sasha

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 02:08:54 GMT, "dejonica" <[email protected]_hotmail.com> wrote:

>hi, I got some new rims yesterday from phantomcycles. I was just wanting to know the approx cost of
>getting these laced up to my hubs? I was planning on doing it myself as a bit of a project/new
>experience etc but currently don't have proper equipment.
>
>So any ideas what i should expect to pay?

 

[Nick Payne]

All you need to start with is a spoke key. You can use the bike frame for both truing stand and
dishing gauge. Not as quick nor quite as accurate as using the real tools, but you can build a
perfectly reliable wheel using just the frame and a spoke key. Remove the brakes and tape a piece of
card across the stays/forks to true against. Mark where the edge of the rim at the valve hole meets
the card. Flip the wheel around and mark again. Half way between the two marks is where the wheel is
correctly dished.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html has good information on wheelbuilding and
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/spocalc.htm is a good spoke length calculator.

Nick

dejonica wrote:
> hi, I got some new rims yesterday from phantomcycles. I was just wanting to know the approx cost
> of getting these laced up to my hubs? I was planning on doing it myself as a bit of a project/new
> experience etc but currently don't have proper equipment.
>
> So any ideas what i should expect to pay?

 

[NickZX6R]

Brian Watson <[email protected]> wrote:
> "NickZX6R" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> dejonica <[email protected]_hotmail.com> wrote:

> [...]

>> These are the costs I've got so far:
>>
>> - Truing stand $150+
>> - Dishing Tool $80+

> Do you really need these for DIY?? I have built a couple of wheels for myself and both times used
> the bike the wheel will run in as the combined truing stand/dishing tool. I use both measurement
> from the chainstays and sighting along the wheel to the main tubes for dishing and a screwdriver
> blade resting on the chainstay for roundness. I know I am not building race wheels or anything,
> but $200+ is not trivial in my books.

> Sure, if you know what you are doing and are building (lots of) race quality wheels then you could
> justify the above but for simple DIY - sounds like an excuse to buy some more toys

> Brian

Undoubtedly an excuse for toys

But also handy if you need the bike and won't be building the wheels in a hurry I guess. I dunno -
I've never built wheels.

How long does it take you lace up a wheel Brian? I mean from initial assembly until ready to go
on the bike.

--
Nick

 

[NickZX6R]

I don't know much about FIR rims either but they have been used as OEM wheels on Bianchis for
some time.

--
Nick

> Hi,

> Did you buy the FIR rims that Phantom Cycles currently have on sale? I would be interested in
> hearing about the quality of these rims, and how they compare to other brands. I am unfamiliar
> with the FIR brand?

> Sorry, cannot help with the cost of lacing wheels, but I would be interested in hearing the
> answers to that as well.

> Sasha

> On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 02:08:54 GMT, "dejonica" <[email protected]_hotmail.com> wrote:

>>hi, I got some new rims yesterday from phantomcycles. I was just wanting to know the approx cost
>>of getting these laced up to my hubs? I was planning on doing it myself as a bit of a project/new
>>experience etc but currently don't have proper equipment.
>>
>>So any ideas what i should expect to pay?
>

 

[Brian Watson]

"NickZX6R" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Brian Watson <[email protected]> wrote:
> > "NickZX6R" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >> dejonica <[email protected]_hotmail.com> wrote:

[...]

> How long does it take you lace up a wheel Brian? I mean from initial
assembly
> until ready to go on the bike.

Really hard to say. I've only done 2 so I still get a bit "excited" about doing it. I get home with
the spokes and don't really have time to do it so I grab 10mins here and there when I can and stick
a few spokes in - maybe 30 - 45 mins for that. Then I spend maybe an hour sitting down doing the
tension/true/stress relieve. I don't know if I have just been lucky but both have come out really
well despite starting with old, bent, rims! Mind you neither have many kilometres on them yet, but
the look true and don't creak. I think patience is the key - when I first put the spokes in I screw
the nipples on until the thread just disappears on all spokes, then I just keep going round and
round doing first half, then quarter, turns until it is taught. Both times this has given me a wheel
that is round and very nearly true. Then minor truing adjustments, stress relieve and final true.
For the first one I had a printed copy of Sheldon Brown's instructions beside
me. For the second I just looked at another wheel to double check that I was starting with
the first spoke going the right way - it just sort of flows from there. I can't wait to
do the next one!

BTW, there have been people in this thread saying they are getting wheels built for ~$50 including
spokes! This seems good value as quite a few shops charge between $0.65 and $1.50 each for decent
spokes! I am pretty sure my LBS charges $40 plus spokes - which I still think is still pretty good.
I reckon pay someone to do it unless (like me) you are keen on DIY.

Brian
> --
> Nick

 

[John Retchford]

Originally posted by Dejonica
hi, I got some new rims yesterday from phantomcycles. I was just wanting to know the approx cost of
getting these laced up to my hubs? I was planning on doing it myself as a bit of a project/new
experience etc but currently don't have proper equipment.

So any ideas what i should expect to pay?

A good shop I know quotes $25 plus spokes to build. Good stainless straight gauge spokes are about 80c each. Butted spokes are dearer but a little better.

I have built wheels for my family for years now, using a stand I made from steel angle. Careful measurement is required to ensure accuracy when building a stand.

Good wheels last a long time, so you probably don't save much money building them yourself. The gains come from confidence in the product, knowledge of how to true and the ability to build or re-build a wheel when you want. I have twice replaced damaged rims on Saturday nights so I could ride again on Sunday.

John Retchford

 

[Dejonica]

"sashan (nospam) (Sasha Nackovski)" <@alphalink.com.au> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Hi,
>
> Did you buy the FIR rims that Phantom Cycles currently have on sale? I would be interested in
> hearing about the quality of these rims, and how they compare to other brands. I am unfamiliar
> with the FIR brand?
>
> Sorry, cannot help with the cost of lacing wheels, but I would be interested in hearing the
> answers to that as well.
>
> Sasha

Hi, yeah i got the last set of 36 hole rims apparently.. I should be getting them today so it'll be
interesting to see what theyre like.. At the moment i have two different rims on the bike (bought it
2nd hand). a UKAI and a velocity aerohead and this is the 1st road bike i've had in 13 years so i
wouldn't be qualified to judge the FIR's against anything else

if i get them laced up and they dont bend under my big butt, then i'll be happy (oh, and if they
offer some decent braking performance it'll be a bonus)

 

[Jose Rizal]

dejonica:

> hi, I got some new rims yesterday from phantomcycles. I was just wanting to know the approx cost
> of getting these laced up to my hubs? I was planning on doing it myself as a bit of a project/new
> experience etc but currently don't have proper equipment.
>
> So any ideas what i should expect to pay?

I think it's worthwhile building your own wheels, not necessarily from a cost saving viewpoint but
from a DIY-learning new skills one. I think it's also worthwhile investing in a truing stand and
dishing tool. These don't have to be expensive; Minoura have reasonable ones. Buying a truing
stand/dishing tool combo may set you back around $200; shop around. Bear in mind that not only will
you build new wheels with these, but you can also check and re-true/re-tension old wheels.

Using your bike or making your own can work, but it's a lot more convenient using a stand.

 

[Server]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]_hotmail.com says...
> hi, I got some new rims yesterday from phantomcycles. I was just wanting to know the approx cost
> of getting these laced up to my hubs? I was planning on doing it myself as a bit of a project/new
> experience etc but currently don't have proper equipment.

You can lace them in your hanging bike. Just need a spoke key.

--
Mark Lee

 

[Server]

> I've been thinking about learning to do DIY wheels lately too.
>
> These are the costs I've got so far:
>
> - Truing stand $150+
> - Dishing Tool $80+
> - Cone wrenches $30+ $260+
>

I only have a truing stand - just reverse the wheel to check dish! A spoke wrench is $18? for a Park
tool? Cone wrenches are a general maintenance tool not used in wheel building.
--
Mark Lee

 

[Server]

Mark Lee has snipped Brian's post a little:
> I've only done 2 so I still get a bit "excited" about doing it. > I grab 10mins here and there
> when I can and stick a few spokes in - maybe 30 - 45 mins for that. Then I spend maybe an hour
> sitting down doing the tension/true/stress relieve. I think patience is the key - when I first put
> the spokes in I screw the nipples on until the thread just disappears on all spokes, then I just
> keep going round and round doing first half, then quarter, turns until it is taught. Both times
> this has given me a wheel that is round and very nearly true. Then minor truing adjustments,
> stress relieve and final true. For the first one I had a printed copy of Sheldon Brown's
> instructions beside
> me. I can't wait to do the next one!
>

> Brian

Very good advice Brian. I have built all my wheels - racing, training, MTB, tandem; my 14 yo son's
racing wheels - track and road and my wife's commuting wheels for the last 20 years... using the
same method you do. I have a truing stand and have built 3x, 3x/2x, 2x and radial. My wheels are
very durable, usually built with DT Competition butted or 14/17G Revolution butted stainless spokes
which are expensive but have never broken. They're all built just as you said - with patience,
unwinding by pushing on the rim and stress relief by squeezing handfuls of spokes. There's very
little mystery involved - it's about as difficult as fixing a flat but takes longer.

--
Mark Lee

 

[Kingsley]

On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 00:15:09 +0000, Server wrote:

>> - Dishing Tool $80+

How does the dishing too work ?

Do you set it for the size of the wheel+cluster etc?

-kt

 

[Stu]

"kingsley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 00:15:09 +0000, Server wrote:
>
> >> - Dishing Tool $80+
>
> How does the dishing too work ?
>
> Do you set it for the size of the wheel+cluster etc?
>
> -kt

hope this helps to lazy to type(which maybe a good thing)
>The purpose for using a centering(dishing) tool is to determine if a rim is
centered between >its axle locknuts http://www.omnipost.com/hoadley-true/info.html stu