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Can I build my own wheel?
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I have a cracked Flo 30 rim and the awesome guys at Flo sent me a new rim. I need to pull off the hub/spokes and transfer. Found a video on line and am wondering if this is really something I can do myself. I would take the rebuilt wheel to my LBS for truing. Any shared experiences/advice severely appreciated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g11lhs5l4k
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Re: Can I build my own wheel? [Porfirio] [ In reply to ]
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You can rebuild and true it yourself.
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Re: Can I build my own wheel? [Porfirio] [ In reply to ]
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Your bike shop techs should have the skills to build it for you easily.
If you like doing some bike mechanics and learn new techniques, it's a good challenge.
If it's a rear rim, then there are quite a few things you need to learn first, the hub is not centered, there is dishing invlolved, and spoke tension is very important to dial ( I built my first wheelset without a spoke tensionmeter, and broke a poke three times because tension was too low) . A front wheel is a bit easier.
This video is a good example of how NOT to build a wheel, lol...

Louis :-)
Last edited by: louisn: Oct 18, 19 8:43
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Re: Can I build my own wheel? [Porfirio] [ In reply to ]
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Wheel building is a skill and its not nearly as easy as it looks. Following on from this there is a 99% likelihood the LBS won't trust your rebuild and will effectively rebuild the whole thing during the truing process. So moving over the parts won't save anyone time or money.

The additional problem I see is that before getting the wheel rebuilt you want to replace any damaged spokes/nipples. A cracked rim is likely to come with other damage and if you rebuild the wheel with damaged spokes you are creating headaches down the line.h.

As a warning take it to a shop that actually has a wheel builder. I went through this process with a series of Brompton rims/spokes and learned that I couldn't build a wheel nor could the local LBS. I took it a bit further a field to an actual wheel builder and in no time they built a bomb-proof wheel. Getting the spokes tension correctly and de-stressing the spokes is essential but its not something you can do without tools/experience.
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Re: Can I build my own wheel? [Porfirio] [ In reply to ]
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Only if you want to continue to do it in the future. There are some upfront investment you need to make for tools. So if it's just one off and you have no interest in doing more, take it to the LBS with a real wheelbuilder.
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Re: Can I build my own wheel? [Porfirio] [ In reply to ]
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Typically a rim swap is straight forward because you can do one spoke at time but in order to lace a rim with a deep fairing like that you need to slide the spokes through the rims back and forth so you do not bend the spokes that much and to put the nipple in.

You'll likely have to completely unlace the rim and rebuild with the new rim. Getting those spoke back in exactly where they were before will be difficult so it would be a good idea to replace the spokes.

If you're going that far you might as well let an experienced builder do it all for you.
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Re: Can I build my own wheel? [Porfirio] [ In reply to ]
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Ditto everyone above. I would pay a local shop to do it (assuming that they do a lot of them). I have built a number of wheels. It is tedious and time-consuming if you do not do it all the time. I liken it to doing drywall. I can do drywall, and I am pretty decent at it. But, pro drywall guys are massively better than me, and not that expensive in the grand scheme of things.

Following that analogy, I would fix a wheel myself (replace a spoke or broken nipple). But, I would pay someone else to rebuild.
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Re: Can I build my own wheel? [Porfirio] [ In reply to ]
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...so is it the front or rear?

The Flo 30 front is radially laced, so yes, you could very easily re-lace it yourself. If it is rear, you could do it, by taking care to follow the same pattern...but two big things:

  • as mentioned above, a cracked rim means there may be damaged spokes nipples. You may not be able to recognize those, while an experienced wheel builder might. Most likely, they'll only find that when they start tightening the spokes or detensioning them near the end. So, that may/may not matter.
  • wheel builders are often pretty picky about whatever their favorite spoke prep lube goes on the threads. "What?!? I never use anything besides linseed/wheelsmith/loctite/earwax. Thanks for the thought, but I'm tearing this apart and rebuilding it the only true and correct way"

Since you said you'll have the shop finish it anyway, I doubt you'd save much $ lacing it yourself. A good wheelbuilder could do everything in less than an hour. If I was in your shoes, I'd take your cracked wheel all apart, clean the spokes really well, especially at the threads. Soak the nipples in soapy water, maybe drag a pipe cleaner through them...dry everything really well. The spokes are likely noticeably different from drive side to NDS, but keep them labeled and separated. Bring the builder the hoop, baggie of nipples, clean spokes and hub (and maybe a 6pack).

It'll be done in a few days, cost something like $100, maybe more if they had to replace spokes/nipples. Heads up, those CX ray spokes cost a few bucks a piece. Nipples are less than a dollar.
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Re: Can I build my own wheel? [dfroelich] [ In reply to ]
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dfroelich wrote:
...so is it the front or rear?

The Flo 30 front is radially laced, so yes, you could very easily re-lace it yourself. If it is rear, you could do it, by taking care to follow the same pattern...but two big things:

  • as mentioned above, a cracked rim means there may be damaged spokes nipples. You may not be able to recognize those, while an experienced wheel builder might. Most likely, they'll only find that when they start tightening the spokes or detensioning them near the end. So, that may/may not matter.
  • wheel builders are often pretty picky about whatever their favorite spoke prep lube goes on the threads. "What?!? I never use anything besides linseed/wheelsmith/loctite/earwax. Thanks for the thought, but I'm tearing this apart and rebuilding it the only true and correct way"

Since you said you'll have the shop finish it anyway, I doubt you'd save much $ lacing it yourself. A good wheelbuilder could do everything in less than an hour. If I was in your shoes, I'd take your cracked wheel all apart, clean the spokes really well, especially at the threads. Soak the nipples in soapy water, maybe drag a pipe cleaner through them...dry everything really well. The spokes are likely noticeably different from drive side to NDS, but keep them labeled and separated. Bring the builder the hoop, baggie of nipples, clean spokes and hub (and maybe a 6pack).

It'll be done in a few days, cost something like $100, maybe more if they had to replace spokes/nipples. Heads up, those CX ray spokes cost a few bucks a piece. Nipples are less than a dollar.

This is a dope idea! (Except for the 6 pack, might as well by two so I can have one too.) Thanks!
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Re: Can I build my own wheel? [Porfirio] [ In reply to ]
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...btw, please understand...to answer only the question in the title of your post:
YES, you definitely CAN build your own wheel!
Wheelbuilding is pretty dang fun. Figuring out the lacing patterns and twist of the hub so that the hub logo faces the valve stem and that the valve stem always sits in the 'wide' spoke gap is kind of fun. Then, the final trueing is oh so satisfying as it comes together.

But, likely not worth it! I am out something like $500 in tools and the class to so far save $400 ($100 discount * 4 sets to build them myself). I take my sweet time on the builds, so I think the quickest I've done a set is probably still 3-4 hours.
I've now retrued all of my wheels, so that is nice, but none really needed it.

So...learn to build wheels if it interests you, not thinking you'll save oodles of cash.
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Re: Can I build my own wheel? [dfroelich] [ In reply to ]
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dfroelich wrote:
...btw, please understand...to answer only the question in the title of your post:
YES, you definitely CAN build your own wheel!
Wheelbuilding is pretty dang fun. Figuring out the lacing patterns and twist of the hub so that the hub logo faces the valve stem and that the valve stem always sits in the 'wide' spoke gap is kind of fun. Then, the final trueing is oh so satisfying as it comes together.

But, likely not worth it! I am out something like $500 in tools and the class to so far save $400 ($100 discount * 4 sets to build them myself). I take my sweet time on the builds, so I think the quickest I've done a set is probably still 3-4 hours.
I've now retrued all of my wheels, so that is nice, but none really needed it.

So...learn to build wheels if it interests you, not thinking you'll save oodles of cash.

Thanks again. Going to the LBS this afternoon to talk to them as well. I trust those guys.
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Re: Can I build my own wheel? [dfroelich] [ In reply to ]
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dfroelich wrote:
... Soak the nipples in soapy water, maybe drag a pipe cleaner through them...dry everything really well. The spokes are likely noticeably different from drive side to NDS, but keep them labeled and separated. Bring the builder the hoop, baggie of nipples, clean spokes and hub (and maybe a 6pack).

It'll be done in a few days, cost something like $100, maybe more if they had to replace spokes/nipples. Heads up, those CX ray spokes cost a few bucks a piece. Nipples are less than a dollar.

I highly doubt the nipples will still be in good condition (the OP specified he didn't have any special tools). If I was a bike shop tech, I would not accept to build a wheel with used nipples. And I would charge more if the wheel was in pieces (even if they're clean and labeled) than if the customer just brought it as a whole.
The nipples cost 0.25 each for brass, maybe a few cents more for alloy. Used spokes are fine but tricky as they are already stretched so need more time to build and adjust tension than new ones.

Louis :-)
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Re: Can I build my own wheel? [Porfirio] [ In reply to ]
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If I was rebuilding a wheel Id be RENEWING all the spokes and nipples.
Unless they are nearly brand new there will be some fatigue damage (maybe not cracked yet - cracking then breakage is the last part only of fatigue failures, most of the time is the invisible fatigue damage accumilation).
Also a mix of old and new spimes means some will have been pre-stressed and stretched and others not - makes the build a more painful job and also runs the risk of needing more re-trueing after a ride or two.
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