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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [morey000] [ In reply to ]
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Well for for $30 in parts + 1.5 to 2 hours labor - i'm coming out WAY ahead by giving wheelbuilder 90 bucks.
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [undertheradar] [ In reply to ]
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Very cool.

Great job!
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [sentania] [ In reply to ]
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such an awesome mod and you saved a bunch of money too! Glad i stumbled across this thread.
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [jeff.ehret] [ In reply to ]
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Yes, many folks on here make more than $40/hour so they write the process off, well like undertheradar, many of us like to tinker and find more joy in actually building something than we get out of working at the office.

Additionally, you can't find a wheelbuilder kit for all wheels- the flowcycling wheels for example.

Nice job partner and thanks for the detailed instructions.
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [bonafide505] [ In reply to ]
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How did you settle on the diameter of your disc? Also on the drive side I assume you have to remove the cassette to take it off/put it on?
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [undertheradar] [ In reply to ]
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That's pretty cool, but a wheelbuilder cover is already soooooooo cheap compared to all the other expenses of triathlon... it seems like a strange place to try to cut costs.
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [gttri15] [ In reply to ]
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gttri15 wrote:
How did you settle on the diameter of your disc? Also on the drive side I assume you have to remove the cassette to take it off/put it on?

x2. I've been thinking about building one too and this finally gave me the push to actually do it.

I imagine if you don't bond the seam on the drive side and just tape it closed, you could install it without pulling the cassette.....or you could drill the center hole larger



sometimes you just have to eat the cake
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [undertheradar] [ In reply to ]
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Very nice! I wonder if someone can weigh this version of the cover? Wheelbuilder covers vary from 320-420g depending on depth of rim.

FYI - I've been taping covers for 3 years now, as have several friends. As long as you don't stretch the tape (I use plain 3M electrical) and clean both surfaces with alcohol, never had a problem with the cover coming loose.

As for rubbing on the largest cog...either reduce the dish slightly when you make one, or trim the outer edge by 2-3mm (assuming you have a deep enough rim) to get it to sit closer to the spokes.

I did a mylar cover back in 2006 for masters track nats (they were still legal) and it worked great as well, that's semi-permanent though.
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [undertheradar] [ In reply to ]
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Great post and excellent execution! Out here on the east coast I'm not finding any ABS suppliers, but have found a couple of on-line resources. Anyone care to comment on the suitability of either .030" hi impact styrene or .020" Lexan?
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [undertheradar] [ In reply to ]
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Great job. Now I'm bummed that I dropped $$ with Wheelbuilder.
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [offline246] [ In reply to ]
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offline246 wrote:
Great post and excellent execution! Out here on the east coast I'm not finding any ABS suppliers, but have found a couple of on-line resources. Anyone care to comment on the suitability of either .030" hi impact styrene or .020" Lexan?


I used .040 hi impact styrene and it worked beautifully. I'm sure the .030 would be fine as well.


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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [matto] [ In reply to ]
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matto wrote:
That's pretty cool, but a wheelbuilder cover is already soooooooo cheap compared to all the other expenses of triathlon... it seems like a strange place to try to cut costs.

As already mentioned, the Wheelbuilder covers don't fit that well on all wheels. The deeper the rim you're mating it too, the further off the fit gets. With this method, you get a totally custom fit regardless of the wheel.
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [undertheradar] [ In reply to ]
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Just finished building a cover for my 60mm Chinese Carbon wheel. Total cost = $15. Time = 1.5 hour. Here's a couple of tips I discovered along the way.

  • Googled "plastics" in my city and found several suppliers. Cost for 1/2 sheet of ABS .030 was $13. They had several half sheets that had been stepped on and showed a small wrinkle. Was able to work around the wrinkle. Bought two half sheets for $10. Enough for two wheels.
  • Cutting your own circles is quite easy. Took a 1" x 1" hardwood stick about 20" long and screwed a drywall blade (razor blade) to the end, so that it protruded down just a bit. Measured up the stick 25.6mm and drilled a hole. Using the same drill bit, drilled a hole in the ABS and a hole in a backer board (a 24" square of 1/2-inch plywood). Took the drill bit, poked it through the hardwood stick, then the ABS sheet, so that it projected about 3/8-inch. Placed the protruding end into the back board. Now I had a pivot (the drill bit). Gently lowered the hardwood stick and razor blade onto the ABS sheet (kinda like a record player arm lowering onto a vinyl record). Rotated the ABS sheet while keeping light pressure on the razor blade. Cut a perfect circle after about 2 rotations.
  • Cut the circle from the center hole to the edge, to allow the ABS to "cone"
  • Only after cutting from the center to the edge did I cut the center hole. Using a hole saw (Harbor Freight had a set with 8-10 different sizes for $7).
  • Taped the ABS to the wheel using cheap electrical tape (you'll see why below). This establishes the "cone". Taped the overlap securely with masking tape.Removed the electrical tape and the cover.
  • Cut through both layers of the overlap. This gives you a great clean mating surface.
  • Glued per the OP instructions.
  • Clean you rim thoroughly, then wipe down with rubbing alcohol. Keep fingers off the taping surface.
  • Clean the ABS cover thoroughly, then wipe down the edge where you'll tape it with rubbing alcohol. Keep fingers off the taping surface.
  • Taping the finished cover to the wheel was the biggest learning moment. You can't use cheap electrical tape. And you can't stretch it at all, either. If you do, it just falls off by itself in about 10 minutes. Pretty disappointing. However, if you use Scotch (3M) Super 33+ electrical tape and don't stretch it, it sticks GREAT! But, it's about $5/roll so you'll want to use cheaper electrical tape when doing the original positioning (see above). Using one continuous piece, unroll the tape about 10", let it relax and pull itself back to original length, and gently lay it down. It will pull into a curve as you work around the edge.
I was worried about the tape pulling off, so I put the wheel and cover out in the sun for about 4 hours (100 degrees). Held rock solid and didn't disloge or peel of at all. Rode it for two days, same result. Raced IM 70.3 Kansas yesterday and it worked perfectly.
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [Kscycler] [ In reply to ]
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Nice job man and great tips!
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [Kscycler] [ In reply to ]
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I still have the stock shimano r500 wheels and the wheelbuilder covers wont work, I wonder if this would? How did you determine what diameter to cut each cover? If you are coned and still seated nicely at the rim, it must be more than the inner diameter of you wheel?

"It never gets easier, you just go faster."
-Greg LeMond

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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [gluestick] [ In reply to ]
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Yep, getting the cover to lay nicely is a bit of art and a bit of science. I have read on forum threads where the Wheelbuilder cover wouldn't lay down, then would, depending on the sequence of the fasteners. I don't really know, because I have only made my own.

As for the diameter, it's a bit of hit and miss. Plastic is cheap enough, so you can do some trial and error. You can't really measure from the inside of the rim to the center, because 1) the freewheel body is in the way on the drive side, and 2) the hub flange is in the way on the non-drive side. I made my best guess (for each side) and cut the disc a "tad" bigger (when I say bigger, I measured the drive side at 25.2cm on my wheel, so I cut it 25.5). That way, I could always cut it smaller (how, you ask? once the center hole has been cut, isn't it difficult to find the center again to pivot around? Well, yes. I put the circle that the hole cutter removed back in the disc, taped it as best I could to center it, and carefully cut the disc a bit smaller).

I think the key is taping the disc down to make sure you have the diameter correct and that it doesn't "cone" too much or too little. Keeping good written records while working is a must.
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [undertheradar] [ In reply to ]
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i am also in socal would you consider making on for my bike and i would pay you?
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [undertheradar] [ In reply to ]
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Very impressed!
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [undertheradar] [ In reply to ]
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I just did this on my bike and it came out great!! Anyone wanna see some pics?
I went to the same plastics place located in Anaheim, Although the discs are now a whopping $20 a piece!
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [identity94] [ In reply to ]
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paging Thomas Gerlach.......

you should post pics of your DIY disc wheel and crank cover on here. You might find yourself with a new side job selling to the ST folks! You're not too shabby on the bike either, so it's got real street cred ;-)
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [identity94] [ In reply to ]
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could you make some and id buy them from you
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [dannyc10] [ In reply to ]
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I just bought a black 4' x 8' sheet of .030 Polystyrene and cut it into (4) 2' x 4' sections. I only need (1) to make a wheel disc. Anyone interested in the (3) sections left to build a disc themselves in the Tampa Bay, FL area let me know, thanks.
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [jackmott] [ In reply to ]
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nice work!
If you need any graphics contact me
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Re: The ultimate DIY disc wheel cover how-to thread. [checkoayala] [ In reply to ]
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Really nicely done

Formely stef32
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