Anybody here still occasionally actually do the quaint and dated thing of buying a couple of rims, a pair of hubs, a bunch of spokes and nipples and then sit down and build up your own wheels? How many of you folks do that, or even know how in this day and age?
I have built a few sets in my time, but lately with race wheel technology going orbital, my last two pairs have been ATB wheels (it is getting impossible to find pre-built wheels with hard-anodized rims that are suitable for V-brakes). So I just finished a set. It took some time, and some patience, but it was satisfying, especially getting the rim true to standards far better than available anywhere with pre-builts.
I’ve been wanting to pickup a truing stand for just this purpose. I know it’s possible to build a wheel without one, but it’s all about tool acquisition for me.
Sure. I’ve built quite a few. But only the first pair were “aero” race wheels. All others since have been are general purpose training or touring wheels or a 2nd pair of ATB wheels for slicks or studded tires depending on the season. I agree, it is very satisfying.
I do a fair job of trueing my own wheels, but I’ve never actually built a set. It’s one of the many things I’d like to do, though. I have the impression that it’s one of those skills that looks simple enough but that you have to do over and over again to really get the hang of. Like learning how to drive stick…
I’m still riding the first pair of wheel I ever built. I think I built them in 99. Open pro rims (the old steely blue color) Revo spokes, Radial front, 3X rear.
I think I have trued them all of a half a dozen times. Great wheels.
The guy who worked for the US Equestrian team at the olympics and pre olympic events was paid $3400 per week. There was an article about him in HRM, he in his 20’s I beleive, and had been earning six figure wages since he was 18 or so.
Way to go…
There’s no better way to build a great wheel set, my favourite wheel are still a set of 32h Record hubs, Swiss tripple butted spokes with Mavic Ceramic rims.
Try cornering real hard, braking hard or riding any decent mountain range on your generic wheelset.
There are a few bike tech things I leave to the real experts and wheel building and significant truing fall into that category. However, it has been my experience that if you get the best to build the wheels in the first place, you need little of the latter.
Oi! Wow, we are gettin’ a bit nasty here, aren’t we?
In case, thanks for your evaluation ( the, “stupid quote”)–certainly I will ask you of your visibly wise opinion before I choose to write anything else.
It was just to show a career that is far less in demand, as horses today are mostly used for sport/recreation in the developed world, compared to years ago when they provided all kinds of transportion (like the need for wheelbuilding skill is fading with the advent of mass machine-made wheels).
It is so hard to be PC today - when they filmed the Mighty Ducks movie, the writers couldn’t find a suitable “enemy” hockey team (didn’t want to use the Russians, Germans, Canadians, etc.) so they used the evil Icelandic Hockey Team!!! Now that can’t offend too many
Anyway, my uncle is a ferrier (horshoe guy amongst other things) in the foothills of the smokies in Tennessee. Also makes great money as they are in VERY short demand. Backbreaking work though (although he used to be a rodeo cowboy too - wears a patch with one glass eye from a bull riding accident).
I did in the past but seems now that prebuilt wheels, even with DA hubs, are really pretty inexpensive. So I guess the answer is not in the recent past, and probably not going to happen in the near future.
A few… built a rear track wheel, then a race wheelset w/white industries, sapim, and fir SRG 30 rims. Very nice. Spent around 200, since I already had the hubs. Am looking to build a set of tubular 'cross wheels for next season.
