My Budget Wheel Build

I want a disk brake on the front of one of my '97 Coyotes, I already have suitable forks and a pair of Avid BB7/HS1 rotors.

Now I need some new wheels but I don't want a disk on the rear, my frame cant accommodate the calliper and aftermarket mounts aren't doing it for me so it will stay V Brake.

So I need Rim brake capable rims, Disk front hub and none disk rear hub. I want both the rims & hubs to match. When I said budget I meant in price, I still expect XT hubs and mavic rims!

Yesterday I picked up two new rims, Mavic X317, 32 hole rims and an XT M756 front disc hub. Using Halfords 3 for 2 offer I got them for £44.70 using click & collect. Today I measured the hub and rims so I could order my spokes and placed an order with Rose Bikes for DT Swiss Champion spokes/nipples/rim tape a Shimano FH-T780 rear hub (none disc in black) and a new spoke key costing £42.26 as they sent me a £10 off voucher for registering.

So I reckon I have everything I need to build my wheel set at a total cost of £86.96, sounds budget to me for the spec. I guess this thread will run on for some time as I now have to learn how to build bike wheels :roll: .

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The package from Rose Bikes arrived Wednesday Morning, great service from them. I now have every thing I need to start building my wheels, except time.

After just 3 1/2 hours sleep today I awoke with a eureka moment, I now understand how to lace my wheels (and why), I will no longer need a guide to assemble them. It isn't complicated when you grasp the concept.

Hoping for a Eureka moment when it comes to truing them now :facepalm: . I hope to have them built on Saturday and will tension/true over the coming days/weeks/months/years :roll:

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Time to build a wheel...



First impressions are this is much easier than you would believe! I have built the front wheel three times, first dry build was a perfect mirror image with all the leading spokes facing the wrong way :facepalm: . Second build was one spoke hole out on the hub from perfection (the logo on the hub wasn't dead centre when spied through the valve hole) but that didn't matter as it was still a dry build.

Third build with lubricant on nipple seats and threads is spot on .



I have set the initial dishing by eye and done the first round of tension, after a little massaging of the spokes it will be ready to go in my makeshift truing stand.



The rims are pretty much perfectly round, so long as you don't over tension individual spokes and build the tension up evenly then all it appears it will need is minor correction as you proceed with adding tension and relieving stress.

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Yesterday my new front wheel went into my improvised truing stand. I was very pleased to find my attempt at dishing by eye was less than 2 mm out. With the dishing corrected I steadily increased tension on each spoke by 1/8th of a turn. Checking for true throughout, there was a slight hop but I chose to ignore this until the wheel was tensioned.



Stress relieved in between rounds of tension and dishing checked on a regular basis by swapping the wheel round and ensuring the rim stayed central. When I was happy with the tension I trued any slight variances, which were at the most 1mm, and removed the hop. Final stress relief and back in the stand confirmed the wheel had not altered from true. Spoke tension is good and even, I declare this wheel finished

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1Kk6bgcpD0#[/youtube]

Next up the rear wheel....

Brilliant. It's on my list of things to do. Will build a stand first though I think, don't have spare forks and plan to build a few sets over time.

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This is how I started. it's off putting when you first think about lacing your own rims and hubs but you soon get used to it.

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Rear wheel is now built and as previously I have set the dishing by eye. I dry built it and to be honest I did loose my way as the rear wheel is spoked different to the front (see Shimanos lacing guide). I worked it out but it did take me longer to get my head around it. Rather than strip and rebuild I lubricated the spoke seats and threads individually rather than risk loosing my track again.

Eventually though the hub logo is lined up through the valve hole, parallel spokes either side of the valve hole and rim label reading from the right . If I get the time tomorrow I will begin the truing/tensioning process, if not it will have to wait till the weekend as tomorrow is my last day of Holiday.

Coomber & Kalex, thanks for your contributions to the thread. Sometimes you feel like you are posting for your own benefit (which of course I am ).

I am starting to appreciate the beauty of a spoked wheel, something I have never thought about before. For anyone out there hesitating - DON'T - the only regret you will have is that you didn't build your own wheels sooner!

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Goof post. What's this Shimano lacing guide you speak of?

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Here you go Woz...



This image I found on the internet and seems to refer to disc specific wheels, it is exactly the same as the paperwork that came with my none disc FH-T780 rear hub.