Question for the wheel builders among us

[EJensen]

I have decided to build a wheel set for the first time. I used the spoke length calculator on Sheldon Brown's site. For the right/left and front/rear combinations, I get spoke lengths of:

264.5 left front
263.2 right front
262.2 right rear
263.6 left rear

I plan on building two 32 spoke wheels, so I will need 16 of each. Sheldon says to round up to the next length. The spokes I was looking at come in mm increments and are sold in lots of 50.

At $40 or so per 50 spokes, I would prefer not to buy 50 each of 263, 264, and 265 just to get the 64 spokes I need.

Could I safely use 265 for the front and 264 for the rear?

Aside from this particular question, any suggestions for a first-time wheelbuilder will be greatly appreciated as well. The Park tension meter and Spokey are on their way.

Thanks in advance,
Eric

[xmynameisdan]

You will definitely be safe on the rear wheel. For the front, I would say you'd also be safe, but I can't say with 100% certainty. Take your time, and check periodically! If you catch a mistake early, it will save a ton of time later. And be patient as you bring the wheel up to tension.

[Dirt]

You could also buy the spokes from a place that sells exactly the spokes you need in the quantities that you need. Those are not unusual lengths for spokes.

I've never used Sheldon Brown's calculator, so I can't really validate his length recommendations. I've used DT's calculator for the last few years with good success. If I got the same numbers as you did from DT's spoke calculator, I'd say go with 264 for the front and 263 for the rear. Sheldon has a really big brain, so I'm guessing that the numbers and his recommendations are correct. Sheldon suggests rounding up, so those numbers might be right.

Good luck.

Pete

[peter6061]

I agree with Dirt on a box of 263 and 264 length spokes. Good luck and take your time.

[crack monkey]

Why are the left and right front different lengths? I ASSumed front hubs and rims were symetrical.

Edit - Maybe they are symetrical for non-disc, but disc hubs are not symetrical?

[Dirt]

Why are the left and right front different lengths? I ASSumed front hubs and rims were symetrical.

Edit - Maybe they are symetrical for non-disc, but disc hubs are not symetrical?

Yup. front hubs are no longer symetrical. They gotta make room for the disc and some hubs use a large flange on the disc side and a small flange on the off-disc side to accentuate the differences even more.

The good news is that many single speed disc rear hubs are now symetrical. :D

Pete

[EJensen]

You could also buy the spokes from a place that sells exactly the spokes you need in the quantities that you need.
From my brief online survey, they seemed to be sold in lots. Can you point me in the direction of a source, local or online, for spokes in buyer specified quantities?

Thanks for the help,
Eric

[extrafunky]

Webcyclery sells a bunch of spokes that you can mix and match lengths so you don't have to buy a whole box for each size. If you're unsure of the size, you could also just let them pick the right lengths.

[Dirt]

From my brief online survey, they seemed to be sold in lots. Can you point me in the direction of a source, local or online, for spokes in buyer specified quantities?

Thanks for the help,
Eric

263/264 are VERY popular sizes when it comes to spoke lengths. Unless you're going for some exotic spoke, shops like The Bike Lane, Citybikes, Conte's or Germantown Cycles (all MORE sponsors) will most likely have them in 14g straight and 14/15g double butted lengths. If they don't have them in stock, they can easily order them for you and have them in stock in roughly the time it takes to order them on-line.

If they are not able to help you or if you need something more exotic, Mean Todd at web cyclery will have everything you need in stock. His prices are reasonable and his customer service is great. Google and Yahoo will find him with no problems.

Pete

[Dirt]

Okay! Two votes for Mean Todd. :D

I was also going to ask if you wanted any suggestions for the building process. Since I'm a presumptuous SOB, I'm not even going to ask. Please ignore this if you've already got your ducks in a row. :D

For a first wheel build, it might go easier using brass nipples instead of alloy.

Make sure you use some kind of spoke prep on the threads. My favorite is to dip the threads in linseed oil the night before you're building, gently wipe off the excess (read drips) and let them dry over night. Blue loctite on the threads 20 minutes before the build (also wiping off the excess) works well too.

Spoke prep makes the build go a little easier, and also helps prevent corrosion and oxidation between the spoke threads and the nipple. That is more important with alloy nipples, but it still should be done with brass.

Last, but not least, once the spokes are laced, I put a small drop of oil where the nipple meets the rim (I use Phil Tenacious oil). That makes the tensioning and truing process easier and reduces spoke twist when they are getting tighter. Before installing the new wheels, I clean them off with windex to get rid of the extra oil. If you don't get it all, don't worry. It will show up as a dust ring around the nipple and you can wipe it off after ride #3 and it will be gone for all eternity.

Okay. I'm shutting the hell up now.

Pete

[paulg]

Eric

Sounds like you know your way around Sheldon Brown's website so you'll be following the best online source for bike fettling.

There is one part of the wheelbuilding process that he describes that can be done a little differently and that's the 'stress relieving'. Instead of using an old crank the stress relieving can be done by squeezing together pairs of spokes. The spokes tend to dig into my delicate hands so I either wear gloves or use an old tee shirt as a cushion. Stress relieving is an essential part of building a durable wheel and should not be overlooked.

If I buy wheels online I always assume this step has been missed out and do it myself. A slight retruing is required afterwards.

Good luck!

Paul G

[gaz]

Well, I did a silly thing last week. I had a quick and dirty freelance job that paid cash, and rather than deposit said funds in my bank account, to go towards the infamous move to SF in the fall, I for some reason phoned the nice young chaps at Speedgoat to have a wee chat about singlespeed 29er wheels. Alas, I didn't have the funds for a complete wheel build (the way I wanted it), and a sane man would have said "you know what, that's a sign, I'll just pop the money in my savings account, thanks Chris!"

Instead, I ordered the hubs and rims I wanted. (DT Swiss 7.1s, and Hope Pro IIs)

Er, since I've never built wheels before, and tend to break stuff the first time I try, anyone wanna build some wheels for me? ;)