I'd guess this might be THE most complex 'fix' you've ever done Syd? Proper concentration on your face! We really do get a proper idea of the wizardry needed to be good at this. Brilliant video! 👍
I've done about two dozen wheels over 40 years! First starting by copying existing wheels, really struggling with trueing and tension. Ali Clarkson's video came out a couple years ago. Lace the wheel in quarters. It all got easier. Jim Langley's site also has some worthwhile insights. I stay a bit rusty with as few wheels I build, and take 4x as long as a pro, but I get comparable results. All those pro fixtures also have to speed assembly. Not a discipline you master in a day.
Great video! I just built my first ever set of wheels last week for my xc bike Extralite hubs Berd spokes Duke carbon rims I was super happy with how their turned out and they’re 992grams 🤘
Every time I need a new wheel I consider building one myself, then I imagine in my mind what that entails and just go back to my guy who I know does a great job of building something that won't kill me. I appreciate seeing that my imagination was pretty accurate.
That's why I leave wheel building for pros. That way I get a quality wheel set and something that will last. Also less chance of me hurting myself if something fails.
The problem with that is no one is more incentivized to have perfect wheels on your bike than you if the pro is eating a sandwich and watching TV as he does your wheel then ...
What, no spoke washers? I built between 15 and 20 sets of wheels a year. Anything from a down hill wheel to a track wheel. What is not called gravel bikes were cyclocross type bikes. Sadly, one of the pioneers in wheels fabrication, Wheelsmith is no longer producing the Texas Instruments TI-35 based spoke length calculator. The calculator along with the ring binder of various rims, hubs, and spokes, was a time saver. I had their spoke length calculator, spoke length gauges and the tension gauge. The first wheel set always take the most time. Build 5 or so sets and the build time drops. Run your new wheel 20 miles and check the tension, and make sure to squeeze the spokes to get any wind up out. You did good for the first build Syd.
SHocked you have not built a wheel before the of age of 20, especially as a racer! Nice modern touches of mechanics which makes things a lot easier and quicker! My wheels are still good after 50 years and counting. The only wheels I have not built that I ride, are my fatbike wheels since I have never had to touch them. :) I always allowed myself an hour or so to do a wheel. This was at home, as I did not work at a bike shop. I have however worked on friends bent wheels many times. "Anybody's Bike Book" was one of my first bike books.176 pages, 1971, the book is very dirty, lol!
Great video, loved it. My marketing side was annoyed that the company brand was nowhere to be seen not even on Liam’s tee-shirt! But, damn, that’s nit-picking - a great topic!
I wonder why the wheel truing stand doesn't incorporate the dish checker at the same time? Like it can have two handles (?) at the bottom instead of one.
We do have a few truing stands with both arms installed so you can check dish at the same time. I just prefer using the Abbey dish tool and having the extra room for my left hand to hold the spokes. Gives your hand a nice break when building lots of wheels in a row!
So I guess that my dream of being a master wheel builder has been crushed. I don't have the patience for that. As long as my wheel was within a 1/2" of being true I'd consider it a successful build. 😂 Don't think that would classify me as a good wheel builder in the real world. 😂
Lining up the logo with the valve hole makes absolutely no difference. All parts being balanced and the same dimension this seems like just some dumb thing some wheel builder started and everyone thought, Oh! That's cool. Does anyone every peep through the valve hole?
For a manufacturer they want everything that goes out the door to look consistent. If they aren't consistent I guarantee they will have some customers that complain the front wheel doesn't look like the rear. Personally I wouldn't care, but having owned a business in the past I know that people will complain about the most un-important things.
It's actually helpful to quickly check that you have rotated the hub correctly and not reversed it which can easily happen during the first phase when you haven't put in the crossing spokes yet.
I've been building my own wheelsets the last 20 years, a dozen at least, and I never have issues when using them, nor the people I have sold them to complained. It's time consuming yes but not rocket science.
6:36 you do not do very well with repetitive tasks?????, repairing bicycles is not for you because you need to have a scientific and logical approach, then you do some art, there you can express all the nightmares in your head, maybe someone likes it and you get rich
Wheel building is an art! Worked in a bike shop for a number of years with way less equipment than these guys and wheel building took me forever. Never really got the hang of it because wheel builds are few and far between in my area but its always a cool experience when the new wheels roll out the shops door and the customer doesnt come back needing a true after 2 days 😂
I built my first wheels in 1985. I’ve been building wheels ever since. I find it peaceful so stopped charging for my time, just the parts. Restoring older wheels is a pure labour of love, try sourcing spokes for an original penny farthing 😂. I love the new materials that make some old ideas finally possible. Some forms are aesthetic, others are good engineering but all are fun to lace-up and true in. There’s not much more satisfying than a downhills addict coming back from a euro competition saying my wheels were the ones that survive……then produces something like a taco and asks if I can rescue his mates favourite wheel 😂
Wow, Liam is a really good teacher. I've built one wheel and am now asking myself if I put enough tension on the spokes. It is round and true and feels fine. I'd like to see how to build a rear wheel where the dish is asymmetrical
@@HorstelinI guess they meant the whole process. And I absolutely get it. It's my least favorite thing to do in the shop. Honestly, if someone laces the wheel for me, I'll happily true it afterwards. But lacing itself just doesn't sit right with me. I can do it, but whenever I can, I'll pass. Mostly because of customers. We mostly sell and repair commuting bikes, and that's just a different kind of customer. Like, when people who ride anything along the lines of mtb, gravel, or roadbikes come in, I just know they are aware that it's not gonna be cheap. They shrug and go "well, it has to be done anyway". But the commuting crowd is built different
I'm going back into the office soon, so I thought I would try out an ebike to commute. I haven't been on a peddle/push bike in years ... close to 20 years. I've somehow stumbled upon your videos and been binge watching them for the past couple of days. Loving all the tips and tricks for maintenance Syd, cheers mate. My bike should be arriving later this week.
For years I've read and heard about hand built wheels vs. machine built. Now I have a better idea why people put a premium on hand built if you have someone like Liam putting them together.
Having built a few sets of wheels, I've learned wheel building is a skill that should be practiced. And because I might build a set of wheels every few years I don't get enough practice to ever match those who build them all the time. So while I will do pretty much every other operation of bike work, I leave wheel building to the pros.
That’s a whole lot of nipple talk!! LOL!!! How did you keep a straight face through that?? Just ordered a set of Nobles with the berd spokes. Great video!!
25:59 alpine s spokes claim 150-170kg of load they break, so it should not go over 100kg per spoke on the tighter side of the wheel due to additional forces induced by rider weight, bumps in the road, driving style
7:02 you made 560 wheels just last year, did you true them all, when i had orders i was doing 10 wheels a day half an hour per wheel (lace+true)and after that i was completely exhausted for the day
tension caliper is not required because wheel must be straight, this can only be used as a guide whether the wheel is sufficiently tightened on the side that is more heavily loaded, and not to use a gauge to straighten the wheel
I had a shop redo the rear wheel on my road bike. They went above and beyond and fixed it similar to what was done in this build. It survived a bad flat that took out the tire and tube. Rode over 5 miles on the flat on rough roads and the wheel did great. Building a wheel is almost an art. Thanks for sharing such an awesome video.
My first pair of wheels I built took a full weekend and multiple breaks, beers, etc. By the fourth set it was down to a couple hours a wheel, and they came out much nicer. Mine are nowhere near the OCD level of perfection, but it is a fun thing to do and will give you mad respect for the masters that can build or true a wheel in a small fraction of the time it takes you. It is great skill to have, and as he stated you don't need perfection to make a safe set of wheels that will ride great. I'd love to have that lacing jig, might have to rig something up...
Great video and company but I got two questions! Firstly, why do they use only one of the two caliper arms on the truing stand? Is it more precise to flip the wheel around and use only one caliper arm? Secondly, why do they put a piece of paper under the wheel while it is mounted in the truing stand?
We do have a few stands with both arms installed, I personally prefer just the one, no particular reason just how I’ve always built! The paper is the most important part, it just gives you a blank background to easily see small movements in the rim as opposed to the darker truing stand/desk!
Did he really say 3 and 4 cross was stiffer than 2 cross totally wrong shorter spokes makes a lighter and stiffer wheel i am so glad i build my own wheels the right way ie mirrow image 2 cross asym wtb rims finnish with 222 loctite and forget sapim there shit dt pg spokes or dont ride bikes brass nipples on rear alloyon front .
We only build with Sapim nipples with secure lock, this helps stop them ever loosening - paired with Stan’s spoke powder instead of oil for a cleaner install!
Super interesting and those guys know how to make a good wheel. I've learned that 30 years ago with an already old mecanic. He was such a good guy and by far the very best wheel builder of my region. Thanks to him, I'm a pretty decent bike mecanic !
I've always built rear wheels with the pulling J-bend spokes heads on the outside, so that if a chain ships over the large cog the less critical J-bends are the one damaged. Should I reverse this on disc break hub. As the breaking spokes are likely to have more stress?
Thanks. That was very informative. I learned a few things to help me with truing and learned that some of the little things I've figured out are also used by pro wheel builders.
It was great giving you guys the wheel building run down!
Fully confident you could build an acceptable wheel after that 😂
Thanks so much for the excellent tutelage!
That guy teaching wheel building is Awesome 🎉
I'd guess this might be THE most complex 'fix' you've ever done Syd? Proper concentration on your face! We really do get a proper idea of the wizardry needed to be good at this. Brilliant video! 👍
I've done about two dozen wheels over 40 years! First starting by copying existing wheels, really struggling with trueing and tension. Ali Clarkson's video came out a couple years ago. Lace the wheel in quarters. It all got easier. Jim Langley's site also has some worthwhile insights. I stay a bit rusty with as few wheels I build, and take 4x as long as a pro, but I get comparable results. All those pro fixtures also have to speed assembly. Not a discipline you master in a day.
Great video!
I just built my first ever set of wheels last week for my xc bike
Extralite hubs
Berd spokes
Duke carbon rims
I was super happy with how their turned out and they’re 992grams 🤘
Every time I need a new wheel I consider building one myself, then I imagine in my mind what that entails and just go back to my guy who I know does a great job of building something that won't kill me. I appreciate seeing that my imagination was pretty accurate.
I'll always have a soft spot for this channel (the original shed during cov19)
That's why I leave wheel building for pros. That way I get a quality wheel set and something that will last. Also less chance of me hurting myself if something fails.
The problem with that is no one is more incentivized to have perfect wheels on your bike than you if the pro is eating a sandwich and watching TV as he does your wheel then ...
What, no spoke washers?
I built between 15 and 20 sets of wheels a year. Anything from a down hill wheel to a track wheel. What is not called gravel bikes were cyclocross type bikes.
Sadly, one of the pioneers in wheels fabrication, Wheelsmith is no longer producing the Texas Instruments TI-35 based spoke length calculator. The calculator along with the ring binder of various rims, hubs, and spokes, was a time saver. I had their spoke length calculator, spoke length gauges and the tension gauge.
The first wheel set always take the most time. Build 5 or so sets and the build time drops.
Run your new wheel 20 miles and check the tension, and make sure to squeeze the spokes to get any wind up out.
You did good for the first build Syd.
SHocked you have not built a wheel before the of age of 20, especially as a racer! Nice modern touches of mechanics which makes things a lot easier and quicker! My wheels are still good after 50 years and counting. The only wheels I have not built that I ride, are my fatbike wheels since I have never had to touch them. :) I always allowed myself an hour or so to do a wheel. This was at home, as I did not work at a bike shop. I have however worked on friends bent wheels many times. "Anybody's Bike Book" was one of my first bike books.176 pages, 1971, the book is very dirty, lol!
Thank you, ace video! I find my 'zen' when truing/building wheels. 👍
5:39 you should first lace disc side
Great video, loved it. My marketing side was annoyed that the company brand was nowhere to be seen not even on Liam’s tee-shirt! But, damn, that’s nit-picking - a great topic!
Just the video I needed to repair mine 😬
What an awesome video!
Great job ❤
I wonder why the wheel truing stand doesn't incorporate the dish checker at the same time? Like it can have two handles (?) at the bottom instead of one.
We do have a few truing stands with both arms installed so you can check dish at the same time.
I just prefer using the Abbey dish tool and having the extra room for my left hand to hold the spokes. Gives your hand a nice break when building lots of wheels in a row!
He did well to keep a straight face at the start 😜
Wayyy toooo much work.... BTW, do you all not ski during the winter?
Yup we do some skiing in the winter (ua-cam.com/video/Ql5onP7A-m4/v-deo.html) but biking is definitely the main sport.
4:52 2crosses for 29 inch wheel????
So I guess that my dream of being a master wheel builder has been crushed. I don't have the patience for that. As long as my wheel was within a 1/2" of being true I'd consider it a successful build. 😂 Don't think that would classify me as a good wheel builder in the real world. 😂
😂
wheels are the only thing on my bikes I don't fk with and leave to someone else to do it.
Lining up the logo with the valve hole makes absolutely no difference. All parts being balanced and the same dimension this seems like just some dumb thing some wheel builder started and everyone thought, Oh! That's cool. Does anyone every peep through the valve hole?
For a manufacturer they want everything that goes out the door to look consistent. If they aren't consistent I guarantee they will have some customers that complain the front wheel doesn't look like the rear. Personally I wouldn't care, but having owned a business in the past I know that people will complain about the most un-important things.
It's actually helpful to quickly check that you have rotated the hub correctly and not reversed it which can easily happen during the first phase when you haven't put in the crossing spokes yet.
I've been building my own wheelsets the last 20 years, a dozen at least, and I never have issues when using them, nor the people I have sold them to complained. It's time consuming yes but not rocket science.
I built one wheel where the hub manufacturer actually placed a dot over the key 2 spoke holes. The label showed through the valve hole.
6:36 you do not do very well with repetitive tasks?????, repairing bicycles is not for you because you need to have a scientific and logical approach, then you do some art, there you can express all the nightmares in your head, maybe someone likes it and you get rich
Wheel building is an art! Worked in a bike shop for a number of years with way less equipment than these guys and wheel building took me forever. Never really got the hang of it because wheel builds are few and far between in my area but its always a cool experience when the new wheels roll out the shops door and the customer doesnt come back needing a true after 2 days 😂
I built my first wheels in 1985. I’ve been building wheels ever since. I find it peaceful so stopped charging for my time, just the parts. Restoring older wheels is a pure labour of love, try sourcing spokes for an original penny farthing 😂. I love the new materials that make some old ideas finally possible. Some forms are aesthetic, others are good engineering but all are fun to lace-up and true in.
There’s not much more satisfying than a downhills addict coming back from a euro competition saying my wheels were the ones that survive……then produces something like a taco and asks if I can rescue his mates favourite wheel 😂
Wow, Liam is a really good teacher. I've built one wheel and am now asking myself if I put enough tension on the spokes. It is round and true and feels fine. I'd like to see how to build a rear wheel where the dish is asymmetrical
I think I’m going to forgo the pleasure of lacing my own wheels. This makes my head hurt.
You're missing out! Also lacing is the easy part, trueing for runout and tension is much harder
@@HorstelinI guess they meant the whole process. And I absolutely get it. It's my least favorite thing to do in the shop. Honestly, if someone laces the wheel for me, I'll happily true it afterwards. But lacing itself just doesn't sit right with me. I can do it, but whenever I can, I'll pass.
Mostly because of customers. We mostly sell and repair commuting bikes, and that's just a different kind of customer. Like, when people who ride anything along the lines of mtb, gravel, or roadbikes come in, I just know they are aware that it's not gonna be cheap. They shrug and go "well, it has to be done anyway". But the commuting crowd is built different
I'm going back into the office soon, so I thought I would try out an ebike to commute. I haven't been on a peddle/push bike in years ... close to 20 years. I've somehow stumbled upon your videos and been binge watching them for the past couple of days. Loving all the tips and tricks for maintenance Syd, cheers mate. My bike should be arriving later this week.
For years I've read and heard about hand built wheels vs. machine built. Now I have a better idea why people put a premium on hand built if you have someone like Liam putting them together.
Having built a few sets of wheels, I've learned wheel building is a skill that should be practiced. And because I might build a set of wheels every few years I don't get enough practice to ever match those who build them all the time. So while I will do pretty much every other operation of bike work, I leave wheel building to the pros.
No one knows bike like those guys.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
A must have explenation vlog !!!!
Liam was an incredibly good and patient teacher, without any frustration or disrespect for the student, and it's great. Love it.
Syd, you did not laugh when the mechanic mentioned the word "nipples". 😂😂
It took great effort not to 😂
🤣🤣😂😂 I could see it in your struggling face.
Especially when he opened with the potential that you might have "nice colourful nipples." 😂
That’s a whole lot of nipple talk!! LOL!!! How did you keep a straight face through that?? Just ordered a set of Nobles with the berd spokes. Great video!!
Cannot believe how many times he can make nipple puns with a straight face.
25:59 alpine s spokes claim 150-170kg of load they break, so it should not go over 100kg per spoke on the tighter side of the wheel due to additional forces induced by rider weight, bumps in the road, driving style
I've seen tools that I didn't know they even existed. Building bike wheels is really hard and I'll leave to a professional. Great video, though.
I run 42 spokes on my 700c touring wheels, 3 cross, yes its overbuild, but with my load. No worries
7:02 you made 560 wheels just last year, did you true them all, when i had orders i was doing 10 wheels a day half an hour per wheel (lace+true)and after that i was completely exhausted for the day
Man i feel old. Laced more wheels than I can remember over the last few decades and have never used a lacing jig. I'm just old school like that.
Kudos to keeping a straight face when he says “pull your nipples” so casually. 😂
Hey. Great job! can I ask something ? Where can I find a 3-legged stand? at 10:37sec
There is a drinking game in this video. Every time the word nipple is heard, take a shot. Alcohol poisoning,
Bigger gap on the front is brake side, bigger gap on the back is drive side… this isn’t an encyclopedia!
2:08 no need for that, to install nipples you first have to lubricate nipples with wd40
Glad i'm not the only wheel builder who tries to get the right number of spokes and nipples first time😂
tension caliper is not required because wheel must be straight, this can only be used as a guide whether the wheel is sufficiently tightened on the side that is more heavily loaded, and not to use a gauge to straighten the wheel
Did you really not tell us how many nipples Syd put in the box?? 😲 Or did I miss it? 😂
10:51 you have to heavy drill machine, i use small electric screwdriver to make initial tension
21:24 She is watching it like a kid from an elementary school. ^.^
When are you going to do a check and review of your wheels I am have a nobl wheelset and a big fan
Why would you need to check the dish with dish tool and just check it with the stand. You see left and right on the stand
14:58 you should have rim tape, if something breaks to prevent to shoot you in eye
Yup. Not going to try that. Lovely instructions however
6:48 that wheel stand looks practical but it's not because it's hard to lean over it
How did you do on the nipple estimate? Was it time to buy a lottery ticket? 😉
wy is it not called , spoke screws, but nipples :P
I had a shop redo the rear wheel on my road bike. They went above and beyond and fixed it similar to what was done in this build. It survived a bad flat that took out the tire and tube. Rode over 5 miles on the flat on rough roads and the wheel did great. Building a wheel is almost an art.
Thanks for sharing such an awesome video.
My first pair of wheels I built took a full weekend and multiple breaks, beers, etc. By the fourth set it was down to a couple hours a wheel, and they came out much nicer. Mine are nowhere near the OCD level of perfection, but it is a fun thing to do and will give you mad respect for the masters that can build or true a wheel in a small fraction of the time it takes you. It is great skill to have, and as he stated you don't need perfection to make a safe set of wheels that will ride great. I'd love to have that lacing jig, might have to rig something up...
How much is the initial investment in tools and starter components? Under $1,000? Or more like $3,000?
It's even easier to build wheels on the couch lol! 😁
Great video and company but I got two questions! Firstly, why do they use only one of the two caliper arms on the truing stand? Is it more precise to flip the wheel around and use only one caliper arm? Secondly, why do they put a piece of paper under the wheel while it is mounted in the truing stand?
We do have a few stands with both arms installed, I personally prefer just the one, no particular reason just how I’ve always built!
The paper is the most important part, it just gives you a blank background to easily see small movements in the rim as opposed to the darker truing stand/desk!
26:38 a handy tool to save your fingers
Did he really say 3 and 4 cross was stiffer than 2 cross totally wrong shorter spokes makes a lighter and stiffer wheel i am so glad i build my own wheels the right way ie mirrow image 2 cross asym wtb rims finnish with 222 loctite and forget sapim there shit dt pg spokes or dont ride bikes brass nipples on rear alloyon front .
I caught that aswell... 3 cross stiffer than 2 cross.. It has to be a brain fart from him.
this is so cool.. building a wheel!
3:10 i would say disc side not brake side
I love these kind of videos. Specially when the head tech is wearing an OMEGA SeaMaster.
That Seamaster has joined me on 1000s of wheel builds 👌
@@Palfreeezy That is awesome!
I was more impressed he was wearing a England football shirt ( that’s soccer for the colonials)
Wheel builders are magicians.
I wouldn't say that. Everyone knows that magicians are cheaters. :d
28:00 you forgot to put a drop of rubber glue on each nipple to keep them from unscrewing
We only build with Sapim nipples with secure lock, this helps stop them ever loosening - paired with Stan’s spoke powder instead of oil for a cleaner install!
Sick build !
Super interesting and those guys know how to make a good wheel. I've learned that 30 years ago with an already old mecanic. He was such a good guy and by far the very best wheel builder of my region. Thanks to him, I'm a pretty decent bike mecanic !
very happy see it
I've always built rear wheels with the pulling J-bend spokes heads on the outside, so that if a chain ships over the large cog the less critical J-bends are the one damaged. Should I reverse this on disc break hub. As the breaking spokes are likely to have more stress?
Here's how you build a wheel in one minute: call Liam. (If you're into the zen method, call Blue Lug :) Nice job, Syd!
Thanks. That was very informative. I learned a few things to help me with truing and learned that some of the little things I've figured out are also used by pro wheel builders.
Thanks guys. Great video. Never have I built a wheel and after watching this, I doubt I ever will, due to lack of mental fortitude lol. Cheers n
UA-cam didn’t recommend this to me but I’ve been subbed for over a year.. frustrating. Awesome content !
Wow!
This job would trigger a lot of OCD people. Trying to get it perfect would take forever.
I have a set of i9 wheels and though I didn’t know how much work goes into making them, Ive always known they’re magical!
I’ve built a few wheels. Lots of fun. Very relaxing. Knowing how to build a wheel will help you true your wheels.
Cool retro England shirt! (I used to work for Nationwide at that time).
It´s not rocket science... oh wait, it is.
Take a shot every time this dude says nipple.
Did you film this while you were at BCBR? I was in that shop during that week, what a cool place.
Yup!
Fantastic video
Holy crap! So much information! My brain hurts. Great video!