London Fixed-gear and Single-speed SJS Cycles

Hi there,

So I've finally built my first set of wheels: Ambrosio large flange track hubs (32hl) with Rigida Flyer Rims.

I've replaced spokes and trued wheels on my mtn bike before and so I wasn't a complete novice to the process.

However, I'm not totally convinced I've done the job properly and so I was hoping for an appraisal.

On the front wheel, I know that with the two spokes either side of the valve hole I didn't line them up in parallel to the hub - this may cause a small problem with tyre inflation but I didn't think it significant enough to restart.

On the rear wheel, for some reason, towards the end of the lacing process, I had difficulty getting some of the spokes to reach the nipples - it required some pulling of the hub to get the spokes to reach. Anyway, I eventually got them in.

Now, is there anything I've missed...

you seem to have a lot of thread showing? how far are the spokes into the nipples? also bent spoke on rear?

i have only built two wheels, but spokes will get harder to thread onto nipple towards end of lacing because the hub cannot move as much

hard to tell from those pictures...
check sheldon: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html against your spoke placings before you true up

+1

I've always had that guide close to hand. Just follow that to-the-letter and you wont have to do it twice.

Hi, I've retaken the photos - hopefully they're a bit clearer. I'm fairly certain the rear wheel is good although I haven't trued it yet - hence the reason for spokes not looking right.

However, I'm concerned about the front wheel...?

N.B. The tissue paper is the valve hole.

have you dished them yet?

The truing process sorts out the dishing issue. Like I said, I haven't trued the rear wheel yet - hence why it looks a bit strange. My main concern is the correct spacing - thx.

With spacing do you mean the lacing, ie. the pattern is right? As RPM said, it isn't easy to tell form those pictures but if you done a big mistake - I can't spot one - you couldn't really have finished the build. I found that if I made a mistake, I would have notice at the latest 3/4 into building them.

It looks to me as if you need to rotate the rim clockwise one spoke hole. That way the vavle hole will line up with the the nice wide almost parallel gap in the spokes.

It could be that the nipples have been screwed all the way down leaving the latter spokes towards the end of the build stuggling to reach.....can't tell with pic. When put in jig look at how much thread is showing on the spoke and try to even them all out....makes the truing process easier.

One of my early wheels had spokes slightly too short on non-drive side (I got caught out in my calcs by a single-fixed hub demanding a slight dish), and was a shag to get the last ones to take the threads, like you experienced. I did do it, and it trued okay, but this wheel failed eventually at the nipples, due to not having enough thread engaged. Moral of the story 1 - if you think they are a bit short, they probably are, and go and buy 2mm longer ones.

Another one of my other early wheels ended with valve hole in the wrong place too, like yours. This is still in daily use and just needs a little more concentration when using a pump. I know it is not "correct", but technically it is strong and fine wheel and I can't be bothered to re-do it. Moral of the story 2 - fahgeddaboudit

Chapeau to you for wheel building, don't lose heart it is very satisfying in the long run.

Olly

Front wheel appears fine., except the valve as mentioned.

On the rear wheel, the spokes closest to the camera all need to be rotated two holes clockwise along the rim, ( or the opposite side spokes moved two holes anticlockwise.)

Two crossing spokes (talking about the last crossing, furthest from the hub) should form a nice isosceles triangle with the heads as two vertices and the crossing point as the other. Your triangles appear skewed, you can also see spokes overlapping the head of adjacent spokes, this is not good. Your valve will be in the wrong place again. It's not the end of the world.

disclaimer - as RPM says, it's hard to tell.