WHere is the best place to get wheels built in London?

I am getting some new rims (shiny hipster Velocity) this week and want to know the best (and the cheaper the better) place to get the wheels built. Can I use the old spokes, as this would save some cash. Cavendish do them for £25 a wheel + 60p a spoke. This seems quite expencive to me. When I used to get new BMX rims or hubs, if you were buying the parts from the shop then they would build the wheel for free. This dosent seem to be the case with road bikes and wheels.

usually the best and the cheaper the better, don't generally go together, there are plenty of people who'll build wheels on here for small money, getting them built in a bike shop will always cost you more than you (it would appear) would like to pay.
Speak to Arup, or Smallbrownbike, or Dogsballs, or any of the other bike boys with wheel building skills for doing the wheels for a smaller fee than you'd pay at a shop, and if you weren't using velocity rims before, I'm pretty sure you won't be able to re use the spokes....

you can reuse the spokes if you're really strapped for cash, but as a general practice it isn't the best idea, especially if the wheel has ever gone out of true. the spokes will have been stretched to match the original rim (which even with the best rim, won't have been dead straight to begin with), and will then be slightly out and may produce poor tension in the new wheel. this will be even worse if the original wheel is older and has had a few knocks. but it can work in a pinch, it just won't last as long a fresh spokes will.

in my experience, any good quality stainless spokes can last through several wheelbuilds. Dont see how it affects tension at all when you have a nipple to play with.

In terms of getting them done, I am sure there is a lot of places that will still do free wheelbuilds. This is what any decent bikeshop would do if your buying some new fairly expensive rims, hubs and spokes of them.

£25 + 60p per spoke is expensive. (double butted DT swiss only cost 50p each as singles)

Find someone on the forum to do it for you or go to an old skool small bikeshop.

arup did mine. he's on here a bit i think but he's got a site here:

http://www.yogarup.com/wheels/index.php

25 a pair is a good price, i think he's done wheels for a few folks on here.

B.

If you want a quick build I recommend London Bicycle Repair Shop on Hatfields near Waterloo. Cavendish had a waiting list of a week, and the forumengers I contacted at the time were also busy / on hols, but down there they did a build for me on the same day I popped in. Nice people too!

Cheers for the advice. I dropped the bike into BLB yesterday as they were actualy the cheapest I could find. They are doing it for this afternoon. I know there are a lot of BLB haters on this forum but they have always been fine with me. They were cheaper than Cavendish for rims and spokes.

i do £10 a wheel and if i got the right spoke length £5 for spokes

Hi Dogsballs,

I'm a beginer to bike mechanics so don't know much.

Would you be able to build a front wheel and a rear wheel for me? I have a hub for the front and will be purchasing a rim this week. I need to locate a rear SS hub and need some help with choosing spokes for both front and rear.

If possible I'd like a sort of tutorial so I can try building wheels in the future.

I read the guides online but would definately understand a practicle lesson more clearly.

What say ye?

happy to, although talking will slow me down. just PM me and we can sort something out.

Tenner a wheel here as well...

I'll charge £9 per wheel then, with an additional mandatory £1 service charge :]

I'll charge £9 per wheel then, with an additional mandatory £1 service charge :]
i'll then charge object £5 per phone call, for when he fucks up and asks me what to do :p

i'll then charge object £5 per phone call, for when he fucks up and asks me what to do :p
Which I'll add to your bill.

so it's minimum £9 + £1 for a wheel build from me, escalating in £5 increments depending on sobriety issues upto a maximum of infinity great british pounds.

A bargain at a fraction of the price ;]

what about re-building due to the use of alloy nipples?!?

[quote=CheBeef;228261]Hi Dogsballs,

I'm a beginer to bike mechanics so don't know much.

I need to locate a rear SS hub and need /quote]

I have some nice large flange GOLD SR 80's BMX ones. They are the same hub shells as most track hubs of the era (shimano, suzue, malliard)

Would be great to see them built into a Single speed road bike. Would build some up myself but havent any spare rims!

BMX tend to have 110mm OLD so some spacers will be required.

get a double fixed hub as you can always add a freewheel, but if you want to swap to fixed, it's sorted.

roberto has some good value hubs on the bay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Large-flange-track-fixed-gear-hubs-NEW-sealed-bearings_W0QQitemZ260260361982QQihZ016QQcategoryZ58089QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

what about re-building due to the use of alloy nipples?!?
I strongly recommended against those.

get a double fixed hub as you can always add a freewheel, but if you want to swap to fixed, it's sorted.

roberto has some good value hubs on the bay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Large-flange-track-fixed-gear-hubs-NEW-sealed-bearings_W0QQitemZ260260361982QQihZ016QQcategoryZ58089QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

Perfect, I'll be doing business with Mr Roberto this afternoon.

What about spokes? Different radial diamiters and lots a information I can't get my head-round. Do you lads have suggestions as to a spec and merchant?

Chee-ars.

happy to, although talking will slow me down. just PM me and we can sort something out.

For some reason the PM option isn't available when i'm logged in. GAH!

you don't have enough posts ;)

deep v: 280mm for 3-cross, 270mm 2-cross, 260mm radial
open pro: 290, 280, 270

I will do your wheels for 50p a pop, having never built a wheel before - my lack of experience will lend your wheels a certain quirky character.

I am getting some new rims (shiny hipster Velocity) this week and want to know the best (and the cheaper the better) place to get the wheels built. Can I use the old spokes, as this would save some cash. Cavendish do them for £25 a wheel + 60p a spoke. This seems quite expencive to me. When I used to get new BMX rims or hubs, if you were buying the parts from the shop then they would build the wheel for free. This dosent seem to be the case with road bikes and wheels.

Have you got the shiny and not the ano rims? where did you get them?
o and superted from fixedgearlondon is a wicked wheel builder. £20 and can do pretty much any shape.PM i can give you his number.

£20 and can do pretty much any shape.PM i can give you his number.

I am only charging £16 for Superted's number.