Building bike wheels is what really got me into building bikes. It's something I really enjoy doing and find very rewarding. I followed Sheldon Brown's article on Wheelbuilding to start with and picked up a few tips from people over the years. The set of wheels I built this weekend were the most expensive I've made yet. They're made up from:
Miche Racingbox 32-hole hubs with a Campagnolo freehub
Mavic Open Pro (2012) 32-hole rim
DT Swiss Revolution Spokes 2,0/1,5/2,0
That all adds up to a cost of €215 but the wheelset weighs only 1648g (without the skewers-which are awful). That's the weight of off-the-shelf system wheelsets priced €270+. However my wheels have 32 spokes each, the nipple bed is double re-inforced and the spokes are butted and fastened with proper alu-nipples. Similar weighted wheels available from Mavic, Shimano and Fulcrum seem really flimsy by comparison.
My wheels are for a classic steel road-bike and obviously might not suit a carbon-bike. However I've ridden with people who have dismounted their bikes and walked through cobblestone stretches afraid to damage their 18/24-spoke wheels and I've also seen what happens to 24 spoke wheels when one or more spokes break - they take on the shape of a Pringle.
I've only ever broken two spokes, both last year. I didn't even notice the first one on a 36-hole wheel until the brake started rubbing slightly. Admittedly the second happened while blasting over cobblestones but it wasn't dramatic and the wheel is still in service.
So what I want to say is, the DIY Wheel can save you money and give a better longer-lasting wheel that will boost your self-esteem every time you look down at it on the road chewing up kilometers in the rain, over cobbles and autumn leaves.
PS. I know wheel builders unanimously favour Sapim spokes but I've always used DT Swiss and had no problems and you can pick them up really cheap particularly the non-butted ones. Maybe I'll try Sapim on my next wheels, who knows.
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