These are some notes & tips given to me by Mark at Moruya Bicycles
Wheel Building
LACING PROCEDURE
These instructions assume we are working with a right leading rim, and building 3x.
- 1) Hold hub vertically with right flange up.
2) Insert 1 right spoke through right flange from top.
3) Insert 1 left spoke through left flange from top, half a space in front of right spoke. (In front relative to direction of wheel rotation).
4) Still holding hub vertically, insert LH spokes in every second hole in LH flange, then repeat with RH spokes in every second hole in the right RH flange. (top).
5) Turn hub over and finish filling RH flange with RH spokes, and LH flange with LH spokes.
6) Take a right spoke coming from the inside of the right flange and insert into 2nd hold in front of valve hole on rim.
7) Count 3 right static spokes back from first spoke, lace under first spoke and insert into rim 2 holes in front of first spoke.
8 ) Holding wheel vertically, right on right, work forward around wheel inserting right spokes into RH side spoke holes in rim (every second hole), pulling and static alternately. (Don't forget to lace them under the last spoke they cross).
9) Take a left side pulling spoke (inside of flange), look across hub to see which right side pulling spoke is half a space ahead, and lace left spoke to rim one hole behind corresponding right spoke.
10) Holding wheel vertically with right to left, count 3 static spokes forward in hub and lace under first left spoke and insert in first available hole in rim.
11) Work backward (towards yourself) around wheel inserting alternate pulling and static spokes until wheel is finished.
GENERAL NOTES - WHEELBUILDING
Right or left leading rims
View rim from outside (through the tyre if it was there) and locate valve hole. Spoke holes alternate from right to left around rim. Spokes work in corresponding pairs right and left. 2 pulling spokes are in front of the valve hole and 2 static spokes behind, enabling pump access to valve. In the pair of spoke holes in front of the valve hole, if the leading one (second in front of valve hole) is on the right, the rim is a right leading rim. Almost all rims are right leading, and I think that possibly all new rims are right leading.
Pulling and Static Spokes
Sometimes called pulling and pushing.
We assume the hub rotates forward, pulling the rim behind. We always use spokes inserted through outside of flange (therefore with the spoke being on the inside of the flange) for pulling spokes.
Symmetrical vs. Identical Lacing
Pulling spokes can be either on the inside of both flanges, outside of both flanges, on the right of both flanges or the left of both flanges. The advantage of building symmetrically is that the rear rim has no tendency to move to one side under extreme pedalling forces.
Inside Pulling vs. Outside Pulling
We use spokes coming from the inside of the flange for pulling spokes. (Laces from the outside).
This is so that in extreme pedalling forces in first gear when the rear derailleur is closest to the spokes, when the pulling spokes are relatively tight and the static spokes relatively loose, the spoke junction where the spokes are laces, will tend to pull away rather than towards the derailleur.
Right / Left Spoke Lengths
Right spokes are about 2mm shorter than left spokes. Left spokes are the same length as front wheel spokes. If using the same length spokes for both sides of a rear wheel, tightening right spokes about 5 full turns more than left spokes will get in the right "ballpark" before checking with dishing tool.
Sheldons Wheelbuilding guide is very good.