wheelbuilding classes in sydney?

[subpixel]

Hi There. Im interested in FINALLY getting off my arse and learning the art of a wheelbuild.

Anyone know of any classes in sydney? im in the inner west.

Regards

dave

[Lark2004]

I don't know about classes...... but have you had read through this artical by the late great Sheldon Brown?

It is a very complete read that you should be able to build a wheel from. If you are worried about making a mistake, then practice first..... get an old rim from a rubbish collection find or a flea market etc.... and pull it apart, then following the instructions, build your wheel!

It really isn't as hard as it first looks.

[bikie26]

Funny I just came across this today.

I am considering doing it.

http://www.komcyclery.com.au/catalog/ma ... ourses.php

[Kev365428]

I think $90 for a 3 hour course on how to change a tube, break and re-join a chain, and adjust brakes and gears is a little expensive.

The $140 for the wheel building course seems ok, but 3 hours might be a little short don't you think?

Kev.

[subpixel]

spoke to KOM today. They still offer the course but they are now only doing it 1 on 1. still 3 hours. but its now about $260 (give or take $20) cant totally remember i was a bit taken aback when he told me the cost now!

Wish I could just drop that sort of money, would love to gain the knowledge but its a lot of cash...

think i may find an old wheel and some cheap spokes and learn the old way... trial and error

[RobS]

I found if you read a bit and have a play around you can nail it in no time.

There's a few more tips here:
http://www.miketechinfo.com/new-tech-wheels-tires.htm

I started with Sheldon's pages, read a few other pages, then wrote out my own procedure. The final method ended up being almost identical to the procedure in Jobst Brandt's bicycle wheel book (which I found online one day). There's a few keys steps and the rest is common sense.

If you are starting off it will take 3hrs+ to build a wheel. So I can only imagine those courses are just going to go though the motions of a wheel build.

[mikeg]

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.

[chickentaste]

I'm not being funny but I'm not sure you need classes if you just want to get started.. I had the same itch a few months ago so I dug out an old wheel that ran fairly true from a bike I'd wrecked, unscrewed/cut out all the spokes, measured them, bought some replacements w/nipples on ebay (LBS wanted $1.20 a spoke, 35c online.. no brainer!). I then spent a Sunday afternoon digging around online (Sheldon's good, but so's this article: from bike radar). Then I just did it. First time it was crap so I did it again. Better the second time. 2 days later I took it apart and did it again and it all came together. Wheel's been on the bike ever since with no problems.