Cycling UK Forum

I need to get one of my tandem rear wheels rebuilt as I can't seem to convince it not to break spokes. I have used a few local shops for trueing in the past, but never been entirely happy, either with their skill or their stock of appropriate spokes. Any suggestions please?

Have you thought of doing it yourself? If you are reasonably practical you should have no trouble. I would recommend the wheelbuilding book by Roger Musson http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php which has enabled me to build a number of stong wheels.

+ 1 for build your own. Gives a chap a great sense for satisfaction. All those miles on something you made yourself! It's not hard either (can't be, if I can do it. )

Richard wrote:Have you thought of doing it yourself? If you are reasonably practical you should have no trouble. I would recommend the wheelbuilding book by Roger Musson http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php which has enabled me to build a number of stong wheels.

I regard myself as extremely practical, but a coward! I certainly intend to have a go at building my own next time one of my singles is in need, but I don't want to learn by my mistakes on a 48 spoke highly stressed tandem wheel, especially when any problems may well come to light in the middle of somewhere that has never seen a 145mm hub before.

I understand your concern but if you're as practical as you say I think you'll have absolutely no trouble doing it. Building it yourself will ensure it's done to your standards, with the right parts and, if there is a problem with it, you'll be able to fix it without the need to find someone to do it for you.
Roger's book (which I have no commercial interest in, just a happy customer) will give you all the knowledge you need to do it.

Well, I'm still feeling cowardly, but have just downloaded the book.....

Thanks for the advice.

Keep us posted!

The important thing with wheels is take your time and don't aim for perfection (very true wheels) and end up with very uneven spoke tensions.

Do make the nipple driver tool in Roger's book, it's very useful.

I have the same experience as you in terms of inconsistent quality of build from LBS. There was a similar question on the forum a while back and someone recommended Dan Bools who is in Fishponds/Staple Hill. Based on that recommendation I have since used him and am happy - a nicely built wheel which took a fair amount of abuse through the winter on Bristol's pot-holed roads.

Jimmer wrote:I have the same experience as you in terms of inconsistent quality of build from LBS. There was a similar question on the forum a while back and someone recommended Dan Bools who is in Fishponds/Staple Hill. Based on that recommendation I have since used him and am happy - a nicely built wheel which took a fair amount of abuse through the winter on Bristol's pot-holed roads.

Thanks for that; with a recent Tea Room post ringing in my ears, I did a search and found the post you refer to I don't know why it escaped my notice originally. Must remember: search then ask!

If it helps i rebuilt my rear wheel in our Dawes Supergalaxy tandem after having several failures from "professional built and trued wheels". I am no wheel building expert and had only built 1 wheel previously. I used the same 13 gauge stainless spokes and the 40 hole Suzue hub from dismantling the previously failed mavic rim and a new Sunrhyno rim from sjsc. I put small brass washers under the spoke heads. Didn't rush the rebuilding and i didn't worry too much about spoke tension, just made sure they were all roughly tensioned. This wheel has been on the back of my tandem for 40,000 miles now and has never needed truing. Have had only one spoke break in this time and the distortion was not bad enough to stop us completing our ride for the day.

Best of luck.

Should you decide not to build it yourself, Bad Ass Bikes (don't be put off by the name) is widely regarded as the best place to get bullet proof hand built wheels - they're MTB focussed and build for many local pros so standards are very, very high. They've recently moved and are now on Burrington Coombe. That said, I will also Dan Bool is a lovely chap and as a small independent outlet does not compromise on quality at all!

goatwarden wrote:I need to get one of my tandem rear wheels rebuilt as I can't seem to convince it not to break spokes. I have used a few local shops for trueing in the past, but never been entirely happy, either with their skill or their stock of appropriate spokes. Any suggestions please?

I dont know if this is helpful or not but BIKE-INN in wragmarsh runs bike mechanic courses and wheel building courses
alf webb is very good have a look at his website for course details
some bike shops do one day wheel building courses would be worth phoning round or googling wheel building courses also worth considering asking if you can bring in your own wheel to do and paying for the spokes at the end of the class
this way you gain wheel building experience through a one day course and the wheel has been built by yourself
i learned through a wheel building instructional video i bought from bike inn
i mastered wheel building in 13 weeks and have built numerous wheels and all have been fine except for
when i was cycling with an argos catalogue in a bag on my racer which had a set of wheels i had built and had done over 200 miles and had no problems then the argos catalogue got jammed in behind the front fork and jammed the wheel putting me over the bars (ouch) the spokes were badly bent and the wheel was put completely out of true but i stiripped the wheel and rebuilt it with new double butted spokes the wheels has now covered 500 miles with no problems which am surprised at considering the state of the roads
i recently built a pair of wheels for one of my racers and the wheels are running a treat the only noise you hear is the air tinging the spokes when freewheeling

Oh, I think I'll get myself a copy of this as it's only £9. Is it a physical book or an e-book?

Also to build your own wheels from this book do you need any expensive tools? I'm guessing you'd at least need a clamp.

£5 spoke wrench. Google spokey. I think I'm correct to say that everything else can be made from old tools and scrap wood bits and pieces you may have stored in your shed. Musson's book gives instructions for making a wheel building stand, but plenty of people just turn their bike frame upside down and use that. Also highly recommend this book. Now built 4 wheels. All fine in use.