How to Build a Strong Wheel (video guide)

[Samuel D]

All in all I think it demystifies and simplifies what is essentially quite a straightforward process.

We disagree. The video does not explain so much as present a series of steps that will arrive at one kind of wheel.

Brandt’s book explains from first principles, taking nothing for granted, how a wire-spoked wheel works, the nature of its pre-tensioned structure, that all materials in the wheel are elastic and the implications of that, etc. To the careful reader it’s practically an engineering course. Brandt worked on it for a decade and it’s written with masterful economy and precision of language. You’re left with not only the knowledge to build a wheel but what makes a good one and why.

The value of pictures was mentioned. There are about 70 pictures in Brandt’s book. They’re not photos or videos but line drawings for better clarity.

Nothing wrong with the lacing instructions

Perhaps “wrong” is an exaggeration, but page 9 of this PDF document shows Shimano’s lacing pattern for disc-brake hubs. The video does not follow this pattern. No explanation is given for that. I bet that’s because the builder doesn’t understand why Shimano specifies that lacing pattern, not because he has a good reason. Which isn’t to say there may not be a good reason. I’d like to hear suggestions.

I wouldn’t mark this video so harshly if it wasn’t held up as comprehensive, best, etc.

[Brucey]

FWIW I agree with Samuel; a lot of 'wheelbuilding instruction' is simply learning by rote; even if it is 'all correct' -which is rarely the case IME- it has limited applicability and doesn't really inform anyone as to why it works (if it works...) or under what conditions it might not work.

I recommend a good book over anything else and of those I have read Brandt's is without doubt the best if you want to understand what you are doing.

cheers

[531colin]

Easiest thing in the world to get your wheels round...
buy the right length spokes
lace the wheel correctly
advance all the nipples down the thread so the thread is about to disappear into the nipple
tension the wheel counting turns
true the wheel balancing slackening one side with tightening the other side
guess whether or not its all in Brandt? **
When it starts round, it will finish round, except for maybe a "hop" at the rim joint.
For my own wheels, I leave the "hop" there provided it doesn't affect braking, because an evenly-tensioned wheel is better than a perfectly true wheel. For customers wheels, you have to balance evenness of tension and absolute trueness.

In a lifetime of wheelbuilding, I have come across maybe two hubs where the spoke holes aren't concentric with the axle...….

**Brandt's best tip is in the same paragraph....set all the nipples in the same orientation, so that the spoke key goes straight on without fumbling. You can't make an adjustment of less than a quarter turn due to spoke wind-up.

Still have to watch the vid.....

[Brucey]

In a lifetime of wheelbuilding, I have come across maybe two hubs where the spoke holes aren't concentric with the axle...….

You have been lucky.

I used to build a lot of Maillard and Normandy hubs. They were very often drilled so that the spoke holes were not concentric with the rest of the hub. More recently I had (to my intense irritation) some shimano hubs where the whole outside of the shell (including the spoke drillings) wasn't quite concentric with the bearings.

Another thing I would mention is that factory-made spokes are generally all identical lengths, but spokes that have been cut and rethreaded more often aren't. This slows the build process (with a good rim and a good hub) noticeably; instead of being within about half a turn of one another, the nipples can be two or three turns out, easily. As with eccentric spoke drilling the resultant wheel is fine, but it just takes that bit longer to get there.

Another thing that can catch you out is that the ERD of the drillings either side of the (eg tongue-type) joint in some rims is slightly different from the rest of the rim. Very occasionally I have had to fit longer nipples to these two spokes to make the wheel look 'normal' when it is finished.

cheers

[niggle]

I do use the same stress relieving method, but have modified it by placing the wheel on an old car tyre (smallish size, e.g. around 14"), the reason being that I found that lightweight rims can actually get bent at the point where the rim rests against the floor, whereas with the car tyre the weight is supported evenly on all the underside spokes. Also does a lot better job of protecting flooring than his cardboard as the axle end is lifted well clear of the floor.

[fastpedaller]

I built (or attempted to) a front wheel using a British hub in the 80's, which was meant to be the best available. It became apparent during lacing that something was badly amiss and (I have to admit to NEVER before or since experiencing this, so not something I was looking for!) ...... the holes in one flange were IN LINE with the holes in the opposite flange (ie looking across the 36 H hub, the next hole should be 10 degrees around, but wasn't). The hub went back to the supplier. Interestingly, it then transpired another rider had a pair of said hubs, the holes of which were ok, but he couldn't get the rear wheel to stay in position in the dropouts due to the locknuts having no serrations! I suspect design/quality has improved since with this brand or they surely wouldn't still be selling.

[amediasatex]

The most annoying manufacturing error I’ve had with spoke holes is a Hope hub from the early ‘00s, a special order item as was a non-standard anodised colour so took a while to arrive, only when I came to build it found 18 holes drilled on one flange, and 16 on the other! Was halfway through lacing before I noticed...

[niggle]

Another 'how to build a wheel' type video on Youtube where the builder appears to disagree with Shimano re leading and trailing spokes, he says "pulling" (trailing) spokes that take the drive torque should be heads out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBy_5cI4xUg