rebuilding wheels

[TastyTuner]

hey guys and gals, called my LBS this morning to get a quote on rebuilding a set of wheels im restoring. i plan to PC the rims and clean and regrease the hubs. i asked what it would cost just tore-spoke and true the wheels and they quoted me at $50 a wheel in labor, :shock: plus each spoke @ $1.50 a piece :shock: . i haven't counted the spokes but am guessing all together costing me about $200 :shock: . does that sound about right?

im going to hit up another LBS that ive worked with to see what it will cost there also.

i just want to make sure im not being taken to the cleaners

thanks
andy

 

[Ratfink1962]

Sounds a bit high.

At our local bike shop...

I know for a fact they dont charge $1.50 a spoke, they charge $18 a wheel to true it. Not sure what the charge to lace it.

I always lace them myself, then have the LBS true it... saves me a few $.

I have trued a couple of wheels that didnt need to be "perfect" and Im getting better at it. Hopefully someday Ill be able to tackle the ones that do need to be perfect.

One tip... When removing the original spokes, make sure to relieve the tension on each spoke EVENLY, work your way around the rim giving each spoke a turn until most of the tension is gone. it is possible to tweak a rim to the point that it will be hard if not impossible to true.

Oh and lacing isnt that hard when you have a good guide like Sheldon Brown's

 

[user 135]

The biggest shop in town charges a $1.00 a spoke and a $1.00/spoke labor.

 

[bigj]

Sounds a little high, but not too bad IF they are good builder.

 

[cashman]

They are charging that much to spoke wheels now? I get a box of spokes from my LBS for $25 and it has 144 spokes. Thats enough to do four wheels on most of these old bikes.

 

[mesome]

Sounds about on par with what my LBS quoted me for spokes and labor a couple months ago, maybe just a little higher. I ended up just buying a spoke wrench and some new spokes and figured out how to do it myself. Eventually I need to take them in to have them properly tensioned and trued but I got close enough for now by sight/sound/feel.

 

[Walker]

I pay $ 1.00 per spoke (with nipple), but i build them up myself. $50 is probably fair if they are true, round and tensioned properly, especially if it is a used rim, may take extra work to keep the tension in spec it they need to correct any out of trueness.

 

[Anonymous]

really that much!?!?!
the guy selling the vintage spokes is going to make a killing!!! :mrgreen:

i paid 15 bucks/box from my lbs!!
if you can't shade tree true your wheels at least lace it,
then take it in! i'm sure just truing it will cost less.

 

[TastyTuner]

thanks for your replys...i dont want to sound like a noob...but ive never laced up a wheel. could i remove the spokes safely so that they can be reused? should they be reused?

if i can take the spokes off, freshen the wheels and relace with the same old spokes or new spokes, then that will be a good learning experience, and in the future i could look into a trueing stand to learn how to do it myself.



baby steps ahahah

 

[Anonymous]

new is less headaches.. old nipples strip out easy but it can be done.
i have done a new hoop and nipples with old spokes and hub.

shade tree truing stand, old forks work well :mrgreen:

 

[Ratfink1962]

If the spokes are still in good shape, by all means reuse them.

heres the link that taught me how to lace a wheel... http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html

 

[Rooski]

I asked my LBS how much it costs to lace and true, and the guy quoted me $45.

Then I asked how much if I do the lacing, and he quoted $50.

I said "?????".

He told me lacing is the quick and easy part, and truing a newly laced wheel takes the majority of time.

I then asked why the higher quote for just the truing. I figured it would at least be the same.

He said "Because most likely, I'll have to correct your mistakes".

 

[Ratfink1962]

sounds like you need to find a new bike shop :roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[mesome]

I asked my LBS how much it costs to lace and true, and the guy quoted me $45.

Then I asked how much if I do the lacing, and he quoted $50.

I said "?????".

He told me lacing is the quick and easy part, and truing a newly laced wheel takes the majority of time.

I then asked why the higher quote for just the truing. I figured it would at least be the same.

He said "Because most likely, I'll have to correct your mistakes".

That's pretty nice of him to assume you're incompetent based on two questions. Sounds to me like you should find a new LBS and maybe next time don't tell them you're lacing the wheels yourself, just bring them in when you're done with them and ask how much to have them trued. If you did a decent job I doubt they'd have a problem with it.

 

[cashman]

Here are some pointers if you want to learn to build your own wheels.

Like Upper Class White Trash said, newer is better. Old spokes can stick, strip and they can be streatched unevenly. And a good straight rim is a lot easier to true. But I have spoked many wheels reusing old spokes.

Try spoking a front wheel first. It's easier and lighter to lace. I always remove the guts from rear hubs when lacing. Have a wheel that is already laced close by for reference if you start having brain cramps. And by the way, we use the Hugo code on here by crossing each spoke. The old wheel that you have probably doesn't have the spokes crossed. Must be some BMX or MTB influence of recent?

The OBJECT is to install all the nipples on the spokes with the same number of turns to start with. This insures that all the spokes are realitively the same length. This is where a lot people mess up by ending up with 36 different length spokes in their wheel. If all the spokes are realitively the same length, the hub should be close to being centered properly in the wheel. After you have laced up the wheel, put your wheel in a truing stand and starting at the valve hole, work all the way around the wheel tightening each nipple the same amount (one or two rounds)untill they start getting tight.

A bent wheel is a bent wheel. The fanciest truing stand made is not going to correct that situation. The truing stand I use is an old 26" balloon fork held in a vise. Have for years. Have owned professional grade truing stands. I still had rather use the fork because it is faster and just as accurate for me.

You need a good spoke wrench. My personal favorite is a Wald #74. I've never had much luck using a screwdriver to true a wheel.

Practice, Practice, Practice. This is a hands on learning experience. Reading a few paragraphs about spoking a wheel, although helpful, will not train you to spoke and true a wheel. It's kinda like learning to play a musical instument, but spoking a wheel is a lot easier than that.

Thanks!!!

 

[TastyTuner]

the wheels i need to PC and relace are off my late 40s firestone. thats about the depth of my knowledge on them, and for the life of me i cant remember what rear hub it has. ill check at lunch and post back up. heres a pic of the bike if it helps you guys at all

 

[Matt 732]

Check out Jobs Brandts book 'The Bicycle Wheel". This chap pretty much put into text the CORRECT way to build a wheel. Which direction your leading spoke should be orientated according to which hub your using (fixed, coaster, disc etc.), how many times to cross your spokes for your riding style, the correct lacing order so as to not bend any spokes, correct orientation so as not to get a cross above the valve hole etc. etc.
What is mentioned (which is why I've stuck my nose in) is to NOT RE-USE spokes. Unless your putting each one in exactly the same way you took it out you will re-bend the poor little things in yet another direction and those nasty little galvanised rustles spokes will give out at the elbow. Use a good truing stand this will really help getting those up's and downs out (in the shop we use Park) and use the correct size nipple key.
Over in London i charge £25 wheel building charge, 85p per spoke (DT double butted stainless steel) with a free true and tension after the settling in period (normal wheels-1 week). Your LBS is probably using Wheel Smith spokes which are okay and probably the same price as DT or Sapim (no where near as well made though) and remember if you have any problems later you can just bring em back to get them looked at FOC.
We charge the same price to enthusiasts that bring in ready laced wheels,and as has been mentioned 'THATS NOT THE TRICKY BIT!' A good mech can lace up a wheel in a few minutes,(check out the young ladies in the Mavic factory lacing wheels...FAST!) truing is where it's at. Learn to straighten wheels first, this is what a pro is charging for.