Building your own bicycle wheels can be a rewarding experience. Some key components that may need repair include the spokes, rims and the hub. Some common problems that may occur are fatigued spokes, bent rims, stiff axles or loose bearings in the hub. Once you have the experience and knowledge to assemble your own wheels, you no longer have to worry about draining your pocket book to have the shop fix them for you.
Preparatory Lubrication
Simplify the wheel-building process by first lubricating the nipples. Apply lubrication to both the inside and the outside of the nipples. This will prevent binding and truing problems later on in the process.
Alloy Nipples
Alloy nipples are easiest to install when using proper lubrication, correct spoke lengths and the right size spoke wrench. Alloy nipples help to reduce wheel weight on your bicycle.
Stable Wheels
Always attempt to align your hub evenly by loosening spokes rather than tightening them. Applying tension to the spokes early in the wheel-building process can cause the wheel to be misaligned or can cause your rims to bend. Apply tension only after the wheel is properly aligned.
True By Sound
Go around the wheel and test the tension of each spoke by hand. Pluck the spokes around any loose spokes and listen to the tone. Tighten any loose spokes until they make a tone similar to the tightened spokes when plucked.
Quality Spoke Key
Use a quality spoke key during the building process. A Spokey key, for instance, grips three sides of the spoke nipple instead of the standard two sides. Do not use a spoke key with multiple sizes on the key, as this can cause you to use the wrong side and strip a spoke nipple.
Alternation
Alternate between working on truing the wheel and rounding the wheel during the building process. Working on either rounding or truing until it is perfect and then working on the opposite process can undo the work you have previously done.
Squeaking and Squealing
If during the process of adding tension, your spoke nuts squeak as you tighten them, this merely means that you did not use enough lubrication on the nipples. Apply extra lubrication to stop the noises and ease the fear of breaking your wheels.
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