Increasing the wheel strength on your bicycle may be necessary if you weigh more than 170 lbs or often ride in rough terrain. While durable wheels can be bought from a bicycle shop, building your own wheels can save you money and help you reuse parts on your wheel that already meet your needs.
Step 1
Purchase any parts you need to strengthen your existing wheel. Aluminum hubs with thick flanges, single-butted titanium spokes and alloy or carbon fiber rims all increase the strength of a bicycle wheel.
Step 2
Choose the number of spokes you will use on the wheel. The more spokes that are on a wheel, the stronger it will be to support weight and keep the rim shape. A typical configuration for strong wheels is to have 36 spokes on the front wheel and 40 spokes on the back wheel, though you can build with more if necessary.
Step 3
Set the hub on the table with the freewheel side facing up if you are building a rear wheel. Place the rim around the hub so it is centered and insert one quarter of the spokes upward into the top hub flange in every other hole.
Step 4
Insert one of the spokes into the first hole next to the valve stem hole that is higher than it. Insert the remaining spokes every five holes, counting from the first spoke. Tighten the spokes four full turns using a flathead screwdriver or a spoke wrench.
Step 5
Swivel the wheel hub to move the spokes in the correct position for lacing. The hub is rotated in the direction of the spoke closest to the valve stem hole.
Step 6
Insert one quarter of the spokes into the remaining holes on the hub's upper flange. Pull the spokes in the opposite direction that the other spokes are turned in. Each spoke should pass over two spokes and then be threaded under a third before it is inserted into the rim at the midpoint between two previously set spokes.
Step 7
Press down on each spoke with your thumb 1 inch from the hub to set the spokes in place and remove any bend in them from lacing.
Step 8
Flip the wheel over and lace the other side of the hub using the same pattern as the first side, beginning with the first free hole next to the valve stem. Place the wheel in a truing stand when all of the spokes are in place and tighten or loosen each spoke until the wheel is true vertically and laterally in the stand as it rotates.
Tips and Warnings
- Spokes on the derailleur side of the back wheel are shorter than those on the opposite side.
Things You'll Need
- Aluminum hub
- Single-butted spokes
- Alloy rim
- Spoke wrench
- Small flathead screwdriver
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