I’ve been a lifelong biking enthusiast, and have commuted and worked on my bikes for at least 20 years.  I never built my own wheels, though.  I finally got the gumption up to buy a truing stand, and give it a whirl.

First hand-built wheel

I picked up the basic parts (hubs, spokes, rims) from my local bike shop Free Range Cycles.  They were very helpful and sized the spokes for me.  This was the part I wanted help with the first time through, at least.  The front wheel took most of my Fathers Day – probably 3-4 hours, but I got it all laced up and true.  I used fairly standard XT hubs, and Sun CR18 rims.

My second attempt on the rear wheel went much more quickly, and I started to learn little things that made it a lot easier the second time around.  I can see that doing a bunch of these will make me a more proficient mechanic.  It’s definitely an art, but it is not hard to do if you have the time and inclination.  Pretty cool when you ride the end product, too!

All trued up

Rear Wheel

Finished wheels on bike

First ride - Awesome!