Wheel building

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

I was lucky enough to have been commissioned to build these wheels this week.

I don't always have the opportunity to add tyres and brake discs but I had a very cooperative customer

 

These new Hope Pro5 hubs are really nice - the main improvement, for me, over the Pro4's is the reduced friction in the freehub mechanism.

Lekker né?

[splat]

I just had a wheelset built up with Pro 5's and Race Race ARC 30 (alu) rims.
DT Swiss spokes seem to be in short supply, so went with double butted Pillar spokes and brass nipples.

That rear hub sounds so good!

[Wyatt Earp]

2 hours ago, splat said:

I just had a wheelset built up with Pro 5's and Race Race ARC 30 (alu) rims.
DT Swiss spokes seem to be in short supply, so went with double butted Pillar spokes and brass nipples.

That rear hub sounds so good!

Pillar make great spokes 

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

18 hours ago, splat said:

I just had a wheelset built up with Pro 5's and Race Race ARC 30 (alu) rims.
DT Swiss spokes seem to be in short supply, so went with double butted Pillar spokes and brass nipples.

That rear hub sounds so good!

I almost only use Pillar spokes. 

Very similar to DT anyways, if not identical.

Yes, the new Pro5 hubs are sweet-sounding for sure!

[cadenceblur]

I have a Mavic R Sys rear wheel that has a very short spin if you know what I mean?

when I spin it up I can also hear a soft sound that sounds like it catching on something, what is this a telltale sign of? Bearing replacement required perhaps? 
The bearings were replaced about a year ago and I generally don’t do much riding in the rain. 

[dasilvarsa]

8 minutes ago, cadenceblur said:

I have a Mavic R Sys rear wheel that has a very short spin if you know what I mean?

when I spin it up I can also hear a soft sound that sounds like it catching on something, what is this a telltale sign of? Bearing replacement required perhaps? 
The bearings were replaced about a year ago and I generally don’t do much riding in the rain. 

Bearings Yes.

 

[Barry]

44 minutes ago, cadenceblur said:

I have a Mavic R Sys rear wheel that has a very short spin if you know what I mean?

when I spin it up I can also hear a soft sound that sounds like it catching on something, what is this a telltale sign of? Bearing replacement required perhaps? 
The bearings were replaced about a year ago and I generally don’t do much riding in the rain. 

Maybe a drop of mineral oil on the inner rubber freehub seal and on the bushes. 

[dasilvarsa]

2 hours ago, cadenceblur said:

I have a Mavic R Sys rear wheel that has a very short spin if you know what I mean?

when I spin it up I can also hear a soft sound that sounds like it catching on something, what is this a telltale sign of? Bearing replacement required perhaps? 
The bearings were replaced about a year ago and I generally don’t do much riding in the rain. 

Strip it and Feel the Bearings If one is shot you will be able to feel the Rough Usually very Easy to Replace but The LBS also needs Business. 

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

Sometimes bearings are pressed in a bit too tight and this can cause the dragging you describe. I see this most of the time in freehubs, which have a hollow spacer tube between the inner and outer bearing inside races.

[droo]

On 10/14/2023 at 2:35 PM, cadenceblur said:

I have a Mavic R Sys rear wheel that has a very short spin if you know what I mean?

when I spin it up I can also hear a soft sound that sounds like it catching on something, what is this a telltale sign of? Bearing replacement required perhaps? 
The bearings were replaced about a year ago and I generally don’t do much riding in the rain. 

Could be a missing spacer, could be too much preload, could be a bad bearing. The only way to find out is to strip it and see.

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

My friends at Spank gave me a set of rims and hubs to build up, and this was the result:

Spank 359 Vibrocore rims on their Hex Drive hubs with double butted Pillar spokes and green anodised nipples.

There's no freehub installed because the buyer of these wheels will specify which type they need.

Let me know what you think!

[Guest Mike Dewing]

4 hours ago, nick_the_wheelbuilder said:

My friends at Spank gave me a set of rims and hubs to build up, and this was the result:

Spank 359 Vibrocore rims on their Hex Drive hubs with double butted Pillar spokes and green anodised nipples.

There's no freehub installed because the buyer of these wheels will specify which type they need.

Let me know what you think!

They’re amazing.! 😍 Joker Wheelz 😍

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

Just finished a nice carbon gravel wheelset with Hope Pro5 hubs and South Industries GX rims.
Hope you like 'em.

Edited March 6, 2024 by nick_the_wheelbuilder

[Andreas_187]

I have a set of warranty rims (road) that need swapping over, who is the best person for the job in Cape Town?

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

1 hour ago, Andreas_187 said:

I have a set of warranty rims (road) that need swapping over, who is the best person for the job in Cape Town?

I only know of one Wheelbuilder, William’s Bike Shop in Somerset West. 
 

If you don’t come right you can courier the stuff to me. 

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

I'd just like to share some pics of the last set of wheels I built.

Here are the specs:

• 29er BOOST
• Nextie Vista Alpha asym carbon rims (30mm inner width / 280g per rim)
• DT Swiss 350 straight-pull hubs
• Pillar PSR Xtra1420 bladed spokes with black brass DSN nipples
• Total wheelset weight: 1300g with rim tape
• Price as built and delivered: R27 995.00

The cool thing about these wheels is they compare well to the pro-level Bontrager Kovee RSL wheels (only 100g heavier) but cost a whopping R22 500 less.

I am incredibly privileged to be able to build wheels like these. 
Thanks to everyone who's supported me to date.