650c SSFG Wheels

Anybody have a source for already made 650c wheels at an affordable cost?

I’m going to be helping a friend on a Heidi build but I’m having a little trouble sourcing some wheels. Money is an issue to her. She’s buying the frame and then buying it part by part so it’s easier for her to get it together. Probably quicker than IRO can put it together too.

I think you have an extra “c” on there. Check around on ebay. The smallest sized Fujis came with 650c wheels. You may be able to snag some if you are patient. Otherwise that tends to be a tri size and that can mean money.

I think IRO now sells “Heidi” wheels. so she could buy them when she is ready. Maybe not the best idea but …

I saw them a few weeks ago but just looked and did not find them. I think they were silver, black or red

[quote=“balonya”]I think IRO now sells “Heidi” wheels. so she could buy them when she is ready. Maybe not the best idea but …

I saw them a few weeks ago but just looked and did not find them. I think they were silver, black or red[/quote]
Yep, I figured they’d throw them up on their site but I guess not.

That’s what happens when you spend all day on the Yamaha website staring at R6s and R1s.

except R6’s are 600 and R1’s are 1000. Cc’s, that is. or thereabouts.

599cc and 998cc. Point is, I was thinkin’ in cc’s, Jim. Quit bustin’ my balls, woman.

As I recall, 650c track wheels are available from the Quality Bike Parts wheel catalog, which means that any shop could order them for you. They’re not dirt cheap, though.

650s pop up on Ebay all the time for cheaps.

j and beezy sells em, so does qbpeezy

lace em up?

That sure does seem like a lot of work… I wouldn’t know where to start. Well, Sheldon’s site is a good place but I’ve heard even that one is confusing.

So for you guys that lace up your own wheels, do you jsut tighten em up to a point where it stays together and just take em to a shop for truing/tensioning?

I just tighten them by feel. Some people say there’s a science to it and hook them up to the tensionometer, but I’ve never found that to be necessary. Every wheel I’ve ever built has needed no or minimal truing.

I learned to build wheels out of the Zinn bike book, but having your laptop open to Sheldon while you build is certainly possible. It seems confusing at first, but then you realize what you’re doing and how the wheel works, and it becomes somewhat intuitive. I used to keep another already made three-cross wheel by me, so I can look at that and copy it if I get lost. I find building your own wheels is totally one of the most rewarding things I do mechanically.

[quote=“bonechilling”]I just tighten them by feel. Some people say there’s a science to it and hook them up to the tensionometer, but I’ve never found that to be necessary. Every wheel I’ve ever built has needed no or minimal truing.

I learned to build wheels out of the Zinn bike book, but having your laptop open to Sheldon while you build is certainly possible. It seems confusing at first, but then you realize what you’re doing and how the wheel works, and it becomes somewhat intuitive. I used to keep another already made three-cross wheel by me, so I can look at that and copy it if I get lost. I find building your own wheels is totally one of the most rewarding things I do mechanically.[/quote]
I completely understand this. I never truly appreciated bikes until I started putting them together piece by piece. I think building wheels would be the definite next step in this. This idea is getting better and better.

just make sure you take it to a shop and have them check it out.

Defnitely. I’d hate for my friend’s wheels to explode on her.

lots of people tighten each spoke x number of turns and then when they wheel is built go back and true it. As you true it check for spoke tension, and if there is one that is wet-noodlin’ just tighten er up. by feel has always done me right.

I used to build by feel too. When I bought a tensiometer, the readings were 40 - 65 (don’t have my conversion chart in front of me but it was a big enough discrepency to make me glad I bought it.)
You can also true by ear by plucking the spokes. You can look up charts for the note you’re looking for, but really, so long as all your spokes play the same note, you’re good.

PS. I have never broken a spoke on any of my hand builts, so it couldn’t have been that bad I guess. I used Sheldon and a bmx guys site which seemed the least confusing.

Yea, lacing ain’t that bad. I laced up the wheels i’m running right now and had my friend true them up. Pretty rewarding even if you just lace 'em IMO. :slight_smile:

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=wN8&resnum=0&q=the+art+of+wheel+building&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title

Good book?