I buy pre-builts and re-tension them myself. It’s cheaper that way.
For spoke tension without a gauge, adjust by pitch, use a chromatic tuner if you’ve got one, then have an LBS double-check the tension.
Jim, if you can afford it, the Park TS-2 is really nice to build wheels on.
[quote=EivlEvo]Thats mildly what I suspected.
I have a truing stand (Jim if you’re looking bikeisland has the absolute best price for new aside from ebay that I found, not endorsing… just stating the truth) but have yet to build my own set though I want to. Primary reason I got it was because the shop here in ND looks at me funny sometimes when I need wheel stuff. They don’t stock parts for most of the high perf wheels I roll (like my reynold carbon tubs and such).
I wish spoke tension gauges weren’t so expensive. I have a great ear for tune, but I’m pretty nervous about going the Sheldon route.[/quote]
Park TM-1.
Totally worth the money.
I suspect that Sheldon’s ears were just OK. Good, true, evenly tensioned wheels sound really dissonant to me because all of the spokes (especially on front or track wheels) are so evenly tensioned that they produce pitches within a half step. Then, when the tension starts to get really high, the pitch changes drastically for really small tension changes. You can get in the ball park, but a tensiometer its hell of worth the money, especially if you are building carbon tubulars. You could probably end up with good wheels, but good components make it worth your time to do it right. They really reward you for it.
Edit: chromatic tuner does work well, as Heath suggests. But tensiometer works beter.
I’ve had mine 20+ years. It owes me nothing
Bikeisland has them with free shipping.
I’m about to build my first set of wheels since I needed a 126mm road hub and found a Suntour Superbe with brand new Enduro bearings for cheap, a set of SL42s on closeout, and picked up a Surly front hub to convert to QR. This thread is giving some good tips.
Yeah… I had to have a spoke replaced on my reynolds and I had my shop back home (NY) do the install, so detension, install, retension.
So far I’ve used my truing stand primarily for re-dishing and truing my retro direct wheel and for my beaters.
[quote=deadforkinglast]
I’m about ready to overhaul my formulas. Get me into some “NICE” bearings.[/quote]
Phil Wood.[/quote]
I think those are NSK bearings? Why do people call them phil wood bearings?
Also about buying wheel sets.
Any respectable brand that cares about quality will hand build their wheels.
I don’t believe you can build a good wheel with a machine.
So my point is that the decent wheel sets you buy off the shelf are actually hand built, not machine built.
There are lots of little factories all over Taiwan/China that hand build wheels. Some build to a pretty high spec as well.
Yes, hahaha that last one is the one you want your wheels to be built on.
“The HT60-014 NIPPLE FEEDING DRIVING MACHINE…”
heath, didn’t you just have one of those?
Yup.
[quote=tzusing][quote=deadforkinglast]
I’m about ready to overhaul my formulas. Get me into some “NICE” bearings.[/quote]
Phil Wood.[/quote]
I think those are NSK bearings? Why do people call them phil wood bearings?[/quote]
Because they come in Phil Wood packaging and are sold as Phil Wood bearings?
They cost about the same as generic bearings, so I would assume that that’s what they are. When I can get the old bearings out of my hubs, I can tell you how they are, but I’m sure that they’re fine.
lbs just quoted me $290 for a 36h ultegra/open pro/butted spokes rear wheel
probs gonna go for it
i had njs DA hubs that i rode in the rain for a few years and rebuilt only once. they were fine.
they did come with a little oring to slide in the plastic dustcover…i didn’t use it though.
this tx though so rain season aint too long.
i’d get some 36h low flange DA hubs and lace them to open pro with 2.0/1.8 spokes…well actually i’d buy an old NOS set of GP4 for cheap off ebay but i imagine you don’t care for tubs on your fixie.
straight 2.0 would build a little bit stiffer wheel but would probably be a little less durable than 2.0/1.8
like halbritt is saying though…32h will be plenty strong with such little dish…shit i ride with atleast 15lbs daily on my rear rack with a 32h open pro on a high dish hub. i retensioned shortly after i got it (used for $50 off craigslist) coz too fast through a turn hit water and got hella tire chatter…didn’t fall but the wheel was sad after.
then had to retension again after bulldogging a big ol’ speed bump with lotsa groceries in rear pannier…since then it’s been fine.
32h open pro is plenty strong…but i wouldn’t afraid of the 36h if that’s what happens to come around.
Cookietruck you like the GP4 rims? I have two nos 32h and have been wondering what to do with them.
yeah they are good rims.
some brakes seem to want to squeal and chatter with them though.
First wheel build evar:
hplusson SL42’s / Gran Compe / dt competitions
32h 2x
still no tension, truing stand gets here tomorrow 
Hmm.
Just this week I built a 32H CR18 to an old Shimano 600 hub with straight gauge spokes. Reminds me how much I hate straight gauge spokes. I plan to use this as a trainer wheel, but it looks so nice, I think I’m gon’ build up a matching front. Also just finished a 36h VO 650b rim to Ultegra front. Going to build the matching rear tomorrow and then post pics.
My truing stand toppled over a month of so ago. I replace a few parts on it, but the arm is bent all to shit, which makes truing wheels kinda fun. Going to get a new arm now, I guess.
Edit: @dmotobear:
looks fun. Was it a bitch keeping the nipples from falling into the rim? And why 2x?
Some gold spoke washers would have looked baller/pro, but that’s in the past at this point. Post pics when you finish. It’s easy to underestimate how impressive it’s going to look until after you’ve got it all built up.
