The Hand-built Wheel Advantage
August 18, 2021 - Photos and words by Tyson Blades
You are flying down the trail at top speed. You just installed new tires, and you are gripping the dirt and sailing over the rocks. As you find your line, you are thinking about whether you are going to KOM this segment. But then you hit a massive rock with your rear wheel…wait…what was that noise? Was it a crunch or a pop? There it goes again! As you slow to a stop, you notice three spokes are gone, and you have a huge dent in your rim. The sealant is leaking from the bead. The segment is a goner, and so is your wheel. Now the big question: do you buy a pre-made wheel or build one?
I often hear from customers that purchasing a high-quality pre-made wheel is the way to go. Taking a new wheel home and bolting it straight onto your bike makes for a convenient replacement or upgrade. But what if you cannot find the perfect set for your needs? Indeed, most people don’t think about the other option: building a custom wheel. The convenience of a ready-made wheel usually suits most needs. However, a hand-built wheel is far superior in quality, safety, and a better ride.
The most obvious advantage to a hand-built wheel is quality. Even with entry-level hubs and rims, a human wheelbuilder can produce a wheel far better than a machine can using the same parts. Building a wheel is a skill, can be considered a trade, and some even call it a form of art.
Four parts are needed to build a wheel: The rim, the hub, the spokes, and spoke nipples. Sometimes nipple washers are required. Many wheelbuilders choose to use compounds such as spoke prep or Loc-tite to prepare the spoke threads. The hardest part for the customer is making sure the hub is compatible with the components on the bike. Consider the type of tires as well, as that affects the choice of the rim.
The concept is relatively easy to understand. Anyone can learn to lace the spokes from the hub to the rim in the proper order. The skill or art is applied while bringing the wheel up to tension, dishing, and finally truing it straight. For the final product to be considered high-quality, however, it requires years of experience. It should retain its strength a lot longer. That is why many wheelbuilders guarantee their wheels. Some even offer lifetime truing!
Still, many people balk at the option, the perception being that a custom set will take too long to build or end up costing too much. With the supply chain interrupted by the pandemic, pre-made wheels are getting harder to find. However, hand-built wheels are becoming more convenient. Mixing and matching different hubs with rims is fast and easy (provided those parts are available). Even without the virus, getting the right wheel built is often quicker than ordering a new one when parts are plentiful.
Once you have your new wheel, you install it and get back on the trail. Maybe you are a little more careful this time. But then again, your new hand-built wheel will probably last just a bit longer…until you hit a bigger rock. Ride safe!