How To Build A Bicycle Wheel From Scratch | GCN Tech's Single Speed Build Ep.4

Building a wheel is just about as involved as it gets for a home cycling mechanic, and it's no easy task. This week as part 4 of Ollie's fixie build he's doing just that! If you're looking to start building or maintaining wheels from home then this is just the video for you!
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ES_Whip 1 - SFX Producer.mp3
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[@gcntech]

Have you ever built your own wheels? Let us know how it went!

[@Hardi26]

I have practiced on a old wheel with cracked rim. Took it apart and then relaced and trued.. Just to see, if I can do it. At first try I got valve hole wrong. Second time got it all right. Only factory made special tools I have are spoke key and tension meter. Truing stand and dishingcauge I built my own.. And by my dishingcauge is about 3 times better and about 30 times cheaper than your parktool thing..

[@AaronGoodTimes]

I built my own wheels a couple of years ago with Mavic tubeless ready rims, DT Swiss spokes, and a Shimano 9-speed hub set. I was super stressed over measuring everything properly but in the end it worked out well after following Roger Musson's wheel building book. All in all a satisfying endeavour. Great video! Edit: One thing I would add is that I lubed each nipple and spoke thread.

[@mikes1976]

Yes, many, but long ago. Stopped when robotic wheel building equipment reduced the cost and raised the quality.

[@feedbackzaloop]

I love non-conventional and hybrid lacings too much to bother somebody else to do it for me. But sometimes I bring the self-built wheels to the LBS to finish the tensioning with a proper spoke key and tensometer.

[@guidospanoghe8896]

I've built my first pair for my racebike before YT was invented based on a manual from a bikemagazine. I takes some patience but I find it very satisfying. The wheels have done a perfect job for many years on the cobbles in Flanders. I've never known a quality spoke break in the middle though Ollie!

[@adhdicted2life519]

Are we going to get part 5? Wanting to see the completion of this project.

[@FBrodlie]

Husband is now drunk, under the table - a drink every time Ollie said “nipple”. He managed, I couldn’t keep up! Thanks for the hangover!!

[@nickguest6122]

I can't believe I've just watched a 27 minutes video on how to build a wheel. Something I will never do. Interesting though, Ollie's passion is there for all to see!

[@timstendel4900]

Now I know for sure that I’m never gonna build a wheel...

[@RASirie1]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@WtfYoutube_YouSuck]

Pretty sure oli said the same thing after this video.

[@BixbyConsequence]

TBH it's one of those things which are a lot more complicated to explain that they are to do.

[@RASirie1]

BixbyConsequence TBH?

[@WtfYoutube_YouSuck]

@@RASirie1 to be honest (boomer)

[@alimackerali9259]

I appreciate the amount of info and attention to detail In the explanation of the process in this build. Not that I plan on building a wheel. But this would be very helpful. 👌

[@BixbyConsequence]

Glad to see that even GCN still think 36-spoke wheels are not obsolete.

[@alejocrespo8654]

Part 5 please!!!

[@Ed.R]

Without a local bike shop and an obsession with fancy hub gears I've ended up building almost every bike wheel I now own. Very satisfying although time consuming process.

[@Ed.R]

Only tools on the list I've used is the spoke key, a screwdriver with slot cut in the end and a homemade dishing tool. Old bike frame works as a stand and tension is done by feel. Could probably benefit from some way of measuring tension though.

[@James-C4T]

@@Ed.R It's possible to use the pitch the spokes ring at when you pluck them, you can get a guitar tuner or similar app which can measure it. It works better for radial spokes though

[@Ed.R]

@@James-C4T I have heard about that, never tried it as not at all musical. I guess it doesn't matter though if I can use an app.

[@MarchuxProductions]

H Plus Son Archetypes, somebody's been doing their homework on how to fit in with the fixie people :DD

[@magicknight8412]

Its saturday night, got a beer and watching Ollie build a wheel, very relaxing!

[@lukeblackwood7327]

+GCN Tech Even with very light DB spokes, 2.0/1.5/2.0 like the Sapim laser or DT competition, spoke breakage will only happen at the ends, NOT AT THE MIDDLE. While DB spokes do have less tensile strength than straight gauge (SG) spokes, in the real world, the more elastic characteristics of DB spokes will build a stronger and more durable wheel. A wheel built with DB spokes will also survive more cobbles and potholes than SG spokes, these are both examples where part of the wheel may reach zero tension on impact. If the spokes reach zero tension, the spokes will fatigue and inevitably break AT THE ENDS. DB spokes, being more elastic have a higher fatigue strength and can avoid causing irreversible damage to the rim. Spokes will never break in the middle unless the alloy is from a defective batch which has been a problem in the past but the major brands have seemed to figure out the perfect mix now. It is also worth noting that most aftermarket aero shaped spokes are simply DB spokes which are flattened across the middle section; these have all of the good characteristics of DB spokes plus more.

[@MattWhite84]

@gcntech when can we expect part 5.... I'm sure Ollie suggested "next week" at the end of the video.... 2months ago

[@Gigadenza]

5:29-5:53 Congratulations on keeping a straight face.

[@ltu42]

Congrats! Finally GCN has a video that might actually help someone trying to build a wheel.

[@havefunandbikestuff]

I built my 1st fixed gear back in 2012 and it taught me tons. Including wheel building. So I can say glad he went this route and not the buy it built route. Well done Ollie!

[@Pratalax]

I built my first (and only) wheel without a spoke tension gauge, so i just tried to do it by feel. checked up on em again after each ride a for a few rides. worked a treat (good enough). Also dished it/trued in the frame between the brake calipers.

[@biketrybe7071]

Thank you, Ollie. A highly entertaining and useful deep dive into bike geekery, double entendres notwithstanding.

[@oschoa]

tough luck on Si taking your kom Ollie.

[@IraklyShanidze00X]

Distressing the wheel seems to be almost as satisfying as popping polyethylene air cushion packing material

[@kurtroeder8785]

better

[@grumpynerd]

Somewhat less so, because you start with a wheel that is perfectly true and round and end up with a wheel that needs to be trued again. One thing Ollie didn't show is that you have to turn the wheel over and distress it again so you get both sides.

[@Dhungerf60]

While distressing your wheel, you dented up the bench!

[@marcelr.9035]

yeah thats why I do it on the floor over a few pieces of cardboard

[@djohnson1981]

A flawless workbench is a sign of no work being done.

[@CallMDel]

i have so much respect for track content on gcn!!

[@Dhungerf60]

I find that building wheels is very therapeutic.

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

Steve Thornhill, Wheel building section manager at Dawes Cycles in Tyseley, Birmingham laced me Mavic MA2 36 hole rims onto Maillard Normandy wide flange, TWO wheels in TWENTY minutes. It was when he had a small shop, Thornhill Cycles, in Selly Oak, Birmingham. I said "Shall I come back tomorrow?" He replied "No, go for a walk to Sainsburys and be back in half an hour." Trick, a special nipple driver tool in an electric screwdriver. The tool is a flat screwdriver bit with a central protrusion that lifts the driver out of engagement when the spoke end hits it. My speed record in TWO wheels in four hours. I made myself a nipple tool like Steve's.

[@SyafiqMustafa]

loving this series 👌🏻

[@nigelstanley3674]

Thank god the mullet has gone! Haha.

[@spammy3164]

Long live the mullet!!

[@Kimberly_Sparkles]

Spammy the mullet is a prophylactic.

[@roadglide]

100%. And Learning something from the experience is cool too.

[@Muzzledoctor]

Spoke tension measurement is absolutely, 100%, invaluable. If you are to build long lasting, stable, true wheels then a tension meter is critical. Loads of old school builders will disagree but with modern rims (and associated dishing) requiring precise tensions and tension balancing. I have built all my wheels with initially the Park Tool cheap one (that Olly used) and now the Wheel Fanatyk tensiometer which is at the very top end.

[@robertbodnar8745]

never seen more difficult wheel build, than the Ollie`s one :-)))

[@lightningslim]

Although I am probably never going to build a wheel, congratulations to Olie for making it a fascinating video experience! 😀

[@gazonatrike7005]

I was taught to lace inside first outside last, save the awkward spoke bending bit through the others.

[@charlesdonaldson4104]

Thanks for a great vid Ollie. Having built a few wheels myself and given the number of sharp, pointy bits of metal you’ve been working with, I’m really surprised that you haven’t recommended wearing some safety eye wear for your wheel build. Safety goggles are always the first thing I reach for before starting a build.

[@brandolu5348]

Amazing!

[@samgambling7312]

Thought we were going to have to wait for another pandemic to get this one. Finally! love it

[@galenkehler]

I love building wheels, very zen. I always left my wheelbuilds till after hours when I could sit down with some race footage and a couple mineral waters.

[@ITzjammiedodger]

Exalent choice of rims, love mine! Hope you enjoy them

[@rebecca4958]

Cracking video Ollie, thanks, found it really interesting and informative 👍🏻😊

[@leebackus9875]

I like GCN a lot and I watch it frequently. They routinely have great info. I must say this wheel building video was not the best method. I would never even think to build a wheel this way.

[@scottw6598]

Thank god for bike shops!

[@jacksonlewis2190]

I’d love to give it a try

[@nwimpney]

At around 9:30 you mention the spoke hole offsets, but often the hole viewed from the bead bed of the rim will be opposite, so spikes from the left side of the flange go to the spoke nipple, and then the hole in the inner wall of the rim is to the right, so it lines up with where the spoke is pointing. Often the best bet if you’re not sure is to just thread a spoke into the wheel without the hub, and see if it wants to point to one side or the other. They’re often drilled at an angle, so will show an obvious preference.

[@richardorr9849]

I will GLADLY pay to get my wheel built. Ty for confirming this =)

[@23ilfred]

I rebuilt the wheels on my bike just last week with new-old-stock Mavic MA3’s. Bought DT Swiss Champion BLANK spokes, Hozan C-702 spoke threader, Hozan C-216 spoke cutter and Unior nipple driver bit. Measured, cut and threaded each. Wove a 3 cross pattern: the unior nipple tool and power drill makes threading nipples on FAST AND EVEN. Properly dished with the WAG-4 and trued on a TS-4.2. Very easy, just time consuming.

[@quoththeraven3985]

Great video thx

[@PrzemyslawSliwinski]

How many wheels do I need to build to balance a cost of all these additional tools?

[@Muzzledoctor]

You may never recoup the cost if you compare them to factory wheels. If you compare your handbuilt wheels to professionally handbuilt wheels then inexpensive wheel building tools will pay you back in a few pairs (depending on the grade of components). Bare in mind that you are learning a skill and the time spent would have to be considered as school fees i.e. valued at zero.

[@roadglide]

Buzz kill!

[@Muzzledoctor]

@@roadglide haha, fair enough! Don't get me wrong, there is a great joy to building your own wheels. I enjoy it so much I turned it into a business.

[@PrzemyslawSliwinski]

@@Muzzledoctor ThnX! I really like to maintain and repair my bikes by myself, so it looks I just have to admit that wheel building and truing is not my league... ;)

[@Muzzledoctor]

@@PrzemyslawSliwinski you can always start by truing your own wheels and then progress from there. Get a feel for how turning the spoke key each way impacts the balance of the wheel and it's trueness.

[@paulsymons562]

I've built a few wheels, found Roger Masson's e-book was the easiest to follow. the Spokey brand spoke keys are by far the best to use.

[@BixbyConsequence]

Spokey is very good.

[@kennethward9530]

Yes-out of practice as it's been a while, after 60k miles my rear rim has a crack and I need to rebuild. Good parts, a little patience, some volume of air for cushion, and lots of spokes and the wheels last. Moving away from the potholes of SE Michigan probably added a couple years life the wheels as well.

[@ligeliacable]

You can tell how much work went into the video. Ollie could only surpass this with a selfmade frame.

[@merckxy54]

Carbon Fibre, of course, that's in the next video............................................

[@Oscargallagher]

Nice

[@nwimpney]

To stress relieve the spokes, you will not be able to apply enough force by leaning on it on opposite sides. A much better way is just to grab sets of parallel spokes, 2 on each side of the wheel, and grip them hard (maybe wear gloves, or it’s hard on the hands). Work you way around the wheel a few times, and it’ll be set.

[@finn.jks.8628]

I’ve been waiting

[@sadmansakib2677]

Now I need to true my brain!! It's all twisted.

[@teoschnack7098]

Gosh, I usually separe the spokes in 4 groups, 2 on each side of the hub and by the orientation that they go in the hub. Then you make one of those groups, counting three holes empty between each spoke. After that, the group with same orientation on the other side of the hub. Then you make the last two groups lacing them with the ones already on the wheel. And if you start next to the valve hole then it’s never going to cross over it

[@samuelkiilsrensen4114]

Where's the next episode of Ollie's single-speed/fixie build where he's going to talk about gear ratios?

[@nathandickhof8734]

Finally!!

[@penelopedahl9739]

Are you EVER going to finish this build? Talk about leaving us hanging...

[@markwatson8783]

Played the drinking game, going for a lie down 🍻🙃

[@fepatton]

Very timely for me, as I'm about to start into my first wheel build since I was a teenager. (Didn't work out so well then, but we didn't have KZbin.) I wonder if it's "de-stressing"?

[@billinhouston3291]

It's gotta be de-stressing. Distressing is something else entirely.

[@Pratalax]

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@julz19]

Part 5?

[@leissp1]

I think that I would de-stress instead of distressing the wheel. Anyway I always do this even when replacing a spoke or trueing a wheel. Building your own wheel can be very satisfying and builds a better wheel than machine built wheels.

[@maydaverave]

I built my first wheels when I was young and broke by putting together the best parts from junk wheels I found. Learned to lace by looking at a built wheel and trued to truish using brake pads.

[@nwimpney]

A couple of pointers: When trying to true the wheel, always work on both sides equally. If trying to move the wheel horizontally, loosen one side, and tighten the other by an equal amount. 1/4 turn, for example. likewise, when making a radial (egging) correction, tighten 2 (or 4, as shown in this video) by equal amounts on each side. This helps prevent you from fixing one kind of wobble while making the other one worse. For stress relieving/bedding in the spokes, it's pretty hard to apply enough force evenly to do it at once by pushing from the side. A better way, IMO, is to wear some gloves, and grab sets of parallel spokes on both sides of the wheel, and squeeze hard (if you do without gloves, it'll hurt a little) This increases the tension on those few spokes far enough to form them to the correct shape. A good indication is that on your first ride, if you hear pinging clinking noises from your spokes when you first ride the bike, they weren't properly relieved. if so, you might find that the wheel will need to be re-trued fairly soon.

[@TheDaern]

All good advice, but if I had to sum it up into one, single statement it would be "buy Roger Musson's book and do it like he says" ;-)

[@kurtroeder8785]

One time I got one spoke that was about 4 mm shorter than the rest. I didn't check them before; the nipple popped off and shot across the room as I was tensioning them. Kind of fun but not worth repeating so I always measured them all after that. Also, use spoke-prep or blue loc-tite. It's worth it.

[@luukrutten1295]

Dont loctite spokes. You will regret it when it needs truing in my opinion. You will have a hard time with lots of spoke wind up. IF spokes are tight they do not loosen.

[@GeekonaBike]

@@luukrutten1295 try linseed oil instead of loctite, it help w/ the build & doesn't dry as fast or as sticky as loctite

[@BixbyConsequence]

You bring up a good point. It's good practice to put on the rim tape before adding tension to the wheel. If a spoke cracks at the threads at high tension the resulting nipple projectile can be quite energetic!

[@Oscargallagher]

Your good

[@philhennessy6309]

I did when I was a kid, haven't got the patience now. Great vid though.

[@mikes1976]

24:30 Distressing? Or De-stressing?

[@GeekonaBike]

the staff will be distressed when they see what Oli did to the workbench top

[@BixbyConsequence]

The correct term would be "de-stressing", or what Jobst Brandt in "The Bicycle Wheel" refers to as stress-relieving". The objective is not so much to "bed" the spokes, but rather to relieve the parts of the spokes that contain residual stress from manufacturing and the wheel-building process. This avoids broken spokes from metal fatigue. You may have noticed that spokes frequently break at the heads or at the threads. These are the spots that have the most manufacturing-induced stresses. Failure at these points is often an indication that the wheel was not adequately stress-relieved. Spokes shorten and elongate cyclically as you ride. Steel can do this an infinite amount of times without failure, but only if the deformation does not carry the steel past its "yield point". Stress-relief is meant to prevent that from happening. Otherwise it's like bending a paperclip too far in one direction, then too far in the other direction repetitively... it eventually fatigues and cracks.

[@jasondaniels205]

Finaalllyyyyy

[@haakman123]

Will this bike ever get finished?

[@Schumeyyy]

#Askgcntech Ollie, do you know if there are any kind of straight pull rear hubs with 120mm spacing? I'd love to build a wheelset with Aero394T aerospokes, but they need the special kind of straight pull hubs where you put in the spokes from the side, because the spokes are 5mm wide.

[@BjorkensteinvanJurgenheim]

I understand why wheels are so expensive now. That's a lot of work.

[@assortedexorcist2645]

Fixie boi kana rin ahh

[@grindeyyyyy]

I got the exact same hubs, apart from I paid £20 for a set of halo white line rims on eBay

[@lastchance780]

This video has helpful information but it was too short, the close up shots that were most helpful in understanding the lacing pattern cut away before I could really take it in, in the blink of an eye almost, I am having to pause and rewind a lot. Thanks good channel

[@hermankloet2039]

To distress the wheel you may walk on the spokes. First lay the wheel on the floor, then use shoes with soft soles to step on the spokes.

[@khaledzaidan]

for the sake of compatibility, in what order would you shop for the parts? Hub then rim then spokes?

[@mattgies]

Hub and rim, then spokes. Or you can just trust somebody else's hub and rim measurements, use a spoke calculator, and buy them all at once.

[@hateferd]

My local bikeshop charges about 70€ to build a wheel. Worth it.

[@rowdml]

No spoke prep?

[@marcelr.9035]

yeah lol didn't lube the nipples

[@mrmatthewking]

Honest question, did you put the spokes into the correct side of the rim? I'm looking at those offset holes in the channel and wondering if they're offset so that the spoke or tool can angle towards the centreline and hence point to the opposite hub flange. Does that make sense? Anyway, looking forward to building my own wheels one day soon!

[@mattgies]

I was hoping somebody else noticed this. Yes, the center of a hole on the outer wall of the rim that is offset to the left, and the center of its corresponding hole on the inner wall of the rim, form a line that points to the RIGHT of center, not left. From the close-ups, and from how he described the offset of the rim holes, it's pretty clear that he built the wheel wrong. This puts the nipple head/rim interface under excess stress and may cause the nipple or rim to crack.

[@stephenturkLA]

@@mattgies I noticed that too. Clearly the wrong side. At 11:36 you can see how off-center the spoke is in the hole.

[@jimsmith9419]

I agree. I have built wheels with these rims, and if you use your eye to line up the two holes in the rim, the hole in the left of the rim points to the right-hand-side of the hub.

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

Once you've cracked this, you can fleece your clubmates for building front wheels with dynamos. ;-)

[@Oblech1]

Why isn't there a part V? :(

[@sorenmeyer7347]

I saw you did not use spoke prep. Is it absolutely mandatory or optional?

[@CodSlap]

Depends on the materials and how they react in contact with each other and over time. Absolutely mandatory with alu nipples if you ever want them to turn again after the build, but a bit less of a problem with brass nipples. I’d still recommend anti-seize spoke prep for anyone building their wheels: you only need a crazy small amount in the spoke _threads_. Take 5 or 6 spokes in your grip at the same time, brush on some anti-seize into the threads and finally run each spoke through through a rag/paper towel that you pinch relatively tightly. The miniscule amount of anti-seize that remains in the spoke threads is really all you need. You’ll thank yourself down the line when you come back to true the wheel a few years later. :)

[@god-hm8es]

oh 27 minute whos gonna watch this after while oh it finished nice tutorial ollie

[@ftspaulmitchel]

So is it still more cost effective to build my own wheel if I have none of those tools?

[@frankducett9]

My first wheel was in 1976, I build them good but very slow.

[@jacksonlewis2190]

What size spokes did he use

[@markgunn6680]

What happened to Part 5? :)

[@stealfwayne]

HI, So how long did it take you to build? editing makes it look like an hour

[@gcntech]

The more experienced you are the faster you could do it. Experienced wheel builders can probably do it in half an hour but we'd suggest not rushing it the first few times and taking your time.

[@GrapeCollie]

GCN Tech that didn’t really answer the question...

[@GrapeCollie]

@Aura i sure am

[@onedsoon]

I've done half a dozen and did a new one last week sat down at 10pm finished bang on midnight, it was a relatively straightforward build with no issues, Ali Clarkson's guide is a bit simpler to follow, and some of it is down to the difference between acceptable and perfect? I pretty much go for perfect or until I can't see any perceptible untrue or unround distortion, I recognise this is way beyond acceptable tolerances but that's not why I build it in the first place.

[@gnarrr6992]

where can I ask question here at GCN? Thank you in advance for the help :)

[@Freightlinerbob]

Was there ever a part 5 to this series? Unable to find it on KZbin

[@rondvivre3636]

The diagram first shown @11:00 depicts 17 holes in the hub flange.

[@konrad3212]

I have a cyclocross bike with old rim brakes, Shimano 105 derailleurs and unfortunately, a flat bar. What’s the cheapest way to buy drop bar shifters which are matching to the 105. For example, can I use the Campagnolo Veloce? #AskGCNTech

[@lawrencesingleton2153]

You need Shimano shifters of the same speed (just not Tiagra 4700). Campag won't work!

[@hughoxford8735]

I could build my own bike wheel. And I could make my own cutlery. Or my own trousers.

[@Pratalax]

reasonable pricing but you got a truing stand?! jeebus christmas!

[@CodSlap]

Pratalax Not so far-fetched, actually. I followed similar guidelines as Ollie when I built my wheels, and also accumulated all the necessary tools over a year or two... as well as a truing stand. Park also has a much more budget-friendly option - the price of the one shown in this video is indeed kidney-worthy. :D

[@oheso]

You can do it with a budget truing stand (Park Tool has one for home mechanics). You can do without the dishing tool by turning the wheel around again and again in the truing stand (i.e., swapping drive side and non-drive side). The spoke tension tool is useful and not expensive. On a real budget (as others have noted), you can true it in the bike frame with a couple of zip ties.

[@jimsmith9419]

oheso I was going to say exactly the same. I have built a decent pair of wheels with just the budget Park truing stand and the cheap tension meter.

[@emiamarcusantonion.6304]

h plus son wheels is famous especially for fixed gear wheelsets

[@bashbarnard]

There a part 5 for this. Cant find it anywhere

[@Horstelin]

please put a roll of tape under the wheel before distressing it, the way you are doing it you are loading the bearings in a way they shouldn't be loaded!

[@bertlamon2142]

Where can we find episode 5?

[@mrsmith4662]

Thank you Ollie, I wondered what had become of the single speed project! I wish I'd seen this before lacing my new rim. I thought I'd done a good job (the wheel was true & the spokes seemed fine), but it wasn't long on a ride before a spoke broke (drive side of course!). It's still in the garage waiting for a replacement (where can you find the time!?). Looking forward to the next vid.

[@craigroberts2472]

Seems like some eye protection while distressing would be in order.