The Unseen Component That Will Make or Break Your Ride

Wheels look simple but are astonishingly complex, and as the basis for your mountain bike, they are an incredibly important component.
We join our Service Manager and one of our top wheel builders, Nick P, to see what goes into building a wheel from start to finish, and then Dan walks us through what Fanatik does to make sure that our hand-built, custom wheelsets will last you for years and years of fun on two wheels.
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Who is Fanatik? Watch this: • Who Is: Fanatik Bike Co.
From our humble beginnings in a car garage, Fanatik is now an award-winning brick-and-mortar bike shop in Bellingham, WA, with a world-renowned online presence. We are dedicated to providing the best products and service for you and your bike, and educating you along the way.
Custom Is Our Specialty
We believe everyone should be able to ride the bike of their dreams and we love helping customers piece together their dream bike. Our online Custom Bike Builder makes it easier than ever to piece your new bike together, step-by-step. We only sell parts from the best brands out there, and keep a cultivated selection of brands and components so you know that you’re getting the best in mountain biking.
#mtb #wheelbuilding #custom #dreambuild

[@JankyEric]

Hey I recognize those wheels. Thanks for the build Nick! My only question.... Dan, what is your muffin recipe?

[@FanatikBikeCo]

That's them! And yea, the muffins are goood. www.eatingwell.com/recipe/251882/blueberry-coconut-macadamia-muffins/ - Dan at Fanatik

[@thiagodeconto]

Great content! Easy to notice when someone is doing something with passion. Congrats!

[@GokkunGuru]

Thanks for the wheelset! Have been enjoying them for the past 6 months. Zero issues and knowing how well built they are, I don’t hold back on my jumps and shiz.

[@playgroundchooser]

Nearly every single thing in this video was brand new to me. 🤯 I had no idea wheels were so complex.

[@FanatikBikeCo]

They're pretty dang cool. Glad you enjoyed it! - Dan at Fanatik

[@StreamBikesNL]

This was so informative and clear. Wonderful simple yet effective presentation of obvious experience and know-how. I'd love to collaborate and have subscribed as I want to learn more. I am a wheel salesman and still learning. Keep the content coming and would love to visit your workshop.

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Glad you found it helpful! We'll do our best! - Dan at Fanatik

[@greengonzonz]

Just when I thought I knew a thing or two about building wheels... you all clearly take it to another level. Great vid 👍

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Glad to hear you learned a thing or two! Thanks for watching. - Dan at Fanatik

[@conorlmurphy]

Great video guys, really good explanation of why handbuilt wheels are so worth the tiny investment over machine built for a longer life and more riding!

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Cheers! Thanks for watching! - Dan at Fanatik

[@gregknipe8772]

about to lace up a set of wheels, for my buddy in town to tension and dish. good to see more info outside of my local skills puddle. thanks to the algorithm hit, and glad to subscribe.

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Cheers, glad to have you! - Dan at Fanatik

[@beforedawn]

Yaassss to brass! I really love how well you break things down to make people better informed. about the forces and mechanics and intent behind a specific build or component. *thanks*

[@FanatikBikeCo]

So glad to hear it, thanks for taking the time to write in! All the best - Dan at Fanatik

[@Jacob99174]

Nice wheels That guy’s neck tattoo is fire 🔥

[@slavnyan1152]

Aaaaand another rabbit hole I need to get into. I'm planning to build new rear wheel for my hardtail and I just learned that you can make two different cross patterns on a single wheel. ugh, it's getting more and more complicated. Tho at least you helped me with choosing double butted spokes instead of plain ones. Thanks

[@Wheelsondirt_426]

I have a full season on my ex511/Hope Pro4 wheelset that you guys built. Zero issues!

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Glad to hear! You picked some pretty bomb proof components.

[@evowario]

Keeping it real with the Ben Davis pull over shirt 🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾

[@TurnOntheBrightLights.]

Wasn't expecting to hear Say! Nice 👍👍

[@jffydavy5509]

Great video explanation! Wheel building is as much an art as it is a science. Quality parts give a foundation for a quality wheel, but without proper assembly there will be no guarantee of success.

[@tommyr95]

Awesome! Can't wait to get my We Are One/Onyx wheelset from y'all!

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Solid choice!

[@keithburt7874]

I sadly did not build a pair of wheels quite as evenly one side & then the other for a customer who serviced Italian Woodworking machines, but he gave me a book that settled me down quite well and I was better from them on. His home company was near San Pellegrino water works and they have been in Cycling, well "sempre"

[@mtbalpinecounty]

I get the 2x on drive side..never done that! That's the side with higher tension. Jeeze, been doing it since 1989. Old biker Kan learn Nu Trix!💪😉🦂

[@jackeluk]

Just subscribed. Very informative but am wondering would you spoke a wheel diffently if you was going more for speed than strength?

[@oot-n-aboot]

You guys rock! Your content is fantastic, and I can't wait for y'all to build me a WAO set.

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Holler when you're ready, we'll get it going! Thanks for the praise! - Dan at Fanatik

[@believe8263]

Fanatik does an amazing job building wheels.

[@marcosfunky]

i just searching web for bikepack for my new orbea mx... and i find You guys.. are You builders of Batmobiles or spacecrafts? Seriously its a real thing, if i ever gonna get custom bike i feel You are mad scientists that i looked for

[@tyronearnold6692]

Been building my own wheels since 1990. I wish I had a tensiometer. Wish spokes were all flat or painted on one side so I could detect wind up when adding the highest tensions.

[@Horstelin]

There are copys of the DT swiss tensiometer on aliexpress for 50 bucks.

[@paullinnitt5450]

Great video. I have replaced a few rims and built one set of wheels in my time. It is such a satisfying thing to do. What are your thoughts on using the note from a plucked spoke to determine the tension? Or at least the consistency of tension (fir us amateurs).

[@FanatikBikeCo]

I've only ever experimented with that for fun, not as the final say in tension. I think it can work, and I imagine if you had a better ear for sound than I do even more so (I have the musical talents of a doorknob), but a tensiometer would be my personal preference. The DT-Swiss tensiometers we use at work are very accurate and very expensive, but Park Tool makes a cheaper one that will at least ensure consistent tension across the wheel. It's called the TM-1, and it's less than $100. - Dan at Fanatik

[@madmango6705]

Great job on these wheels superhans

[@kentvonseverin1257]

Sound on this clip is outstanding!

[@jameskesler1930]

Excellent explanation!

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Thank you! - Dan at Fanatik

[@trailpimp6369]

Holy shit Nick? I know that guy! 🤘🤘

[@brackishcycles]

Need more videos of those luscious locks! Nick builds some damn good wheels, I seent it with my own eyes

[@jeffmastin]

Nice job. I like how you are polished. No ‘Um’s or ‘like’s, just a clean delivery. Right about the aluminum nipples. Live in a humid area and went to true my wheel one day after too long. Impossible dialectic corrosion and few would turn. Had to cut them away

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Drat, sorry to hear that. Sounds like a major pain in the butt. Thanks for the compliment! I try! Best regards - Dan at Fanatik

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

These guys are definitely going to build you a way better set of wheels than will come out of a box OEM from any brand. Handbuilt is highly underrated. Tensiometers are definitely a good tool. If everything is properly prepped on initial build and once you've got the feel, you don't need one. Can't say as I've ever had a problem with 3X anywhere, but you guys do you.

[@jd4000]

I totally agree that someone with the correct knowledge tools and experience can build a better assembled wheel, but there are some amazing wheels out there, Hope Fortus for example. Personally I've built roughly 50 pairs of wheels in my time, and ridden several sets of those my self, but the Hopes are very well built. Spank wheels have been good too, and companies like Santacruz wheels with a life time guarantee have to be well constructed too.

[@flyguy1637]

Tension meters are the only true way of properly building a wheel to proper spec’s. Using your personal hand feel is for amateurs.

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

@@flyguy1637 thanks for your opinion. My handbuilt wheels (done by feel with a properly prepped rim and spoke threads) generally don't need re-tensioning after initial build, and last through all the abuse that I throw at them. I tested my feel with a tensiometer after a build once and I was within 2-3% of what I was shooting for on 32 spokes. Call it amateur if you want, but sometimes true skill trumps tech.

[@flyguy1637]

@@SnootchieBootchies27 That’s great! I probably have not built as many wheels as you. Maybe with more practice I can get a better feel. Thanks.

[@jd4000]

@@flyguy1637 it is as important to de-stress the spokes (spoke wind up) as you progress the Tension and Truing of the wheel as it is to know the spokes tensions, remember, a spokes tension is only relevant to the spokes on the same side on most wheels (most wheels being offset at the flange) and spoke butting, thickness, nipple type, dragon dust, lube, nipple washers etc etc etc will all make a difference to how you tension a wheel, as will the model and calibration of the tension meter. Running a digital whizz-bang DT Swiss tension meter on DT spokes is not the same as using ut on a Sapim spoke for example. So experience and technique/process play the biggest part in all this. Top tip, buy a Speke chart, vernier caliper etc and tension meter, spoke wrenches, spoke drivers etc.......then buy a NOTE BOOK! Keep a record of measurements including rim, hub, spoke, final tensions, and any issues for example if final tension resulted in a spoken thread with excessive or too little in the nipple etc, then you can refer back over the years, modify and improve your builds. Sadly someone stole my good wheel building book and notebook at the last shop I worked at.

[@RichieD088]

Excellence ! 👍

[@titocholo]

Very informative thank you

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Our pleasure! Dan at Fanatik

[@Alexandros_Patsialidis]

Fanatik, ehhh I mean fantastic video 🤙🏼

[@Graeleaf]

Cool!

[@ThunderStruckMTB]

Good stuff! On an offset rim like the RF ARC 30, do you still go 3X/2X or do you go full 3X?

[@josephsielen9136]

It depends on the hub as well. On a Pro 4, we’d likely do 3x/3x on the front and 3x/2x on the rear.

[@andyeunson270]

Using a tensiometer will always be better than feel. Another thing you discover with a tensiometer is how much a mounted and inflated tire can reduce spoke tension. The reduction in tension with a light aluminum rim is remarkable.

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Great observation! Yea, like you said, even having the tire mounted will decrease tension. Because the parameters we tension the spokes to are for a wheel without a tire on it, we remove the tire for truing and re-tensioning. Cheers - Dan at Fanatik

[@ignaciosevil2157]

that would make a carbon rim better? or simpler? less affected by tire changes? wierd one

[@andyeunson270]

@@ignaciosevil2157 I rebuilt an ENVE M60 rim a few years back. 120 kgf and when I put a tubeless ready tire on the tension had decreased but I don’t recall by how much. With a Stan’s Arch the tension went from 90 to around 70 if I recall correctly.

[@FanatikBikeCo]

@@ignaciosevil2157 It happens to all rims, I don't know about specific differences between models of carbon rim or a specific alloy rim / carbon rim. - Dan at Fanatik

[@larryhughes5575]

What grease do you use?

[@graysquirreltreeservice7299]

Professional 😁👍👍build stuff the correct way people have no clue

[@DerrickWerner]

Researching building wheels all day and night yesterday then this pops up!

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Destiny!

[@DerrickWerner]

@@FanatikBikeCo do you guys do 26” wheels? I’m looking for some single speed i9 wheels and don’t see them on your site.

[@mrjamieholloway]

Hello :) I recently purchased a set of Arc MT006 hubs, 100/135 QR. I'm currently preparing for a wheel and need to figure out the correct spoke lengths. I'm using the WTB KOM light i25 rims with an ERD of 604mm. (Rim weight: 455g) I've been told that you should add about 3mm to the rim ERD to account for the spoke nipples, which =707. Is that a correct practice? How much should I add to the rim to account for the nipple? The technical diagram available for the Arc MT006 is a bit confusing, and I can't seem to figure out what the correct flange circle diameter is. The measurements I input where. Front hub: 32H, lacing 3x, weight:160g Width 100mm. PCD: 58/45, Nut to Flange: 28.1/ 13.7, Nut to center: 21/36.3. Rear hub: 32H, lacing 3x, weight 240g, width 135mm, PCD: 58/44, nut to Flange: 31.57/48.15, Flange to centre: 36/20. The hub uses 14G spokes. Recommended nipple length is 12mm? When using the DT Swiss calculator the total recommended spoke lengths come out at, Front (L/R): 293mm/294mm. Rear (L/R): 294mm/295mm. Could you possibly tell me if I have gone about the calculation correctly?

[@gogovitch66]

Very nice Intro 👏🏽🙌🏽👌🏽

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Nick (mechanic) and Doug (filmer/editor) know what they're doing! - Dan at Fanatik

[@bartmullin8018]

Small world (!); Nick the Stick, 'zup dude? Good to see you even if it's from a smartphone's screen. (Bart from Reno).

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Ha ha "Nick the Stick". I think that nickname might stick around the shop!

[@AZHighlandHomestead]

Love building wheels for @Ride Alongside

[@adamthrift7048]

Can't wait to order my rear wheel through you guys, do you ship to Australia ?

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Depends on the items. Lots of brands we have vendor restrictions that only allow us to ship in the US. Reach out to our sales team at [e-mail] with what you are after and they can help you out.

[@bikernaut1]

Good job ❤

[@pcrossing96]

Do you guys use lock tight on the spoke threads? Been wheel building for quite a few years and I learnt something new from this video so Thankyou!

[@FanatikBikeCo]

We use linseed oil, which at first allows the spoke to thread into the nipple easily but then becomes tacky when it dries so it doesn't unthread itself. - Dan P.

[@makantahi3731]

06:10 spoke that you touch with your finger should be from inner side because it is power spoke that is loaded on pedal force too, and it is less bent if is from inside and is secured from chain cut

[@Chromedome-ss6mg]

Got my flow rims and blue i9 hubs, so happy

[@FanatikBikeCo]

solid set up! Enjoy!

[@iansiah4207]

Do you do Wheelbuilding clip

[@SteveHofsaess]

Great video,, can you share the recipe for the home made muffin

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Yes! www.eatingwell.com/recipe/251882/blueberry-coconut-macadamia-muffins/ One of my favorites. Cheers, - Dan P

[@chasemanley848]

Can you explain how the 2x lacing pattern on the drive side makes it stronger than 3x?

[@FanatikBikeCo]

I made this little document with a few images to help visualize it: docs.google.com/document/d/1z_-vQmNapwKgOgJjgFTws3w7229TYQI97qzfOOH3pqs/edit?usp=sharing Cheers - Dan at Fanatik

[@brentyancich]

2000 wheels thats impressive. Certainly seems like an art to me.

[@FanatikBikeCo]

We've got some all star mechanics who can crank these things out! Proud of the wheels we are able to build every year!

[@redball4093]

Good video

[@debrascheer4577]

I love the baked good comment it's so true they're both good but when you do it yourself so much better

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Amen :) - Dan at Fanatik

[@martinpetricek239]

Are infustry nine anodize spokes compatible with different manufacture rims?

[@FanatikBikeCo]

You can only get the i9 spokes with the system hubs. At this time they can only be laced to i9 rims

[@OYeahan]

You mention the problem with the fact that "standard* MTBs require dished wheels. What do you think about asymmetric rims? And do you think the industry could some day move to assymetric frame and fork construction instead, as it probably should for stiffness from the engineering standpoint?

[@FanatikBikeCo]

We do not use a 2x 3x lacing pattern on wheels that don't need it (e.g. asymmetric rims that offset the difference, certain hubs that have different size flanges). As far as asymmetric forks and frames, I can't imagine the coordination it'd take to re-work everything that'd be needed to accomplish that industry-wide, and I don't think the problem is big enough to merit it. - Dan at Fanatik

[@KinGTeraTino]

Yo is that Lauren Hill in the background?? Ima say it is. Lauren Hill plus a bike channel I’m subbed.

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Hahaha it is, Doug has great taste in music. Cheers - Dan at Fanatik

[@danielsotelo3942]

I thought I was going to see some new wheel technology, like a wheel balance system... But no cigar.

[@stevenjam7119]

The lyrics to this song are absolutely amazing

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Here's the original: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmSZYn-tm5mraqc Cheers, Dan at Fanatik

[@stevenjam7119]

@@FanatikBikeCo ❤️❤️

[@rudiger86]

Sign me up, just wish it was cheaper to get to Australia

[@jeffreywong5112]

That analogy makes me hungry

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Time to bake some muffins!

[@jamesmorwood6373]

But can you run the weareone logos on bontrager rims…🤫

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Sure! - Dan at Fanatik

[@NamNaz]

Thank you for Lauryn Hill

[@Perception_]

Personally I want the rim to be plain because there's too much fight for attention with big bold logos on both tires and rims, especially when they are so close to eachother. The perfect option would be zero logos, but... that's never gonna happen sadly. Btw, even though it is a good thing that you can order custom wheels, I personally want to learn how to do it myself instead. Ordering custom things from abroad always get extra expensive and then some.

[@FanatikBikeCo]

You can definitely learn! Just make sure you've measured your spokes correctly before you order them, and give yourself a couple of evenings to give it a go! - Dan at Fanatik

[@mtbboy1993]

Dt Swiss use stickers, so you can swap them, remove them. But some brands have laser I craved logos, but some out sticker son top. I recently swa black reflective stickers so for you that would get double function, no brand logo and reflective. The product I saw was Folius black light from Spider suspension.

[@mtbboy1993]

3M Reflective black tape might be for you.

[@angruwasp8782]

But I only have 5 carbon spokes.

[@tjeers3098]

2 cross 3 cross 1st time I hear this. You say it’s stronger, how do you know?

[@FanatikBikeCo]

I do not know unequivocally, it's based on wheel building theory that one of our former head mechanics brought with him, and it is not always appropriate (depending on the size difference of the hub flanges and whether the rim is offset and to what degree). Here is a slightly more detailed explanation, if you're curious. The idea is basically to balance how the wheel's strengths in regards to different forces: lateral forces on the dished side by using 2x, and radial on the non-dished side by using 3x. docs.google.com/document/d/1z_-vQmNapwKgOgJjgFTws3w7229TYQI97qzfOOH3pqs/edit?usp=sharing Cheers - Dan at Fanatik

[@alexandrucovaliov8989]

I must divorce to get a pair of wheels with colored spokes :D

[@flyguy1637]

Hi Guys putting a company decal on your rim does not allow you to laterally true your wheel down the road to under 0.20mm.. otherwise a fabulous video

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Sorry, I don't follow. What's up? Glad you (aside from that) enjoyed it though! - Dan at Fanatik

[@flyguy1637]

@@FanatikBikeCo The decal interferes with your lateral trueing when you eventually have to re true the wheel down the road and has to be taken off our cut. Also your suggestion of double cross on the drive side is wrong. You want to triple cross because the triple or 4 cross is stronger for lateral stability and a higher tension will keep the rim truer under lateral loads. The Barnett’s Bike Institute recommend this and is proven by math! Just saying!!

[@googlelimp9834]

what about roadbike wheels?

[@FanatikBikeCo]

We don't build many road bike wheels, but the process is the same. Cheers - Dan at Fanatik

[@johnmorrison8351]

The wheel you’re demonstrating with could do with longer spokes all round 😬

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Huh. Why do you say that? - Dan at Fanatik

[@johnmorrison8351]

On the closeups like at 4:41 there are about 2mm of threads showing. Other than that, I agree with everything said in the video. I’ve been building wheels for almost twenty years and it remains the most satisfying part of the bike trade for me. Cheers. Ps. Sorry for being pedantic

[@FanatikBikeCo]

@@johnmorrison8351 No, not at all! That's very observant and a very good question, I just didn't know what you were referring to. The wheel I'm handling in the majority of the video (red hope hub, Stan's rim) is not tensioned, which I opted for to sort of illustrate the "middle" of the process (after lacing, before tensioning). I didn't end up using the "prop" quite in that way, but it was what I had available so I ran with it. That's the wheel in that close-up, it just hasn't been brought up to tension at all. It is indeed one of the most meditative parts of building a bike. Cheers! - Dan at Fanatik

[@aznsushi41]

if kylo ren never joined the dark side

[@jeremyreid9582]

I notice that the mechanic has a special place to store his bicycle rims … in his earlobes !!

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Makes it easier to carry the rims from the warehouse to his bench

[@lilblaster22]

There's no way that wheel builder likes Dan...

[@dash0173]

lol what why

[@lilblaster22]

@@dash0173 a lot of work to build a wheel set just to have them brought back fully taco'ed...

[@Milokicks]

WeAreOne is the best. That’s it that’s all.

[@LastAphelion]

One of Us, One of Us Become One With We Are One Together We Shred on Lit Dirt Sleds

[@wills4343]

Aluminum spoke nipples are much better than brass. I"ve been riding for 30 years and have only broken one. They will last the lifetime of the wheel.

[@simonfreer9076]

Hardly.

[@FanatikBikeCo]

What do you mean when you say "much better?" - Dan at Fanatik

[@heavymetalhead4]

he looks strung out

[@420xwaytoomanyx420]

No that’s just Bellingham and the elevated levels of toxic mercury in the air and especially the water all around there-I got the hair samples from locals to prove it! I’m moving to Bellingham ASAP to go ride bikes and help get everyone healthy. Facts #fuckvaccines

[@vanillabear1177]

the video has more cuts than taken 3...

[@stx333]

The best upgrade to your ears… DON’T do the tunnels.

[@oliverleibbrandt8067]

he looks like the distant cousin of pennywise

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Hahaha, indeed! - Dan at Fanatik

[@TheDarkInstall]

Mate, that vocal fry needs sorting.

[@FanatikBikeCo]

That is, unfortunately, just how my voice sounds after I've been talking for a while. I've been trying to be cognizant of it and hopefully improve it, but without much success. Cheers - Dan at Fanatik

[@treimar]

My local wheelbuilders suck!

[@irvsstella]

Whats wrong with the dudes ears man?

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Nick gauged his ear lobes, but doesn't have the plugs in. - Dan at Fanatik

[@simonfreer9076]

You have a thing against aluminum nipples, and that I get. They certainly are not ideal for longevity. But aluminum spokes you are ok with? Serious question, I've never been a fan of industry 9 because I do not see aluminum, with the fatigue strength it has, being better than steel. I know the stresses spokes see, and I don't see aluminum being superior to steel..........

[@FanatikBikeCo]

I have two sets of Industry Nine System wheels, one on my downhill bike, the rear wheel of which has had three rims over the course of it's seven year lifespan (same spokes), and this set (kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJvOmIehbrKXkMU) on my trail bike, which is two years old. Because the wrench flats are so much larger than a normal nipple, and not hollow, they don't round. Those wheels have some ride quality traits that I like, they of course look really cool, and they have shown to last a long time (speaking of the DH wheelset, which has seen more than its fair share of abuse in its long lifespan), but generally speaking, I would get a regular, steel spoked wheel. They are so much less expensive, and have very similar performance. - Dan at Fanatik

[@simonfreer9076]

@@FanatikBikeCo How are the nipples not hollow?? Pardon my ignorance.

[@Alexandros_Patsialidis]

Fanatik, ehhh I mean fantastic video 🤙🏼