"A hand-built wheel is always the best"

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2011-05-20 10:51 PM

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Subject: "A hand-built wheel is always the best"
That's what the guy at my LBS told me when I picked up my bike today after getting it tuned up. Is he just selling hand-built wheels or is there some sort of empirical/experiential evidence to support it? I know I could go research it myself, but I have plenty of popcorn to go around. Discuss.

2011-05-20 11:25 PM
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Subject: RE: "A hand-built wheel is always the best"
If it is by someone that actually knows what they are doing, then the answer is a big yes. Best wheels I ever had were Speed Dreams by Dave. And it wasn't the components, it was the build.
2011-05-20 11:38 PM
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Subject: RE: "A hand-built wheel is always the best"
Wheelbuilders, El Monte, Calif, check em out, you decide.
2011-05-21 6:23 AM
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Subject: RE: "A hand-built wheel is always the best"
Do you mean wheels built by the same person who fabricates the rim or someone who does a custom build up of the wheel components?
2011-05-21 7:03 AM
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Subject: RE: "A hand-built wheel is always the best"

What is a hand-built wheel?  One that the a person threads the spokes as opposed to a machine?  If the manufacturer has a jig that allows all spokes to be simultaneously tightened/tensioned, then there is no way a human can compete with this.  

Tuning the wheel is another story and I think a human wins out over a machine here as tunning a wheel is as much art as it is science.  They have electronic piano tuners but I doubt concert pianoists use them.

 

 

2011-05-21 10:12 PM
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Subject: RE: "A hand-built wheel is always the best"
JoePetto - 2011-05-21 6:23 AM

Do you mean wheels built by the same person who fabricates the rim or someone who does a custom build up of the wheel components?

The second one - he definitely used the term "re-laced" in reference to my rear wheel before he mentioned the bit about hand-built wheels and their superiority.


2011-05-22 5:07 AM
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2011-05-22 5:13 AM
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Subject: RE: "A hand-built wheel is always the best"
Bripod - 2011-05-21 11:12 PM
JoePetto - 2011-05-21 6:23 AMDo you mean wheels built by the same person who fabricates the rim or someone who does a custom build up of the wheel components?
The second one - he definitely used the term "re-laced" in reference to my rear wheel before he mentioned the bit about hand-built wheels and their superiority.
There is probably some truth in that statement, but many wheel sets are assembled by human hands and not machines. As with any skilled tradespeople, a wheel builder is as good as the time and attention the spend on their work. When I had my wheel built this week, I liked the fact that I could talk to someone about the build, the components and the finished product. It is a great learning experience have a wheel built up from it's parts because you are forced to examine all the structural elements of the wheel and you can build a wheel to match the needs of your riding style and physical stature. However, a lousy builder can build a lousy wheel which may worse than a mass produced one.
2011-05-22 1:16 PM
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Subject: RE: "A hand-built wheel is always the best"

"Always" is a really big word.

2011-05-22 1:35 PM
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Subject: RE: "A hand-built wheel is always the best"
I've got several wheels, many of which I built up myself. I can't say I'm an "experienced" wheel builder -- I've built up maybe 20 in my lifetime. But I can say that the ones I've built have lasted some 18 years, with barely needing an occasional tweak with a spoke wrench. The others haven't needed much more. Selecting the higher quality rims and spokes, and doing a careful build, makes much more difference. Even machine built wheels are given the final tensioning by experienced builders.
2011-05-22 2:55 PM
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Subject: RE: "A hand-built wheel is always the best"
Rogillio - 2011-05-21 7:03 AM

What is a hand-built wheel?  One that the a person threads the spokes as opposed to a machine?  If the manufacturer has a jig that allows all spokes to be simultaneously tightened/tensioned, then there is no way a human can compete with this.  

Tuning the wheel is another story and I think a human wins out over a machine here as tunning a wheel is as much art as it is science.  They have electronic piano tuners but I doubt concert pianoists use them.

 

 

That works if you have a perfect rim, a perfect hub, and a perfect set of spokes.  That doesn't happen very often.  Other big differences: Many of the mass produced machine-built wheels will use lower quality spokes than someone who is building their wheels by hand.  You can't really separate the actions of building a wheel and truing a wheel.  It's pretty much the same process.

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