General: Wheel Build

first time building a wheel?
bring it to a shop/co-op and use their truing stand.
a frame really won't cut it.

Posted By: Otto Raxfor a wheel build, from scratch, you'd be nearly out of your mind to true it that way. ESPECIALLY for the initial truing from your FIRST wheel build, you have to get the dish to 0, true it laterally, and true it radially. build up the wheel, snug the spokes, than take it to a shop to get it perfected. trust me, you'll never get it right in your frame. this is your first wheel build, don't get overly ambitious. i'm not trying to knock you or your skills

nah its cool. I had a hunch it was gunna be too ridiculous to do myself. I just always try my hardest to do my own building. It's cheaper to have someone do it then buy a stand I guess anyway..
ah well

Wait, you're buying a rim, and spokes (and maybe a hub), but a $60 truing stand is too much? Dude, the spokes alone are going to be some $30. A decent rim doesn't cost less than $50. Don't risk that investment without a truing stand. Particularly if you plan on doing another one.

THAT SAID...

In a pinch, I once used a fork and put zip ties on it that rested on the rim to true a wheel. It worked OK, but was for a repair, not a build.

This is the kind of thing (that being a "bike" thing) that you want the right tools for. Without, you'll just ruin expensive parts, bust your knuckles, and waste time that you could be spending learning how to do it well.

Wheel building is fun. I'm about to build a 650c set for my Mantis, and I've built a half dozen or so other wheels. It takes patience, particularly when you discover that you made a mistake an hour ago that will take you a half hour to undo, just so you're back where you were an hour ago. But those become rarer.

To really understand it, I recommend The Bicycle Wheel by Jobst Brandt. It's probably more information than you need, but it really helps you understand what you're doing.

Also, I don't have one, but a tensionometer is clearly a good tool.

My next major tool purchase is going to be a truing stand. I really want to start building my own wheels for the sake of being able to properly repair them when needed. I'm a bit worried though, since I'm a bit of a clydesdale, and will probably destroy the first couple of wheels I build until I get the fat-formula down.

I have a Spin Doctor Truing Stand that was $50 when I got it. The other day, I saw it for $60. If you can, wait until it goes back down.