How to Build a Bicycle Wheel From Scratch

Cycling is a lifetime sport that all ages can enjoy. There is nothing more satisfying than being able to build or work on your own bike. Sometimes there is an unfortunate incident in which one or both of your wheels get damaged or destroyed. One solution is to buy a new wheelset, however this can be quite an expensive venture as new wheelsets can range from $300-1000.00. There is an alternative. You can build your own wheels. Oftentimes, the parts to build the wheels are much less expensive than purchasing pre-built wheels, and with a bit of know-how, you can build your own bicycle wheels from scratch.

Things You'll Need

  • Spokes Rims Rimtape Spoke wrench Nipples Truing stand Hubs Tires Tubes Screwdriver
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Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase the materials. Consult a bike shop technician or online representative to make sure you are purchasing compatible components. Begin by stringing spokes through all of the holes along the rim of the hub body. The hub body is the middle part of the finished wheel that the axle goes through.

    • 2

      Slide each of the spokes through a corresponding hole in the wheel rim and thread a nipple down onto it. Use the screwdriver to apply even tension to all of the spokes from the top of the rim. Next, mount the wheel in the truing stand.

    • 3

      Spin the wheel and watch where the truing arm on the stand touches the side of the rim. Wherever the arm touches, the rim has a bend in it and needs to be pulled back to center.

    • 4

      Use the spoke wrench to loosen or tighten spokes in order to straighten out the rim and pull it to center. Once the rim is straight, wrap the rim tape around the entire rim so that the tops of the nipples are covered. This protects your inner tubes from being punctured by the sharp edges of spokes or nipples when you are riding.

    • 5

      Mount your tires by sliding first the inner tube and then the tire onto the rim. Use the pump to pump up the tire and you are done.