Who is building wheels?

[Uncle Stretch]

Ok after finally completing my first wheel laceing,using the Hugo method, the thought occurs to me. Who in the heck is building all these bicycle wheels? Maybe someone watched the episode of How This Is Made,and I missed it . Are there thousands of Chinese people, tucked away in rooms ,steadly building and trueing wheel sets. Or has tecknoledgy come so far that there is a machine that can stick one together and true it all in one event? Anybody know? :roll: :roll: Or is the work of the spoke fairy?

 

[Hooch]

didnt you get the memo?
it really doesnt take long
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSiERcl3svI

 

[aka_locojoe]

Or has tecknoledgy come so far that there is a machine that can stick one together and true it all in one event?

I believe you are close here.

 

[Boardtrack fan]

Most of your over the counter wheels are built with automated machines. I'm not sure how long they have been doing it this way but, I know when I worked at the bike shop back in the mid to late 80s most of the wheels we sold were machine built. If you get a wheel and the nipples are are all chewed up on the inside of the rim you can bet it was machine built.

 

[Uncle Stretch]

Man I would love to see the machine that can stick all that stuff together . I may have to do a search I really was kidding . I figured they were all done by hand.

 

[aka_locojoe]

A long time ago I believe on this site I posted a video of bicycles being made in a Chinese (I think) factory. Can't recall if it showed them building the wheels also or not.

 

[Markm]

it did. Some crazy machine did it all!!

 

[maddogrider]

I have to lace my own wheels. Times are hard and i had to fire my little china man. So i got this book called Bicycle Maintance & Repair by Todd Downs has a real good section on laceing wheels, my first try came out really well. just dont try to true it when your drinkin whiskey It makes it look straighter than what i really is. :mrgreen:

 

[Anonymous]

what really is the kicker is when you go down in rim size. then you get all the fun of finding the right size spokes. the rest is cake work.

 

[Rodland]

That is where I have problems, finding spoke length When changing hubs. I wish I had a way to calculate this in a simple manner.

 

[jtdaddy]

What if you want to change the thickness or width of the rim? Do you have to have new spoke sizes?

 

[socal_jack]

Holland Machines(Chinese Co.)

Pics of them

http://www.statruwheels.com/equipment.php

 

[musclebikes]

Everybody knows the bicycle companys hire cavemen to build thier wheels. :mrgreen:

 

[cashman]

The frustrating thing for me is finding spokes. Most of the LBS around here only keep them for road or MTB bikes. Some of the web based bike part retailers don't even sell spokes. I can nearly buy a new complete bicycle at one of the massive retailers for the cost of a box of spokes and shipping. I mostly rob old wheels of their spokes if they will free up. I've heard that years ago, some of the bike manufacturers let plant workers build wheels at home at night. They were paid extra per piece for each wheel that passed inspection. Thanks!!!

 

[user 135]

That is where I have problems, finding spoke length When changing hubs. I wish I had a way to calculate this in a simple manner.

I used Spokecalc and it worked fairly well. But I also took the hub and rim down to the LBS. They had the right size spoke for a 2spd bendix -Crappy chrome rim. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html#length

Usually you can use the spokes over if you are switching similar rims or hubs. Try lacing and if too loose then start measuring. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: