Custom Wheel Building...?

[FunkyStickman]

Since I've been stuck at home for the last month, I've been thinking about spending more time doing things I love. One of the things I enjoy is building wheels for my bikes, which always seem to need some configuration that you can't buy (or I'm too cheap to buy). I've been tossing around the idea of offering my wheelbuilding services to the RRB community, though the idea is still young in my mind.

Who else does custom wheel work around here? Anybody else who isn't too picky about what vintage or combination of parts they use? Just curious.

Here's a sample of my wheels, just to give you an idea of what I do:

radial laced 36-hole 26" MTB rim and a vintage BMX hub

Crow's Foot laced (2/3 crossed and 1/3 radial) 24" MTB rim, 36 holes, and a Sturmey 8-speed drum hub:

regular 3-cross 26" MTB rim and a Sanyo dynohub: (this is the front wheel on my commuter, still true after being hit by a car)

And a handful of 700C, 20" and assorted boring wheels, nothing else crazy yet.

 

[twenty_two]

I'm not a builder but I'm curious about pricing, any ideas on how much per wheel?

 

[bicycleguy]

I've built a pile of wheels but after I lace a few sets in a day the end of my fingers get so blistered a raw from grabbing spokes and twisting nipples that I don't even want to see another wheel. I think if you could keep your prices competitive with bike shops you wouldn't have any problem getting support from the forum, the only problem I see is the cost of shipping wheels back and fourth. Here are a few ideas for you.

70's Hawthore coaster, to a Araya 7x with 11ga. spokes.

Sturmey 3 to a 16" alloy rim.

Snowflaked 27"

 

[c.p.odom]

Keep at it mate!
I have built thousands of wheels, really at least two thousand plus.
Fortunately for those offering this service it is quickly disappearing from the shops, cheap low end ready built or pre-built high end wheels have replaced the custom build.

 

[Slick Rick]

You guys make me feel like a rookie! I dabble in wheel building myself, out of necessity, most of my builds have been 100 mm wheels. The bike shops around here either wont build them or want a grip o money to do so. So a friend of mine fabbed a truing stand for me and voila! we are in biz!

Seems to be working out well!

 

[sensor]

dont know if it counts but.....
a scratch made 20" x 2 1/4" wheel i did for my sons custom build(there are 2 now and both have paint but no pics so i guess it really didnt happen )

and for those who are observant....i know the valve stem is in the wrong spot(it was just in mock up at that time)

 

[FunkyStickman]

I'm not a builder but I'm curious about pricing, any ideas on how much per wheel?

Guys like Peter White charge $35 to $45 to build one, depending on how difficult it is. I'd imagine cost of parts and shipping, plus $20 for labor would be reasonable. I haven't built a snowflake wheel yet, but I want to build more patterns, like some of these:

3-trail, 3-leading:

half and half, one side all trailing, the other leading

How about 2-cross crow's foot?