Before you start: is it worth it?
Building a wheel by hand is a rewarding skill, but it takes patience, and the first one often takes several hours. It lets you pick the hub, rim and spokes for your needs. A good wheel build also needs some tools you may not have. If you only need a repair, a wobbly wheel can often be trued without a full rebuild. For a first build, consider practicing on an old wheel, or following a manufacturer’s instructions for your specific parts. This article is an overview, not a replacement for the hub, rim and spoke makers’ guidance.
Parts and tools
Parts:
- A rim and a hub with matching spoke counts, and suitable for your brake type and axle standard (see bike wheel axle types)
- Spokes and nipples, in the right length
- A rim strip or tubeless tape if needed
Tools:
- Spoke wrench that fits your nipples
- Truing stand (or a bike frame and some patience, for rough work)
- Dishing gauge
- Spoke length calculator (online) and a ruler or calipers for measurements
- A tension meter (strongly recommended)
- Light oil or spoke prep for the threads
Choose a lacing pattern and spoke length
Pick a lacing pattern that suits your hub and brakes. Our bike wheel lacing patterns guide covers the choices. Then work out spoke length. This depends on the rim’s effective rim diameter (ERD), the hub’s flange diameter and spacing, the number of spokes and the cross count. Use a spoke calculator with measured or manufacturer-supplied data. Spokes that are too long or too short can cause problems, so check the numbers twice. The bike hub diagram and parts page shows which hub dimensions you are measuring.
Lace the wheel
The details depend on the pattern and the hub, but the general sequence is:
- Put a little oil on the spoke threads (or follow the spoke maker’s advice).
- Place the first set of spokes through the hub flange holes, all pointing the same direction, and attach them to the rim holes at the correct spacing from the valve hole.
- Add the second set of spokes on the same flange, offsetting them by the right amount.
- Flip the hub over and repeat on the other flange.
- Add the crossing spokes, weaving them to produce the chosen cross pattern, and check that each spoke follows the pattern.
- Thread the nipples on loosely and make sure they all have the same number of visible threads.
Take your time, and check against a diagram for your chosen pattern.
Bring spokes to initial tension
Turn each nipple a small, equal amount until the spokes are snug, working around the wheel in a systematic order. The goal is even, low tension, so the wheel starts round and straight. If you have a tension meter, use it as the wheel gets tighter.
True the wheel (lateral and round)
Put the wheel in the truing stand. Check for lateral truth (side-to-side wobble) and radial truth (hops, or out-of-round). Adjust spokes by small amounts, tightening the spokes on one side and loosening the opposite side for lateral movement, and adjusting groups of spokes for round. Aim for small, patient changes of a quarter turn or less.
Dish the wheel
On a rear wheel, the rim should sit in the center of the frame, not the center of the hub flanges, because the cassette takes up space on one side. Use a dishing gauge to check that the rim is centered, and adjust spokes on each side evenly. Rear wheels end up with higher tension on the drive side than on the non-drive side as a result.
Final tension and stress relief
Bring the wheel up to the target tension step by step, rechecking trueness as you go. Do not exceed the maximum tension specified by the rim manufacturer. Rim limits vary, so look for the number on the rim or in the maker’s documentation. Then give the wheel some “stress relief” by gently squeezing pairs of spokes by hand, or following the method recommended in your build guide, to settle the spokes in. Recheck trueness and tension afterward, and compare the spokes on each side for even tension.
Check before riding
- Spokes should have even tension and the wheel should be true and centered.
- The nipples should be seated in the rim, and no spoke ends should poke into the rim bed (cover with rim tape).
- Check the hub for smooth, play-free rotation. See bike wheel bearing sizes if you need to replace bearings.
- Fit the tire and ride gently at first, then recheck truing after a few rides.
Common mistakes
- Wrong spoke length: the most common and costly problem.
- Uneven tension: can produce a wheel that loses trueness quickly or breaks spokes.
- Over-tensioning: can damage the rim or hub.
- Skipping the recheck: new wheels settle, so check trueness after the first rides.
- Working in too large steps: small changes are safer and easier to correct.
If you are not confident, a professional wheelbuilder can check your work. For background on the parts mentioned here, see the anatomy of a bike wheel.