WGB 

I have only ever cut up a wheel for the hub. To do that I simply cut off spokes at random. Now I have several wheels that are worn but I'd like to save the hubs and the spokes and move both across to new rims. I was planning to simply tape the old wheel to the new rim and swap parts directly across. That seemed simple until I was told that I must de-tension each spoke, relieving small amounts of tension from each spoke until they are fully loose before doing this or it can damage the spokes. I had always thought that you had to de-tension only if you are trying to save the rim.

Is it ok to simply take an individual spoke and loosen it fully, remove the nipple and transfer across to the new rim or do I have to loosen a few spokes a few turns, turn the wheel, loosen some more, until the spoke are all loose and then move them?

cxwrench

I've done this lots of times...I ALWAYS relieve tension over the whole wheel before moving spokes from one rim to the other.

zandoval 

Yeppp. Gotta loosen them all. BUT for me when I finally get around to changing the wheels the spokes are really worn too and unreliable. Its probably because I am a heavy guy. For the most part when my wheels are worn they are in fact totally worn out. Hubs too. Another thing is often they don't look worn until you look really close at the spoke head and flange.

Geepig

From my end of the bike market, with the tired cheap folders, de-tensioning is essential as you want to find which nipples have seized before you have a wobbly hub hanging from a half set of spokes...

I must admit I would be pleasantly surprised if you managed to transfer the spokes as described, even with a radial spoke layout and none of the usual laying the spokes over one or two and then tucking behind the next. Unless the spokes are loose enough to allow the hub to move you will probably find that the spokes furthest from the new rim are too short to reach all the way to the new rim.

I would go around the spokes, slackening each by a quarter turn to make sure all the nipples are free.
Go around again to take off all the tension.
Remove all the spokes that cross on the outside of other spokes down near the hub, and tape each set of spokes (those on one side and those on the other) on the axle line to keep them out of the way.
Now start transferring the spokes from one wheel to the other.
Chuck the old rim and start refitting the other spokes.

As a check I would tape one spoke of each set: the inner spokes one side, the inner spokes on the other, the outer spokes... If you tape a group of four, one from each set, that all lie in line and mark them 1 to 4, then when you begin to install the outer spokes you will know where they should go to start you off.

Experienced wheel builders might laugh at this, but it is knowing in which holes the spoke should go that can be the hardest and most confusing step to the beginner.

Good luck!

pdlamb

I've done the rim swap a couple times. IIRC I unscrewed every nipple 2-3 turns before starting to change them over. That gave me a bit of slack to make the swap easier. FWIW I replaced a couple of starting-to-round nipples each time, too.

Damage the spokes? Naw, they're tough. That skinny little bit of metal can handle 200 pounds of tension. The first one is like breaking a spoke -- replace one spoke, the wheel's good to go. The more spokes you loosen and swap over, the less tension is on the rest.

cyccommute 

While it is a good idea to layer on tension when building a wheel, it’s not necessary to take it off in layer when detensioning a wheel. A pdlamb points out, the spokes can handle a lot of force (closer to 300 lbs and more). Unscrewing one nipple entirely isn’t going to increase the force on the rest of the spokes significantly. After you’ve unscrewed even a few spokes, the tension on the others is significantly decreased. I wouldn’t take the nipples completely off when swapping wheels...they come in handy for holding the spokes in place so that you know which spokes go where.

A couple of asides: 1. It never hurts to lubricate the nipples before you start manipulating them. It just makes life easier. A drop of oil at the nipple junction is all you need.

2. If I’m going to cut spokes out, I always release tension on the spokes before I start cutting. I do that for two reasons. First, you are cutting a tiny bit of wire that has a whole lot of force on it. It can shoot out of the rim with considerable velocity. Second, all that force goes in the other direction as well. The spoke head slams into the hub flange. It may not crack the flange immediately... although it could... but it may cause cracks that can be an issue later.

davidad

I've only replaced a few rims using the tape one to the other before, but I did not detension the old wheel. It takes about 240kG to break a spoke.

cyccommute 

Frankly, I’m not sure how you would replace the spokes one-at-a-time with a fully tensioned wheel. That just seems like a whole lot of work. It takes a bit of work to detension the first few spokes and trying to do it without loosening them first just seems like too much effort. They are going to detension eventually but why work harder on the first few.

ClydeClydeson

It's really not that crucial - wheels with several broken spokes can still be ridden, so there is no reason you wouldn't remove spokes from a tensioned wheel. The real disadvantage is that as you remove spokes the remaining ones will be much tighter and possibly more difficult to loosen or turn the nipples.

cyccommute 

It’s never worked that way in my experience. I’ve replace many rims and never had a spoke get tighter as I swapped them. Even when releasing all the tension on a spoke by spoke basis, all the spokes become loose by less then a quarter of the way around. I usually can remove the remain spokes without a tool at that point.

WGB 

Thank you all. I have applied a dab of oil to each nipple. I'll leave overnight and I'll try tomorrow. The spokes look very good, though I see the point about the nipples and I have a bag of 100 so will probably just replace those. Rims are both tubular and I believe both are Mavic so hopefully same spoke length. Local man has a homemade tool to measure a rim and hub for spoke length so might bang on his door before I start.

I recently got a Hozan 330 stand for $150 Cdn so now I have to try to justify the purchase. By this time tomorrow I'll either be completely out of patience or I'll have a new wheel

Mad Honk 

Wes,
I keep waiting to see a build thread on the Peloton that spent all summer hanging in a warehouse. Smiles, MH

WGB 

Mad Honk

Hopefully, shortly, the beast shall rise.

I have that Campagnolo wheel set from Mattdiano sitting in Niagara Falls, NY. It's in exactly the same place that the frame set sat. My nephew should be coming home in 2nd week of May (with that wheel set) so my plan is to set up the frame shortly in anticipation of the wheels. This set IIRC are 36s. I do have an older 32 hole Nashbar rim set with Superbe hubs for back up, though I'd prefer 36s for strength even though my son is way smaller than me.The Nashbar set are pretty narrow and hoping they would work if needed. Naturally, things like cable housing are in short supply this year but I have an eye on some. I have a mint Brooks Pro already here, in a drawer and a Selle Anatomica X1 with a cut out en route so my son gets two very good options to choose from.

I cannot recall if there's a seat post in the parts box and if not I was going to ask if you knew the size. I have left the parts packed over winter so I wouldn't do the dreaded misplace thing thay can disrupt a build.

Since I have your attention, I'm guessing 26.8 or 27.2 if I need one?

For now I'm still riding my flat bar winter bike as streets are not yet swept and still salt covered so not yet time for the good bikes. Hopefully the summer season comes soon and we can really ride.

i just recalled, all my tubulars are 23-28s! Not sure they'll fit. I will have to check and if they're too wide and order something narrower.

Mad Honk 

Wes,
When I rode it, I had Vitoria Mondiale tires on it that were like 23mm wide. I am currently trying Rallys from Vitoria which is a bit wider but still a good road tire. I think I put a 27.2 seat post in the parts box, if not let me know. It was an SR if I'm not mistaken. The frame was a full Columbus frame so most things are regular sizes.
Now when you are ready to build those 40* wheels for your touring bike; I have a set of 40* Campy low flange hubs that are going to lighten yer wallet by quite a bit. Smiles, MH

WGB 

I've had quite an adventure with my plan to have 40 hole tubulars for a tourer.

First everyone said I was crazy to want tubulars. Then finding a 40 hole rim was a nightmare. I have a set of NOS Maillard 700 hubs (40 rear and 36 front). I finally found a 40 hole rim in Seattle but seller shipped wrong tubular and so a 48 hole rim arrived, and it was (I think?) a tubular indoor tandem track rim. Soo, I gave up and went with a 40 hole 27 inch rim. If I'm going Maillard and a freewheel might as well be 27... Now I'm trying to get a good 27 rim. LBCwanabe had a set of Helicomatic built 27 in wheels for sale and a spare 27 inch rim but I can't seem to reach him on here, hopefully he still has them.