I'm not sure I ever read Sloan. We might have sold it though, missed sales opportunity. I'm pretty sure I got my start building wheels by transferring new rims onto old wheels. I did that countless times. I'm not sure where the guys that taught me learned to build wheels, they were not bike mechanics before they started the shop, but they were pretty good. I don't remember the first wheel I built, I don't think it was for me.
Originally Posted by
noglider
What leads you to say this? The minimum investment is a spoke wrench.
I simply don't think a novice will build a good wheel with just a spoke wrench. I never could true a wheel on a bike, maybe that's just me. It's not likely to be dished and the tension will not be right. Otherwise, sure, you can build a bike wheel. I'm told you can check the tension with apps. I check relative tension by plucking spokes, but I always use a tension meter to check absolute tension.