Originally Posted by
zandoval
Ha... Took me a day and a half just to change out spokes. If your slow that makes me??? Well I don't know what...
But really it has been worth it. I never really considered building my own wheels until recently as the prices have gone up so high. Normally I just get some machine built wheels then loosen them all up and true them down again. Recently I have had to re-lace two good condition Wheel Master wheels due to the spokes not holding up.
The OP looks like he is showing steel rim wheels and getting another used wheel set should not be a hard problem. I do think it is well worth the time and effort to learn how to properly tension and true your wheels. Taking your bike to a bike shop is just not economically feasible now days and often ya still end up doing some tuning yourself even after you have paid someone else to do it...
Do note that I feel for today's small bike shop owners and workers. I really don't see them lasting long. I suspect Dealerships will soon rule the roost...
It's easier to change out a rim than to replace spokes. I tape the rims together and move one spoke at a time, old hole, new hole. The lacing takes care of itself, no thinking required. And I have the specialized tools, which helps enormously. Interestingly, I find using CX-Ray spokes quicker because no wind-up - one holds the flat spoke with a special tool. Thus no futzing around stress relieving. I give the spokes a preliminary tighten and throw the wheel on the bike - don't need a truing stand, just use my rim brakes. Another good reason to use them. For a little while I had someone else do my wheel work - a Vietnam vet who'd opened a bike shop, I think as therapy. He only had a $25 build charge, so 30 minutes? I'd check his work with my tensiometer, always at least as good as I could do. He killed himself though, I hope not over any of my wheels. I miss him.