First trail wheelset advice

[ozzybmx]

I know, it's just a confidence thing.

Truing of wheels is easy, the simple act of tightening or loosen a spoke to pull the rim to the desired position.

Look at it like a boat in a canal, a rope going to each bank, holding it in the middle of the canal, if you need to move it closer to one side, give a bit of slack on one side and take that slack up with the other. There is no magic to it.

There is a little bit of tension difference on NDS vs DS but that wont matter much with a few half turn adjustments to true a wheel.

 

[HamboCairns]

Truing of wheels is easy, the simple act of tightening or loosen a spoke to pull the rim to the desired position.

Look at it like a boat in a canal, a rope going to each bank, holding it in the middle of the canal, if you need to move it closer to one side, give a bit of slack on one side and take that slack up with the other. There is no magic to it.

There is a little bit of tension difference on NDS vs DS but that wont matter much with a few half turn adjustments to true a wheel.

Good to know, I guess if I truly bugger it up there's always an LBS on hand!

 

[PJO]

Truing of wheels is easy, the simple act of tightening or loosen a spoke to pull the rim to the desired position.

Look at it like a boat in a canal, a rope going to each bank, holding it in the middle of the canal, if you need to move it closer to one side, give a bit of slack on one side and take that slack up with the other. There is no magic to it.

There is a little bit of tension difference on NDS vs DS but that wont matter much with a few half turn adjustments to true a wheel.

Also stick a little bit of tape near the end you are turning so you can see when the nipple actually turns on the thread rather than just the spoke twisting.
EDIT: should say on the spoke near the end you are turning.

 

[moorey]

I hate building wheels... its a chore to build my own but I do it so I know exactly how they were built, tensioned and any things that were not 100% pleasing eg... spokes could have been 1-2mm longer (3-4mm and I would order new ones)

I'll box up my wheel building gear and send it to you... every MTBer should know how to build his own wheels

I build a few….and enjoy it as long as I’m not in a rush. I’d hate to do it as a job and I’d never do for others.
‘Gear’? You mean a zip tie taped to frame or fork? Never owned a truing stand or a tension meter….and never had an issue with a wheel I’ve built in all my years…..but probably should make a placeholder post in the COTFW thread in readiness.

 

[moorey]

I truly bugger it up there's always an LBS on hand!

That’s a walk of shame you don’t want

 

[ozzybmx]

‘Gear’? You mean a zip tie taped to frame or fork? Never owned a truing stand or a tension meter….

I've got the lot... its a shit job, need to make it as painless as possible.

Truing stand
Tension metre
Nipple driver
Nipple wrench
Nipple tray
Nipple assembly tool (best buy ever)
Various spoke keys
Bladed spoke holder
Dishing tool

Probably my most hated job is swapping over like for like rims after 2 blokes I know have dinged the crap out of them.

 

[ozzybmx]

That’s a walk of shame you don’t want

G'day mate, could you take a look at my wheels, I listened to this Irish bloke on a bike forum and....

 

[Dales Cannon]

I've got the lot... its a shit job, need to make it as painless as possible.

Truing stand
Tension metre
Nipple driver
Nipple wrench
Nipple tray
Nipple assembly tool (best buy ever)
Various spoke keys
Bladed spoke holder
Dishing tool

Probably my most hated job is swapping over like for like rims after 2 blokes I know have dinged the crap out of them.

Some specific info about nipple wrenching please. Google has been very generous now I am overwhelmed.

 

[ozzybmx]

Some specific info about nipple wrenching please. Google has been very generous now I am overwhelmed.

Dont GooGle it at work.

Park Tool SW-15 3 Way Internal Nipple Wrench

Buy Park Tool SW-15 3 Way Internal Nipple Wrench Now at Pushys. Lowest Price, Secure Shopping and Fast Delivery from Australia's Best Online Bike Store

www.pushys.com.au

 

[moorey]

I've got the lot... its a shit job, need to make it as painless as possible.

Truing stand
Tension metre
Nipple driver
Nipple wrench
Nipple tray
Nipple assembly tool (best buy ever)
Various spoke keys
Bladed spoke holder
Dishing tool

Probably my most hated job is swapping over like for like rims after 2 blokes I know have dinged the crap out of them.

You Irish are a weird lot…and can say that being Irish.

 

[Knuckles]

I've got the lot... its a shit job, need to make it as painless as possible.

Truing stand/old fork
Tension metre/smart phone guitar tuner
Nipple driver-yes, for building, or youll go fucking insane, although I have seen a bloke bulid with a filed screwdriver tip in a drill
Nipple wrench-definatley
Nipple tray-whaaaa?
Nipple assembly tool (best buy ever)/cotton tip, with the cotton bud pulled off one end
Various spoke keys-the only requirement
Bladed spoke holder/pliers, vicegrips, bbq tongs
Dishing tool/couple of old wooden coathanger, a ziptie and some screws.

Probably my most hated job is swapping over like for like rims after 2 blokes I know have dinged the crap out of them.

There is a tonne of hacks for building tools, investment just depends on how often ewe'll do it.

 

[ozzybmx]

There is a tonne of hacks for building tools, investment just depends on how often ewe'll do it.

When I started mine were all home made, just bought the bits over several years.

 

[Knuckles]

When I started mine were all home made, just bought the bits over several years.

I bought a Park spoke tension metre, only because it was stupidly cheap, I mean I'll grab 7 dozen, cheap.

The tone metre worked fine, and I don't think I've used the tension metre more than once. As long as the tension is even, and it's not floppy or rim crackingly tight, I really don't think it's super critical for a mong builder, who is going to be riding the wheels themselves...like a mong.

I googled the nip tray, pretty ingenious, I usually just line them up manually on a bit of grey tape.

#freebritney

 

[johnny]

Agreed. Just get dt swiss double butted comp spokes and brass nipples. Done

Edited due to auto correct preferring double butter to anything that’s been double butted

Forgive my ignorance, I've never organised for a wheel build before.

So the spoke calculator says for the Hope hubs and DT rims, I need these spokes for the front wheel:

Left spoke length: 290.6
Right spoke length: 291.4

But the DT Champ spokes come at lengths of 290 & 292

DT Competition spokes silver

✔ DT Competition spoke One of the most versatile spokes in the DT Swiss range. The… ➤ online shop

www.hibike.com

I assume that the 290 & 292 lengths are the right ones for me. Is that right?

 

[johnny]

Can't find a spoke calculator that has EX511 29 either. This is getting frustrating, everything in life should be simple and set up ready for my specific level of (mis)understanding.

 

[yuley95]

Forgive my ignorance, I've never organised for a wheel build before.

So the spoke calculator says for the Hope hubs and DT rims, I need these spokes for the front wheel:

Left spoke length: 290.6
Right spoke length: 291.4

But the DT Champ spokes come at lengths of 290 & 292

View attachment 377364

DT Competition spokes silver

✔ DT Competition spoke One of the most versatile spokes in the DT Swiss range. The… ➤ online shop

www.hibike.com

I assume that the 290 & 292 lengths are the right ones for me. Is that right?

Yeah, I think that would be safe. Some people say to always round up but I think going up from 290.6 to 292 is pushing it. I’ve come very close to running out of thread by rounding up before.
Short answer - yes, go 290 and 292

EDIT: looks like you have linked to spokes that are 1.8 - 1.6mm thick @johnny . I would go 2mm - 1.8mm with appropriate nipples (2mm). You often get nipples and washers with dt rims. They are ok but they are alloy. You are better off buying some brass nipples while you are getting spokes. people will have opinions on this but I’ve build a number of wheels with dt pro lock brass nipples 14mm long and they’ve been great. Hope that helps

 

[ozzybmx]

View attachment 377364

STOP @johnny !!!!

The spokes you should get are the DT Competition 2.0-1.8 which will give you a 2mm nipple thread butted to 1.8mm in the middle.

EDIT: @yuley95 picked it up while I was typing, opening beer ect..

 

[johnny]

Thanks, haven’t purchased anything yet as I can’t determine which length I need for the rear wheel.

 

[ozzybmx]

FWIW I just bought the same size spokes for Nextie carbon rims and DT240's, 290mm black all around.

Bought them from Bike24 at 64 euro cents each as they had the black brass nipples I needed. I got 60 x 12mm and 60 x 14mm.

Spokes - https://www.bike24.com/p215712.html
Nipples - https://www.bike24.com/p215728.html

 

[yuley95]

Thanks, haven’t purchased anything yet as I can’t determine which length I need for the rear wheel.

All that matters for the rim is the erd. Looks like ex511 29” is 601erd

https://www.dtswiss.com/en/components/rims-mtb/enduro/ex-511