Hours: Monday - Friday 10 to 5pm EST Questions? 470-253-0929 info@prowheelbuilder.com WHEEL BUILD HELP

Why Chose PWB

Below is what every wheel build goes through at ProWheelBuilder.com. We take great pride in our proceedjures we have created and our objective approach. We believe it shows in how long our wheels go without needing to be trued, how long it takes before a spoke breaks or how well they ride. One thing is for sure, if you buy a pair of ProWheelBuilder.com wheels they will be one of the best purchases you will have ever made for your bicycle. 

Experience: Redundancy = Proficiency. In our case we build the largest variety of bicycle wheels in the world for the most diverse clientele. This gives us a unique perspective into different materials and how to optimize the variety of variables that those combinations pose. We are a small company with only two wheelbuilders (40 years combined experience) and one office person. However will still manage to produce 4000+ hand-built wheels a year. It is this level of experience that forms ProWheelBuilder.com's foundation.

Build Review: Although our Custom Wheel Program helps prevent our customers from making poor choices, we still still inspect every order before processing it. Based on the riders weight and intended use, if we see a problem we will consult with that customer. We will offer recommendations to make sure they end up with a safe wheel that accomplishes all there goals.

Product Inspection: While all of our products are brand new, sometimes they are damaged in shipping or a manufactures defect will become apparent upon close inspection. This attention to detail helps insure that your wheel(s) arrive to you ready to carry you for many miles.

Spoke Length: There are many factors that go into making a durable wheel however the spoke length is easily the most important. Many people complain about broken spokes. They often believe its the spoke manufacturer, the spoke gauge or the riders weight. Although these may factor into it, typically the failure was do to improper spoke length. Here at ProWheelBuilder.com we make all our spokes long enough to insure they enter the head of the spoke. This may seem like a small thing however with too short of a spoke it will cause two types of failure. First, the bracing angle (the bend that occurs as the spoke exits the nipple or the rim) comes closer to the threads causing the spoke to fail at the stress riser. Second, if the spoke does not enter the head of the nipple the nipple is now required to carry the entire load which will lead to the nipple failing at the head.

Wheel Tools: As with any endeavor having the right tools and more importantly knowing how to use those tools is a critical part to any job. We use only the best wheelbuilding tools however we create some of the finest wheelbuilding tools as well, These consist of our wheel building jig, spoke tensiometer calibrator, Philwood spoke deflector and brake track repair tool. We have a unique understanding not only how to use these tools but also how they interact with the wheel.

Spoke Lacing: When 10 speed and then 11 speed came onto the market, it became apparent that there was a problem with how close the spokes were coming to the derailleurs pulleys. We determined that reversing the direction the spokes were laced would eak out a little extra space to help prevent the derailleur from entering the spokes. The other aspect of spoke lacing has to do with the cross pattern. Although our customers pick this pattern we evaluate its validity to the project at hand. We base our decision on the number of spokes and there length. These two factors determine the angle at which the spoke leaves the hub and meets the rim. 

Wheel Truing: We true our wheels to 0.5mm lateral run out (0.25mm from center) and 0.5mm vertical run out. However when dishing the wheel we take into account what the pressure of an inflated tire does to the spokes and therefore the wheels relative center. This is why we dish our wheels 1mm offset on average.

Tensioning: Tensioning a wheel properly requires that you first understand how to bring a wheel up to tension. Many make the mistake of tightening the spokes the same all the way around and if it is a symmetrically built wheel such as a road front wheel that  is ok. But in the case of asymmetrically built wheel such as a rear wheel or a disc brake wheel it is important that the short side be brought up to tension first. This helps normalize the tension faster (which puts less stress on the wheel and results in a more durable build). The other factore that goes into Tensioning  a wheel properly is the riders weight, intended use and materials being used (we build between 120 to 150 kgf depending on the prior metrics). Example being, a person who weighs 145lbs and plans to do a loaded tour with an additional 45 lbs in gear. They have built a wheel using extremely robust components. We would build this wheel to 120kgf to help prevent rider fatigue. Since the components selected may allow for very little movement the spokes wont be prematurely work hardened due to flex. So we can afford to build the wheel to a lower tension which will allow the wheel to move under the rider a bit more giving a sense of suspension. We also focus on all tension values being as even as possible which helps prevent the wheel from coming out of true.

Stressing: More To Come!!!!



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