I have purchased wheelsets from two other custom wheelbuilders in the past and firmly believe custom built wheels from a competent wheelbuilder are the best way to buy wheels. My riding friends with factory built wheels seem to experience wheel-related problems on a regular basis but my custom built wheels have held up well. When I finally need to replace a rear wheel recently, I decided to give prowheelbuilder.com a try. I knew what I wanted so I placed my order online. Their website was easy to use and informative with lots of choices.
After I placed my order, I decided to make a change to the number of spoke crossings I had originally spec'd so I emailed Richard. The change was made with no problem. My wheel arrived a few days before the predicted date, built exactly as spec'd. Since I work for a testing laboratory, I weighed the wheel on an analytical balance. The wheel was within 20 grams of the weight predicted by the website. I also received a warranty card with the wheel that included the spoke lengths and spoke tension used to build the wheel, something no one else has ever provided. Since then I have ridden the wheel over 1000 miles and it has performed well.
The three custom wheelbuilders I have used have all been good but prowheelbuilder.com has provided the best service and price. I will be a returning customer..
Greg DuBois
October 04, 2015
My build: H Plus Son Archetype Rims, Sapim Race spokes with brass nipples, 2x front and 3x/3x rear, laced to White Industries T11 Hubs.
My thoughts out of the box: Nothing is quite as nice as a new set of wheels to throw onto your ride. Quality of the parts looked very nice, and the quick tone test revealed all spokes were tensioned evenly...now to pop the wheels into the bike and see how true they actually were.
On the Bike (not riding): First impression is the hubs spin very very smoothly. I own fulcrum racing 1 wheels, and supposedly those hubs are very good, but I can feel the ball bearings swirling around in them. The WI hubs spin so smoothly and quietly as to be imperceptible. I felt no vibration, and spun well. The wheels were within 0.5 mm of true by my estimate and after having put a few hundred miles on them over some pothole ridden rodes, that's how they have stayed.
The Ride: The wide rims of the archetype help make the ride be a bit more compliant, but in my opinion I really felt a difference in the wide rims with CORNERING. The wheels have felt absolutely planted no matter how aggressively I take a turn. Very confidence inspiring. Out of the saddle and during sprints there is no perceptible flex. And the braking surface really allows my brakes to have a solid bite.
Final words: The service has been great, the wheels are excellent, and I got every thing I wanted in a wheel set. Would definitely recommend PWB if what you desire is a solidly built wheel set catered to your riding style, body weight, and intended use!