Wheel Build Shootout! Roscoe vs. J Sprockets

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Rich S on December 11, 2015 at 4:16pm

Go to your local bike shop. I don't have experience with Roscoe Village Bikes but the people at Johnny Sprockets are excellent. 

I had Comrade do my wheel build early this past year. Hasn't needed a true yet and I've taken my bike on singletrack and all kinds of rough stuff. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Duppie on December 11, 2015 at 5:42pm

Wheel building is not rocket science. There are many good wheel builders working in Chicago bike shops.
My favorite is John at Uptown Bikes, but there are others.

Johnny sprockets is a great shop but that price iseems really high.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on December 11, 2015 at 5:51pm

Bikeforums is full of idiots apparently.

Any good bike shop can do a quality wheel build go to the one you normally use, if they can't do it you should be using a better bike shop.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on December 11, 2015 at 7:25pm

There's always West Town Bikes/Ciclo Urbano. You can go to open shop and they will teach you how. When I did it, I had hubs, but bought the rims and spokes from them, at discount. A pleasant experience.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on December 12, 2015 at 9:41am

Yes, like everyone said, ignore the advice from bike forums.net. Perhaps those people live somewhere other than Chicago? I usually build my own now, but a few years back had Owen at Blue City build a rear w/two speed hub for me and it has held up wonderfully. It is still perfectly true.  

Which reminds me, Blue City used to have a deal on wheel building during the slower part of our year-round bike season, so you might want to check around, or even ask for an off season discount? (I don't think Blue City is doing it this winter?)

Another reason not to do it online is that at least Owen (back then anyway) told me to bring it back if it had any problems. It would be a giant pain to have to dismount a wheel and re-ship it should any problems occur  (if that was even an option).

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by mike w. on December 12, 2015 at 9:54am

Jobst Brandt

You CAN build your own. Lacing isn't hard and there are free spoke length calculators online. If, like me, you tend to be OCD, lace up the wheel and go to any decent LBS for a pull-up and true.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Elwood Gruschow on December 12, 2015 at 11:07pm

  Is this true?  ".. everyone on bikeforums.net says don't go LBS for wheel build ".  I have noticed  a few crazy people on forums of every topic, but is "everybody" on bikeforums.net crazy?   I wonder if Donald Trump posts to bikeforums.net.     

    

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on December 13, 2015 at 7:54am

I'm not sure where all the bikeforums hate is coming from either. It's clear to me from my experience there that "everyone on bikeforums.net" is not saying to avoid your LBS. If you don't feel competent to build your own wheels, or just don't like it, by all means, offload that task to your favorite bike shop.

• ▶ Reply