December Classes: Wheel Building
Bike Kitchen Class Schedule
December Wheel Building Class at the Bike Kitchen
Have you ever wanted to build your own bicycle wheels? Wheel building can be a fun and rewarding experience. In this class you will start with a hub, spokes and a rim and assemble your own wheel.
Over 2 class sessions, we will cover the principles of spoke lacing and tensioning and guide you through the assembly of a "cross-laced" wheel (the most common spoke-lacing pattern).
Please read the descriptions very carefully for this class. Please contact the instructor if you have any questions.
The class takes place over two days:
- Saturday, December 2nd, from 9:00am to noon : Planning: Selecting wheel parts, measuring parts, and calculating spoke lengths
- Sunday, December 10th, from 10:00am to 3:30pm : Wheel Lacing, lunch break, Tensioning & Truing
For the first class:
- You should bring the bike you intend to use for your new wheel
- You should decide if you want to build a front wheel (slightly easier & cheaper) or rear wheel (slightly harder & more expensive).
- If you have already purchased any parts for your wheel, you must bring them in to be evaluated and measured
- It is not necessary to purchase any parts before the first class. However, you will need to gather all parts before the second class, or purchase a kit for a basic wheel from the Bike Kitchen during the first class.
For the second class, you will need to bring all the parts necessary to complete your wheel
Choosing parts for your wheel:
- The focus of this class is to learn how to build wheels. To keep everyone together during the class, we need everyone to build similar wheels. We will build the most common type of wheel - a cross spoked wheel using J-bend spokes.
- You are responsible for buying the components necessary to build your wheel.
- The Bike Kitchen will provide a kit for those who want to build a basic wheel. The kit includes a hub, rim, spokes, spoke nipples, and rim tape for $60. The parts in the kit vary based on availability and wheel size of your bike.
- New parts only! The level of skill necessary for building a wheel with used parts is beyond the scope of this class. The only exception is the use of a used hub that is in excellent working condition (bearings spin smoothly without grinding or wobble).
- Hubs: 28 holes or more, drilled for J-bend spokes at equal spacing (not paired)
- Rims: New, same number of holes as the hub, equal spacing between the holes (not paired)
- Spokes: New, round, J-bend spokes (2.0mm straight gauge is the most common)
- Spoke Nipples: New, should match spoke diameter (2.0mm is the most common), Brass spoke nipples recommended
- We have a small number of used hubs and new rims available to purchase
No previous knowledge is required or expected, but a willingness to learn and have fun is a must! Wheel building requires attention to detail and patience. The class is a mix of lecture, demonstration and hands-on skills development as you work on your very own wheel. All tools will be supplied by the Bike kitchen, you just need to bring your bike and be ready to get your hands greasy!
The fee for this class is a sliding scale: $55-$85 for Bike Kitchen members or $95-$125 for non-members. Enrolling in the class as a non-member also buys you a year-long membership at the Bike Kitchen! Class size is limited to four. If you do not currently have a membership, you must select a ticket price that has "Non-Member" in the description.
Refund Policy: we offer refunds up to 96 hours before the start of the class. Cancellation after that point involves forfeiting the class payment. If you are unable to attend a paid class, your new membership is still valid and you are welcome to visit us during regular shop hours and speak to our staff mechanics.
For more info and to buy tickets, visit https://bkdecwheelbuilding.eventbrite.com