[toydeluxe]

What's the average price it's cost some of you to have a wheel rebuilt?


I accidently fell on my road bike the other day (don't even ask), and tacoed the front rim.

It looks like I'm going to need a replacement Mavic Open Pro rim, a few spokes, and all new alloy nipples, so I'm told.

The bike shop said $35 an hour for the rebuild...........which I got the impression they said would take only an hour, $70 for the rim, and a couple bucks (I think) per spoke.

Does this sound right?

 

[mtb_biker]

at those prices you could just buy a new front wheel for cheaper and not have to reuse spokes.

 

[nokin]

What's the average price it's cost some of you to have a wheel rebuilt?

I accidently fell on my road bike the other day (don't even ask), and tacoed the front rim.

It looks like I'm going to need a replacement Mavic Open Pro rim, a few spokes, and all new alloy nipples, so I'm told.

The bike shop said $35 an hour for the rebuild...........which I got the impression they said would take only an hour, $70 for the rim, and a couple bucks (I think) per spoke.

Does this sound right?

That's not right an hourly rate to build a rim WTF. I recently picked up a set of open pros built w/dt's and dura-ace hubs on ebay for $200.00 and these are new and sweet.

 

[shiggy]

My wheel builder does not charge me for labor.

Of course I am my own wheel builder.

 

[toydeluxe]

My wheel builder does not charge me for labor.

Of course I am my own wheel builder.

Ummmm..........
mmmkkaaayyy

I guess I'll bring it over to your place, then.

 

[shiggy]

Ummmm..........
mmmkkaaayyy

I guess I'll bring it over to your place, then.

I did not say I would not charge you.

 

[Jayem]

What's the average price it's cost some of you to have a wheel rebuilt?

I accidently fell on my road bike the other day (don't even ask), and tacoed the front rim.

It looks like I'm going to need a replacement Mavic Open Pro rim, a few spokes, and all new alloy nipples, so I'm told.

The bike shop said $35 an hour for the rebuild...........which I got the impression they said would take only an hour, $70 for the rim, and a couple bucks (I think) per spoke.

Does this sound right?

It's always cheaper to buy a complete new wheel than get one made at a shop. You get one made at a shop when you want to get something specific that can be done in a timely fashion, or when you have a wheelbuilder that you trust and you're willing to pay extra for an expertly built wheel.

The spoke charge sounds wierd, I'd say around 10-15 bucks for spokes total, but other than that everything sounds correct.

 

[shiggy]

It's always cheaper to buy a complete new wheel than get one made at a shop. You get one made at a shop when you want to get something specific that can be done in a timely fashion, or when you have a wheelbuilder that you trust and you're willing to pay extra for an expertly built wheel.

The spoke charge sounds wierd, I'd say around 10-15 bucks for spokes total, but other than that everything sounds correct.

A couple of bucks per spoke is way high unless they are the fancy forged bladed spokes, but $10-15 is way low for butted spokes. Figure 70-90 cents per spoke.

 

[LyNx]

I don't understand this, you guys make the spokes there and yet we pay 1/2 what I see on the net for them. Seriously do they enjoy ripping you guys for spokes, is this where shops make their money? They are seriously marking them up, I can get a SS 14g Wheelsmith spoke w/ brass nipple for $0.60 ($0.30 US) and they have to be shipped in, taxes, duties etc and I know they come from QBP.

A couple of bucks per spoke is way high unless they are the fancy forged bladed spokes, but $10-15 is way low for butted spokes. Figure 70-90 cents per spoke.

 

[toydeluxe]

Maybe the shop idiot misquoted me on the spoke prices.

Still, I have several other friends telling me that they should build the wheel for free if I'm buying the parts.

As for buying a complete wheel..................I don't know how much cheaper that'd be. A Dura Ace front hub is crazy expensive. Let's say they really do only charge around $15 for all new spokes, and $70 for the rim.............you figure I'll have roughly $100 into the whole ordeal. Then, it's a matter of what labor is.

I would definitely expect them to cut labor in assembling a new bike, but I guess building a wheel is more understandable. I assume they kinda have to charge for something like that cause it involves alot of time, and they're not making much off the rim and spokes.

I dunno. I just hate to think this shop is ripping me off, but it still doesn't make sense

 

[david101372]

All depends on your spokes... if they're bladed or titanium then $2 each is reasonable. Replacing all the nipples is necessary, especially with alloy ones, because they round off or break rather easily. Having an hourly charge for building a wheel seems a little unusual but if it takes him an hour then $35 doesn't sound too unreasonable. I've built countless wheels and it does take patience and skill that many people don't have.

 

[toydeluxe]

He ended up doing alot of work for cheap.


I had a Bontrager Racelite wheel that needed a new rim, and of course the front wheel.

In the end, he installed a new rim (I already had), and drive-side spokes, on the Bonty rear wheel............then, he installed a new Mavic Open Pro, and all new radial laced DT straight guage spokes, on my Dura Ace hub..............all for about $130.

In the end, I had paid for one rim, one set of spokes and a half set of spokes, 2 sets of alloy nipples, and almost no labor. So, this worked out better than expected.

The front road wheel looks sweet. It's a silver Dura-Ace hub, black radial laced spokes, silver allow nipples, and a black Mavic rim. I'll post some pics soon

 

[gls]

Speaking of spoke ripoffs

This shop outside of Philly has a Phil Woods spoke threading machine, so I thought I'd pop in and pick up some spokes for a build. How much for spokes, I ask the guy. THREE DOLLARS(!!!) he says. And it's not like they were something exotic, ya know, like depleted uranium or something, cause when I said that was more than I expected, he didn't say "well, we have steel for a dollar..." So I got them on the internet for well under a buck. (DB, silver) I don't know what the deal was at that shop- like we have the three thousand dollar threading machine, but we really hate to use it?