Lacing

Lacing is most easily done sitting down, holding the rim on edge in your lap. People who build wheels all day long start by putting all of the spokes into the hub, then connecting them to the rim one after another. This approach is slightly faster on a production basis, but the occasional builder runs a higher risk of making lacing errors this way. Non-production wheelbuilders usually put the spokes in one "group" at a time. A conventional wheel has 4 "groups" of spokes: Half of the spokes go to the right flange, and half go to the left. On each flange, half are "trailing" spokes and half are "leading" spokes.

Different Spoke/Cross Counts

The instructions below assume a 36 spoke cross 3 wheel but are easily adapted to different patterns by substituting appropriate numbers. For example, if you're building a 32 spoke wheel, just: Substitute "32" where the instructions say "36" Substitute "16" where the instructions say "18" Substitute "8" where the instructions say "9" Substitute "7" where the instructions say "8" If you're building a wheel with a different cross pattern, similarly add or subtract the appropriate number. With all cross patterns, only the outermost crossing is "interlaced" so the spokes go behind one another.

The "key" spoke

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The first spoke to be installed is the "key spoke" . This spoke must be in the right place or the valve hole will be in the wrong place, and the drilling of the rim may not match the angles of the spokes. The key spoke will be a trailing spoke, freewheel side. It is easiest to start with the trailing spokes, because they are the ones that run along the inside flanges of the hub. If you start with the leading spokes, it will be more awkward to install the trailing spokes because the leading spokes will be in the way. Since the key spoke is a trailing spoke, it should run along the inside of the flange. The head of the spoke will be on the outside of the flange. (see sidebar "Which side of the flange?") It is customary to orient the rim so that the label is readable from the bicycle's right side. If the hub has a label running along the barrel, it should be located so that it can be read through the valve hole. These things will not affect the performance of the wheel, but good wheelbuilders pay attention to these things as a matter of pride and esthetics. Rims are drilled either "right handed" or "left handed". This has to do with the relationship between the valve hole and the spoke holes. The spoke holes do not run down the middle of the rim, but are offset alternately from side to side. The holes on the left side of the rim are for spokes that run to the left flange of the hub. with some rims the spoke hole just forward of the valve hole is offset to the left, with others it is offset to the right (as illustrated). Which type is "right handed" and which "left handed"? I have never met anyone who was willing to even make a guess! The key spoke will be next to or one hole away from the valve hole in the rim. As viewed from the right (freewheel) side of the hub, the key spoke will run counterclockwise, and it will go to either the hole just to the right of the valve hole (as

illustrated) or the second hole to the right, depending on how the rim is drilled. The aim is to make the four spokes closest to the valve hole all angle away from the valve, giving easier access to the valve for inflation. Screw a nipple a couple of turns onto the key spoke to hold it in place. Next, put another spoke through the hub two holes away from the key spoke, so that there is one empty hole between them on the hub flange. This spoke goes through the rim 4 holes away from the key spoke, with 3 empty holes in between, not counting the valve hole. Continue around the wheel until all 9 of the first group of spokes are in place. Double check that the spacing is even both on the hub (every other hole should be empty) and the rim (you should have a spoke, 3 empty holes, a spoke, etc. all the way around. Make sure that the spokes are going through the holes on the same side of the rim as the flange of the hub. It should look like this:
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The second group

Now turn the wheel over and examine the hub. The holes on the left flange do not line up with the holes on the right flange, but halfway between them. If you have trouble seeing this, slide a spoke in from the left flange parallel to the axle, and you will see how it winds up bumping against the right flange between two spoke holes. Turn the wheel so that the valve hole is at the top of the wheel. Since you are now looking at the wheel from the non-freewheel side, the key spoke will be to the left of the valve hole. If the key spoke is next to the valve hole, insert a spoke into the left flange so that it lines up just to the left of

where the key spoke comes out of the hub, and run it to the hole in the rim that is just to the left of the key spoke.

The illustration shows it viewed from the right side:

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In the illustration, the key spoke is right next to the valve hole. Some rims are drilled with the opposite "handedness" so this may not be the case for your wheel. If the key spoke is separated from the valve hole by an empty spoke hole, insert a spoke into the left flange so that it lines up to the right of where the key spoke comes out of the hub, (looking at the wheel from the left!) and run this tenth spoke to the hole between the key spoke and the valve hole If you have done this correctly, the spoke you have just installed will not cross the key spoke. When you flip the wheel back around so you're looking from the right side, if the tenth spoke is to the left of the key spoke at the hub, it will also be to the left of it at the rim. Like the first group of spokes, it will be a trailing spoke, it will run along the inside of the flange, and the head will face out from the outside of the flange. Install the other 8 spokes in this group following the same pattern. At the end of this stage, the wheel will have all 18 of the trailing spokes in place. In the rim, there will be two spokes, two empty holes, two spokes, two empty holes...etc. as shown below:
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The leading spokes

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Turn the wheel back around so that the freewheel side is toward you. Insert a spoke into any hole, but this time from the inside of the flange. Twist the hub clockwise as far as it will conveniently go. Since we are building a cross 3 wheel, this new spoke will cross 3 trailing spokes that go to the same flange of the hub. The first two crosses, this spoke will pass outside of the trailing spokes, but for the outermost cross it should be "laced" so that it goes on the inside of the last trailing spoke. You will have to bend this leading spoke to get it around the last trailing spoke on the correct side. After this leading spoke has crossed 3 trailing spokes, there will be two possible rim holes to connect it to. Use the rim hole that is on the same side as the flange you are working from. It should not be right next to one of the trailing spokes that runs from the same flange of the hub. Install the other 17 leading spokes following the same pattern. If you can't get some of the spokes to reach their nipples, make sure that the nipples on the trailing spokes are seated into their holes. When you are done, double check around the rim to make sure that every other spoke goes to the opposite flange of the hub. Different cross numbers: The instructions above are based on a normal cross 3 pattern. If you are using a different cross pattern, substitute the appropriate numbers in the instructions above. With any cross number, only the outermost crossing is "laced" so the spokes go behind one another.
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Initial spoke adjustment

Once the wheel is laced, adjust all of the nipples so that

each is screwed equally far onto its spoke. You should be able to do this with a screwdriver, preferably electric. A good starting point is to set them all so that the threads just disappear into the nipples. If the spokes are a bit on the short side, you may have to leave a few threads showing. The important thing at this stage is to get all 36 spokes to be as close as possible to the same setting, all pretty loose. Some may be a bit tighter or looser, but they should all be adjusted the same to provide a baseline. If you find some are much tighter than others, double check the spoking pattern. With some rims, the rim seam is thicker than other parts of the rim, so you may need to loosen up the two spokes closest to the seam (usually opposite from the valve hole) a couple of turns. At this stage, the spokes will not be running straight, but will be noticeably curved where they leave the hub. The leading spokes, in particular, will be swooping outward as they leave the hub then gradually curving back toward the rim. Before you start applying tension to the spokes you should bend them by hand so that they fit snugly against the sides of the hub flanges. This can be done easily by pressing on each spoke in turn with your thumb about an inch out from the hub. If you don't do this, the spokes will still be slightly curved when the wheel is finished. These curves will gradually straighten themselves out over the first few hundred miles on the road, and the wheel will lose tension and go out of true.

Tensioning and truing

Now you are ready to put the wheel into the truing stand. If you are lucky it will already be fairly true, but don't be surprised if it is way off. If the spokes are still very loose, so that you can wiggle the rim back and forth easily, tighten each spoke one full turn. Start at the

valve hole and work your way around until you get back to it, so that you won't lose count. Make sure you are turning the nipples the right way. When you work with a screwdriver, it is easy to figure out which way tightens them, clockwise. It gets confusing when you start using the spoke wrench, because now you are working from the back side of the clock! Continue bringing up the tension one full turn at a time until the wheel begins to firm up. Once there begins to be a little bit of tension on the wheel, you should start bringing it into shape. There are 4 different things that you need to bring under control to complete the job: lateral truing, vertical truing, dishing, and tensioning. As you proceed, keep checking all 4 of these factors, and keep working on whichever is worse at the moment. Try to make your truing adjustments independent of each other. For lateral truing, spin the wheel in the stand and find the place on the rim that is farthest away from where most of the rim is. If the rim is off to the left, tighten spokes that go to the right flange and loosen those that go to the left flange. If you do the same amount of tightening and loosening, you can move the rim to the side without affecting the roundness of the wheel. For example, if the rim is off to the left, and the center of the bend is between two spokes, tighten the spoke that goes to the right flange 1/4 turn, and loosen the spoke that goes left 1/4 turn; If the center of the left bend is next to a spoke that goes to the right flange, tighten that spoke 1/4 turn, and loosen each of the two left spokes next to it 1/8 turn; If the center of the left bend is next to a spoke that goes to the left flange, loosen that spoke 1/4 turn, and tighten each of the two right spokes next to it 1/8 turn. After adjusting the worst bend to the left, find the worst bend to the right, and adjust it. Keep alternating sides. Don't try to make each

bent area perfect, just make it better, then go on to the next. The wheel will gradually get truer and truer as you go. For vertical truing, find the highest high spot on the rim. If the center of this high spot is between two spokes, tighten each of them 1/2 turn. If the high spot is centered over one spoke, tighten that spoke one full turn, and each of the two spokes next to it that go to the other flange, 1/2 turn. It takes a larger adjustment to affect the vertical truing than the horizontal truing. Vertical truing should usually be done by tightening spokes, gradually building up the tension in the wheel as you go along. As soon as the lateral truing gets reasonably good (within a couple of millimeters) start checking the dishing. Put the adjustable feeler of the dish stick over the axle on one side of the wheel and adjust it so that both ends of the dish stick touch the rim while the middle feeler rests against the outer locknut on the axle. Then move the stick to the other side of the wheel without re-adjusting the feeler. If the dish stick rocks back and forth while in contact with the outer locknut, the spokes on that side of the wheel have to be tightened to pull the rim over. If the ends of the dish stick sit on the rim but the feeler won't reach the locknut, the spokes on the other side of the wheel need to be tightened. If the dishing is off by more than 2 or 3 millimeters, you should start at the valve hole and work your way around the rim tightening up all 18 spokes on the appropriate side the same amount, perhaps 1/2 turn. When the dish is starting to get within 1 or 2 millimeters of being correct, go back to working on the lateral truing, except now you will not be alternating sides. If the rim needs to move to the right to improve the dish, find the worst bend to the left, adjust it, then find the new worst bend to the left, and so on. All the time you are doing this you need to keep

checking the vertical truing, and whenever the vertical error is greater than the lateral error, work on the vertical. You also need to keep monitoring the tension on the freewheel side spokes. There are three ways to check tension. One is by how hard it is to turn the spoke wrench. If it starts to get hard enough that you have to start worrying about rounding off the nipple with the spoke wrench, you are approaching the maximum. Fifteen years ago, this would be the limiting factor, and you would just try to get the wheel as tight as you could without stripping nipples. Modern, high quality, spokes and nipples have more precisely machined threads, however, and now there is actually a possibility of getting them too tight, causing rim failure. The second way of judging spoke tension is by plucking the spokes where they cross and judging the musical pitch they make. If your shop doesn't have a piano, and you don't have perfect pitch, you can compare it with a known good wheel that uses the same gauge of spokes. This will get you into the ballpark. Before I started using a spoke tensiometer, I used to keep a cassette in my toolbox on which I had recorded my piano playing an F#, a good average reference tone for stainless spokes of usual length. (For more details on this method, see John Allen's article: Check Spoke Tension by Ear.) The third, and best way is with a spoke tensiometer. Every well equipped shop should have one. Average freewheel-side tension should be up to shop standards for the type of spokes and rim being used. More important is that it be even. Don't worry about the left side tension on rear wheels. If the freewheel side is correctly tensioned, and the wheel is correctly dished, the left side will be quite a bit looser. You should still check the left side for uniformity of tension.

Spoke Torsion
As the wheel begins to come into tension, you start to have to deal with spoke torsion. When you turn your spoke wrench, the first thing that happens is that the spoke will twist a bit from the friction of the threads. Once the nipple has turned far enough, the twist in the spoke will give enough resistance that the threads will start to move, but the spoke will remain twisted. What a good wheelbuilder can do that a robot machine can't do is feel this twist. If you "finish" you wheel up, and it is perfectly true in your stand, but the spokes are twisted, the wheel will not stay true on the road. The twist in the spokes will eventually work itself out, and the wheel will go out of true. This problem can be prevented by sensitive use of your spoke wrench. What you need to do is overshoot and backlash. In other words, suppose you want to tighten a particular spoke 1/4 turn. You don't just turn the wrench 1/4 turn, you turn it a little farther, then back it up that same little bit. The nipple winds up being 1/4 turn tighter, but the backing up releases the twist in the spoke. This is much easier to do on straight-gauge spokes, because they are stiffer torsionally, and it is easier to feel the twist than it is with butted spokes. This is one of the reasons I like "aerodynamic" spokes so much; not so much for the aerodynamics, as for the fact that you can tell visually if they are twisted.