Wheel Building
Built to you, not to a shelf
Factory wheels are mass-produced to a standard weight range. Hand-built wheels are laced and tensioned to your weight, riding style and terrain. A 70kg commuter on potholed London streets needs a different spoke pattern and tension than a 65kg road racer climbing alpine passes.
We lace every wheel in-house, true it on our bench, then tension-check it under your own weight to make sure it stays true once you're riding. The result is a wheel that feels solid underfoot and lasts longer because it's built right from the start.
Pricing: £120 per wheel for labour, plus the cost of your chosen rim, hub and spokes.
Choosing your build
Three choices shape your wheel:
Rims — Lightweight racing rims for speed, mid-range all-rounders, or reinforced touring rims built to handle loaded touring or gravel. We stock brands you've heard of and can source anything that exists.
Hubs — Standard cup-and-cone hubs for simplicity and repairability, or sealed-bearing performance hubs if you want lower friction and less maintenance.
Spoke pattern — Radial lacing for a clean look, or cross-3 for strength and stiffness. Cross-4 for tandem work or cargo bikes where the load demands it.
We'll talk through your bike, your weight, your riding plans, and your budget before we quote a final price. You don't buy blind — you get recommendations based on what you'll actually ride.
Who hand-built wheels are for
Touring cyclists
Carrying a loaded rack means heavier loads and higher spoke tension. A hand-built touring wheel is engineered for that stress, stays true longer, and if something breaks mid-journey, it's a spoke you replace in camp, not a wheel you bin.
Road racers
A lightweight climbing wheel built to your exact weight saves grams where it matters and feels responsive in your hands. Factory wheels are built to average; yours are built to you.
Daily commuters
Potholes, salt, and wet roads wear wheels hard. A custom commuter wheel matches your weight and braking load, and if it goes out of true, we'll fix it for £20 rather than replacing it.
Repair, not replacement
A wheel gone out of true doesn't always need replacing. A truing session (£20) and maybe a spoke replacement (£8 plus spoke cost) can be all it takes — we'll assess it first and tell you honestly if it's fixable.
Standalone wheel services
Wheel truing — £20
Bring a wheel that's gone out of true. We'll true it on the bench and tension-check it. Often all an old wheel needs.
Single spoke replacement — £8 labour + cost of spoke
A broken spoke doesn't mean a new wheel. We'll source the right spoke (usually £1–3) and replace it while you wait.
Start a build
To start a wheel build or discuss a repair, head to our contact page and fill out the enquiry form. Tell us:
- What bike it's going on (road, touring, commuter, mountain, tandem, etc.)
- Your weight and how you ride it (daily commute, weekend races, loaded tours, etc.)
- Your budget — we'll fit the best build to what you're willing to spend
- Wheel size and hub type if you have preferences
We'll review your details, put together rim/hub/spoke recommendations based on your riding, and send you a firm price. Quick turnaround: most hand-built wheels leave the workshop within a week of order.