Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 A very nice book September 22, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Covers all the basic skills needed to build a good set of wheels. I am happy with the book, but it would have been nice to see some additional hints for beginners.
 Misinformation, unspecific, fluffy and stretched, poor translation September 9, 2007
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I don't understand someone could stand to read more than five pages of this book without feeling the overwhelming disappointment associated with knowing that he has just wasted his money.
First, the book is horribly translated. It's not so bad that the book is incomprehensible, but its bad enough that most people will find the reading extremely awkward.
Secondly, the book is very poorly edited and typeset. It's obvious that this book was very rushed. While I didn't notice spelling errors, there are many minor errors related to spacing and typeface. More importantly, many of the diagrams are unclear, and the pictures, although mostly color, are often blurry or poorly composed.
The book itself is mostly filler and fluff. The author starts out by disclaiming having any actual qualifications, and it goes downhill from there. It's very obvious that the author is stretching just to meet the magical 100 page mark. Some pages are nothing but rambling, somewhat disguised by the horrible translation.
Many parts of this book are completely unclear. For example, there's a section on corked wheels that I've re-read many times, and still don't understand; it doesn't explain what the benefit of corking is, or how one would do this, or even why he's mentioning it. There's an accompanying picture of a corked rim that's so poor I can't see what is intended.
This book lacks most of the specific advice that I suspect people are buying it for. For example, the author refuses to share the ordinary method for lacing wheels, on the grounds that it is "described so often in the bicycle press [that it] does not need to be described in this book too," instead recommending a VHS videotape from DT Swiss for this purpose.
The author's association with DT Swiss, which is not explicitly stated in the text, severely undermines his credibility. Much of the information that is interesting in this text is specific to the DT product line, some apparently directly copied from DT manuals.
In addition, much of the guidance the author offers is obsolete, dubious, or just plain wrong. This author repeats many common bicycle myths that have long been proven to be fallacies. He also recommends various outdated and obsolete practices, such as soldering and tying--which he describes in more detail than is present anywhere else in the book--that have been soundly discredited for use on modern bicycles.
There is very little in this book that is worthwhile reading, and so much misinformation. The fact that much of the book is confusing, incomprehensible, or inane is really just the icing on the cake. Since there is at least one excellent, definitive, and authoritative reference on the bicycle wheel, I can see absolutely no reason anyone would want to buy this book.
 Great wheel building book November 22, 2006
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
This book is fantastic. There's a simple step by step formula for lacing up a wheel that is better than anything I've ever read. Really.
Building a wheel isn't exactly rocket science, but if you do it wrong, you're going to have a poor quality wheel. Build it right, and your wheel will be better than a factory can turn out.
If you're looking to build a wheelset, or if you may be build 1-2 wheels a year, this is an excellent primer and reference.
Good Resource: Not a step-by-step November 4, 2006
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
This is a great book to read to understand some of the concepts of wheelbuilding. It answers many of the "why" questions. It is not, however, a step-by-step guide on how to build a wheel. For instance, when attempting to build my first wheel, I wanted to know the best specific method for threading the spokes. This book does not include that and you must go elsewhere to get that information. Overall, a good augmentation to your detailed maintenance manuals.
Authored by true professional, expertly laid out September 27, 2006
13 out of 18 found this review helpful
One of the frustrations many cyclists will have, aside
from the aggravation of lack of exclusive / reserved paths
in major urban areas and cities, excess of cars and pedestrians
and rainy and cold weather conditions, often is the lack of
durability of wheels, and the cost of replacing these.
Much like an automobile is most cheaply replaced by a mass
produced, commercialized vehicle outsouced to an Asian
manufacturer, 99% of cyclists are probably better off buying
their own wheels, not making them.
But for the unique individual preparing make this a hobby of
some sorts, or for the new professional in the business, this
book is "the real deal" in acquiring materials and assembling
and tuning your own wheels. Indeed, there are plenty of photographs,
illustrations, clues, explanations, and steps laid out in this book
comprising about 100 glossy pages, to help you along the way.
The costs of doing so, however, are less clear. Where and from whom
to acquire the items for assembly, and how many wheels will the cyclist
need to prepare for own use over 2 or 3 years ? Or for friends and family?
Why not just buy them, vs. acquiring a trueing device, or perhaps tools
and space for the assembly and tuning, for example?
Aside from the practical side of the book, the entertainment value is
not absent, either. It makes for an interesting read.
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