You might remember Neil? We put together a nice pair of premium Novatec hubs onto some Kinlin XC-279 rims, and shipped them off to him, last month.
Well, he likes them so much, he saw a pair of XC-279 rims laced onto some reputable hubs on eBay, and grabbed them for a steal.
The catch was (there always seems to be one when it comes to eBay wheels) these hoops had been handbuilt by an amateur, and it showed!
The tensions were all over the place, incorrect spoke lengths, they were not round or true, and inappropriate spokes had been used for the intended usage.
Neil popped them in the post, and requested our rebuild advice.
First cab off the rank was to check the tensions and true, and identify if the rims could be rebuilt (this can’t really be done with used, but bare rims). We identified that whilst tensions were widely varied and true was out, it seemed like these rims were not in bad shape. A rebuild would be possible.
Then we checked that the hubs were worthwhile rebuilding. Apart from some loose bearings, and the need for some grease, they were fine.
Good to go!
Largely replicating Neil’s original build, we selected Sapim Race double butted spokes front and rear, except for the rear driveside, where stiffer DT Champion plan gauge spokes were used.
As these hoops will be put to commuting duty, brass nipples ensure ongoing reliability, and ease of maintenance.
A great outcome, and at 1643g, nice and light.