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Home > The Art of Wheelbuilding: A Bench Reference for Neophytes, Pros & Wheelaholics
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The Art of Wheelbuilding: A Bench Reference for Neophytes, Pros & Wheelaholics
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By Gerd Schraner
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 (21 Reviews)
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List Price: $21.95
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Publisher:
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Buonpane Pubns
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Published:
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December 31, 1969 |
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Binding:
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Spiral-bound
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Pages:
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108
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THE ART OF WHEEL BUILDING BY GERD SCHRANER
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Customer Reviews:
Add Your Own Review |
 Definitive guide for beginners and pro builders, June 18, 2001
By Mark A. Schlueter (San Dimas, Ca United States)
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With the most easy to follow directions, this book has helped a total novice become a sought after wheel builder. After building more that 30 sets in the last year, I still open the book and refer to various sections to "tighten" my technique. If you are simply a "bike freak" this makes for great reading. It helps you understand the importance of well built wheels.
56 of 61 people found the above review helpful.
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 Misinformation, unspecific, fluffy and stretched, poor translation, September 9, 2007
By A. Laframboise (USA)
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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.
43 of 50 people found the above review helpful.
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 Really good wheel building book, February 15, 2003
By A Customer
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There are two well know wheel building books on the market. "The Bicycle Wheel" by Jobst Brandt is one, and the other is this book. While I like the Brandt book, I think this one is my favorite. Brandt's book is full of engineering explanation of how wheels work. I think that is important to know, but I want to know more about wheel building, not just the science behind wheels. Schraner's book concentrates more on actually building wheels and the sport of cycling. Also, the books physical form is easier to lay on a bench and use while actually building a wheel.
35 of 37 people found the above review helpful.
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 Not quite there..., December 10, 2003
By A Customer
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I'm not sure if this book was translated from German (my guess), but the grammar leaves much to be desired. Directions are often confusing due to diagrams and text that don't quite jibe. I would expect more from a truing section than "it is a trial and error process". Mr. Schraner obviously has a lot of knowledge, I just don't feel it comes through clearly in the book.
19 of 23 people found the above review helpful.
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Authored by true professional, expertly laid out, September 26, 2006
By Pork Chop (Lisbon, Portugal)
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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.
15 of 26 people found the above review helpful.
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Good Resource: Not a step-by-step, November 3, 2006
By WWII student (Fairfax, VA)
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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.
11 of 11 people found the above review helpful.
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Yes, it is an art, January 29, 2006
By Kenneth A. Buchanan (Azusa, CA, USA)
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While this book won't make a true wheelwright out of the reader, it will certainly explain in clear terms how a wire wheel actually works. In doing so it gives the reader the key points nessesary to develop the skills to becoming a wheelwright without miring down in technical minutia. In short, this is the book to start with.
8 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
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Great wheel building book, November 21, 2006
By Erik H. Voldengen (Portland, OR USA)
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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.
7 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
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An interesting look into the past..., December 17, 2008
By 8 valve hero (10th Ward, NO, LA)
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I recently received "The Art of Wheelbuilding" as a gift to my small collection of 4 wheelbuilding books.
Though at first pleased by the large, easy to read graphs and full color photos; I soon began to notice something was not right--
After struggling with the rough translation, I came to find that much of the technical data was totally wrong!
(e.g.- how a wheel carries a load, soldering and tying)
It is by no fault of the author that it is so incorrect. Merely, that when this book was written there was no way of accurately measuring the way wheels truly behave. In addition, the author clearly has some sort of marketing tie-in with DTSwiss, as he speaks only of their products and their large, copyrighted logo appears in multiple technical diagrams.
That said, this book still lends much to the actual process of constructing a spoked wheel and is kind of fun to read once you get the feel for the verbiage. It comes spiral bound with glossy pages, making it a great bench reference and the diagrams on truing are idiot-proof.
The binding also makes it super easy to remove the incorrect pages, as to not cause any random reader to be mis-informed.
If you are looking to buy your first book on this topic, i would seriously not make it this one.
5 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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Disappointing, January 4, 2010
By Grant Hubick (Canada)
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Save your money and get The Bicycle Wheel instead. That book has some substance, this thin thing offers little to those interested enough in the subject matter to consider purchasing it. I do like the wire comb binding.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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It's Alright, March 29, 2009
By Renaissance Man (Plano, Texas)
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There are some interesting historical and personal anecdotes that make for some decent reading, but like another reviewer mentioned, the actual wheelbuilding part of the book is quite small compared with the rest of the text and the information is available elsewhere on the web for free.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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A very nice book, September 21, 2007
By Olli K (Finland)
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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.
1 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Short on Details of Alternatives to 3X lacing, January 8, 2011
By Barbara L. Armstrong
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This book is clear and illustrates well what it does. It falls short, though, on giving illustrations and instructions on alternatives to the common "3 cross" wheel lacing patterns. It is arguably worth the cost, but if you are going to get into real bicycle wheel building, this book will be insufficient. I find its title a bit misleading. It is NOT a bench reference in my opinion. It is a INTRODUCTION to wheel building, and certainly not a bench reference for pros and "wheelaholics."
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Coulda, should, woulda, November 12, 2010
By Doh (Pickering, Ontario Canada)
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I enjoyed the book from the perspective of the vibe of the race mechanic or wheel builder. As a wheelbuilding resource it is both unnecessary and inaccurate. He has his own way of lacing a wheel which reverses the order. I guess it works but it isn't an improvement. He also seems to have held back what he actually knows, a real wheel tech should be able to inundate the home mechanic with information. Maters so trivial the pro has absorbed them often without thought. But for those who don't live in the world, depth helps us pull together the full pictures. Sadly not here.
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Good book but incomplete, November 6, 2010
By SkyGuy (Alabama)
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I'm a mountain biker who tired of leaving his bike at the repair shop everytime he broke a spoke. I bought this book and read in an evening. I felt there should be a disclaimer as the author obviously has some sort of relationship with DT Swiss, a company who makes componants for wheels (there were times when I felt I was reading one long advertisement). When I finished the book I felt I needed more information before I tackled my fisrt wheel build. I bought "The Bicycle Wheel" by Jobst Brandt. It was also quick and easy to read. Both books have their upsides and I'm glad I have both books. Now I'm ready to start building.
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Authored by true professional, expertly laid out, April 2, 2010
By Pork Chop (Lisbon, Portugal)
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|
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
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This book is true to its' title!, December 10, 2009
By Colonel John
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I'm a long-distance bicyclist and I have put over 50,000 miles on various bicycle wheels. I decided that I needed to know more about the structure of wheels and perhaps build my next set myself. This book is really easy to read and understand. Armed with the information I've gotten from this book I will be able to build my own wheel and learn a new skill in the process.
I recommend this for anyone who depends on their bicycle wheels for long distances across the country. Being able to fix your own wheel out on the road is very valuable knowledge.
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Very Good Reference, December 29, 2008
By SingleSpeeder (Austin, TX United States)
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I'm not sure what book A. Laframboise was reading but I dont think it was this one. It really is a very good book and is a good companion to the Brandt 'white' book. While it does not cover all types of wheels (carbon for instance.... but what home wrench would be crazy or wealthy enough to buid their own carbon wheels) it covers the most common (18-32 hole alloy rim wheels with ss spokes).
The technical information is light and should be complimented with tables from the wheel vendors and repair sources like Park and UBI.
The friendly narrative style is filled with personal history and comments, and some people may find it irritating, but I found it interesting and gave it more warmth than the inconsistent style of the Brandt book.
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 A good, but not great wheel building book, September 3, 2011
By BNystrom (Nashua, NH)
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I bought a copy of Jobst Brandt's "The Bicycle Wheel" when it was first published in '81 and got Roger Musson's "Professional Guide to Wheel Building" E-book a couple of years ago. I bought "The Art of Wheelbuilding" on a whim to complete my wheel building "library". Frankly, I'm somewhat disappointed. If I didn't own the other two books, I would probably regard this as a good wheel building guide, but in my opinion, the others are considerably better. I find that Schraner incorporates too much habit and tradition in his building for my taste. He seems more interested in name-dropping and touting his successes than in the science and technique behind building good wheels. While his stories are entertaining, I was expecting more "nuts and bolts" information and less fluff.
I don't regret buying "The Art of Wheelbuilding", but I wouldn't recommend it as a first wheel building reference. If you're technically oriented and want to understand the "why" behind building wheels rather than just the "how", "The Bicycle Wheel" is the book for you. "Professional Guide to Wheel Building" is the easiest to understand, the best illustrated, the most current and the least expensive of the three titles. I would recommend either of these - or better yet, both - over "The Art of Wheel Building".
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Great book, May 21, 2012
By John G. (Missoula, MT)
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Very informative book that is written clearly. It is nicer to ride wheels built myself and it wouldn't have happened without this book.
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My constant companion when I'm lacing some hoops..., February 28, 2012
By nomex
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I bought this book back in 2005 when I wanted to make my own fixed-gear wheelset (they weren't common around here at the time). I was able to have a set of wheels no one had around here at the time and I knew they were strong. I built up four more wheelsets after, but I always use this book because I'm know building wheels all the time. My favorite part of the book is when the author mentions stress-relief and setting the spokes. I'm glad it's spiral bound, too.
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