Our skilled and practised mechanics have years of experience building wheels for road racing, touring and day to day riding.
Handbuilt wheels have been part of our workshop services since Monty Young opened Condor Cycles in 1948. We pride ourselves on the reputation and quality of our handbuilt wheels. From a performance set of disc wheels, a dynamo hub equipped front wheel, or just a set of comfortable training wheels, wheels built by hand are strong with unique and smooth ride properties. There are a wide range of options to cater for all budgets and riding needs.
Spoke Selection
Wheels can be laced using different numbers of spokes to influence their strength, weight, and ride quality. The more spokes used, the more the load is spread and the stronger the wheel should be.
Spoke options
- Plain gauge—40p per spoke (silver)
Constructed from stainless steel and often used to build wheels where weight-saving is not an issue. They are slightly heavier than double-butted and offer a slightly stiffer ride because of their thicker cross section. - Double butted—£0.80 per spoke (silver), £1.19 per spoke (black)
We build with DT Swiss Competition or Sapim Laser. These are lightweight spokes that are thinner in the middle (going from 2mm to 1.8mm and back to 2mm again) to save weight and reduce ride stiffness without compromising on wheel strength. Ideal for long distance wheelset and for those wanting comfort on poor road surfaces. - Aero bladed—£2.65 (silver), £3.25 (black) per spoke
These have a flattened cross-section to reduce wind resistance. Suited to time-trial bikes and wheelsets intended for racing. We build with Sapim CX-Ray. - Triple butted—£0.80 per spoke
The strongest spokes available. We build with DT Swiss Alpine III spokes, which are suited to extreme riding conditions, touring, and heavy duty use.
Common Questions about Wheel Builds
We aim to complete booked wheel builds within 48 hours ready for collection from our London store or ready for shipping.
Yes. Wheel builds are priced per wheel.
Yes. build labour is £35 per wheel for standard three-cross. The charge is £40 per wheel if you request radial, two cross or are building on a carbon rim as labour time is higher.
We recommend you do not supply your own spokes, our mechanics will measure and lace the wheel and ensure the right length of spoke is selected.
Yes. If you wish to re-use the rim or a hub on an existing wheel. There is a de-lace charge of £5-10 as each spoken requires careful detensioning, rather than being cut out which can buckle the rim.
No. It is included if all the components are purchased from Condor.
Yes. If you are supplying the parts of your wheel build. Velox cloth rim tape is £2.99 per rim.
We operate a booking system to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the workshop. We'll always endeavour to go the extra mile to meet your requirements. We kindly ask you to contact us to book a wheel build. If you are supplying your own components, please supply the parts ahead of the booking date.
It depends on the hub. Shimano, Condor and Campagnolo hubs are supplied with quick release skewers. Hope and Chris King hubs are not supplied with skewers.
Thru-Axle Disc Hubs are not supplied with thru-axle components.
Hubs are traditionally made with either 32 hole or 36 holes. A 32 hole hub with require a rim with 32 holes.
A 32 hole hub and rim will require 32 spokes per wheel, so 64 spokes in total for the pair of wheels.
The more spokes the stronger the wheel. We recommend 36 hole hubs/rims for riders who will be touring or riding over rough surfaces. However every rider's situation is different. We are happy to advise and answer any questions you may have or create a wheel build quote for you.
