Wheelbuilding Book

The vast majority of people come here via a recommendation from the cycling community.

This book will show you EVERYTHING. The most comprehensive guide to wheelbuilding available.

One small payment and free updates whenever a new edition of this book is released.

130 pages, size US Letter / A4

Delivered as an instant download in PDF format.

Illustrated with over 90 color photos and pin sharp CAD drawings.

• Detailed instructions for building quality wheels
• The tools you need with descriptions on how to make many of them yourself, including the now famous truing stand.
• Understand wheel features, design, theory and geometry
• Take a look at the contents (pdf)

Wheels and wheelbuilding

You came here because you have an interest in wheelbuilding.

It's very tempting to learn wheelbuilding by wading through information found on web pages, in discussion groups and watching videos, and you may end up with a wheel, or just create a pile of expensive problems. You will have learned very little and wasted a lot of time, and quite likely shown things that are plain wrong.

Do you already build wheels?

If you already build wheels then it's time for you to move forward and really understand the details of wheelbuilding. You'll find plenty of information to make you think about your current methods and explore other ideas and techniques. And there's plenty of theory to back it all up. It's a book that you will keep reading.

The Spoke Length Project

This is an advanced spoke length calculator that uses a CAD based model and vector algebra for calculating spoke lengths. It calculates spoke lengths for all the lacing patterns used in today's modern wheels, and many of the more obscure designs, plus it outputs additional data values that are appreciated by experienced wheelbuilders. It also draws your wheel allowing you to examine the geometry and to assist in lacing the more complex lacing patterns. To appreciate what this calculator can do, please read the calculator Help guide. It's more than a calculator, it's a wheel analysis program.

The more you use this calculator, the more you will appreciate its features, and why this calculator is used every day by some serious wheelbuilding shops.

The 2026 calculator

Don't use the calculator link shown in the current book, start using the latest version now.

No password, so everyone can use it, whether you buy the book or not.

spokelength-project.com/final-edition (showing an example calculation)

Follow the link and take a look at the sample calculation, then here are a few things to do:

• Click a spoke length and it will show the recommended lengths.
• Click the menu item Log, and it will show you what the calculator did.
• Leave the Log open, and change some of the data inputs (if you have a mouse, click the up/down input arrows). For example add an Asym value, and see how it reacts.
• Close the Log and look at the wheel drawing, drag it left to see the side profile. Start changing the data inputs and watch the drawing change.
• For some fun, change the wheel Type to Eccentric!
• Don't forget to read the Help guide.

This illustrates the power of a vector based calculator, and why it's popular with serious wheelbuilders.

The spokelength-project calculator will eventually be released as a download, to run yourself. It will be for those who have bought a book, although in time it will filter out on the web, and who knows, make every other calculator out there obsolete!

About

Hi, I'm Roger Musson and I want to show you how to build wheels that will turn out exactly like the ones I build.

If you ever see me build a wheel it looks simple and effortless but I'm following the exact procedure described in this book, it's just that the individual elements merge together into a flowing operation from start to finish, and it won't take long for you to achieve this standard. There's no art or artistic interpretation because your wheels will turn out the same as mine.

What I have done is show you everything I do regarding wheelbuilding and answered the questions I was asking when I started building wheels. I haven't kept back any secrets and after reading this book you'll know as much about wheels as I do.

There's no guesswork in anything I do, I deal only with the facts. I also listen to the feedback I get from purchasers of the book over the last 20+ years, so I know your areas of difficulty and answered them.

The information provided in this book is based on my wheelbuilding experiences gained over many years which started out building wheels for my own use, followed by owning a business that specialised in custom wheelbuilding and disc brakes (I wrote the first edition of the disc brake user guide that Hope Technology included with all their brakes). As well as customer wheels I've built wheels for professional race teams, I've run wheelbuilding courses and provided wheelbuilding demonstrations at numerous cycle shows. I also went to cycle race events to provide support for the sponsored teams I was involved with, and anyone else who needed help with their wheels, so I've fixed plenty of broken and out of true wheels and I think I've seen most things that can happen to a wheel. I've accumulated a lot of information and I'd like to share it with you.

I have a theoretical and practical engineering background and I like to form my own opinion on what is good and what is bad. I evaluate all aspects of the building process and find the techniques that enable me to build wheels efficiently and to ensure those wheels perform reliably when used.

You'll also find plenty of discussions on theory and the technical aspects of wheels. Did you look at the contents of the book?

One small payment, that's all

With a free upgrade to the next edition.

Get the wheelbuilding book here...

Ask on any cycling forum for wheelbuilding guides and you'll get plenty of recommendations for this book. As many have said, getting this book was the best money they ever spent on a cycling product. Plus, you get full access to the powerful spoke length calculator.