Wheels of Steel
Two turntables, two hand built BMX wheels by Soulcycle. Wheels of Steel.
At Soulcycle we have been building BMX wheels by hand for many years. Our standard setup today is 36 spokes, 3 cross, based on the wheel building method of George French from G Sport.
But wheel builders have always debated the details. Should the pulling spokes have their heads on the inside or outside of the hub flange? Does it actually make a difference to wheel strength? And what really makes a BMX wheel last?
We decided to ask some very experienced wheel builders, including George French, Damon Rinard and Ric Hjertberg.
The G Sport method
We build our wheels using the method developed by George French from G Sport. The pulling spokes have their heads on the inside of the hub flange and the pushing spokes have their heads on the outside.
George told us that his method is based on The Bicycle Wheel by Jobst Brandt, one of the classic books on bicycle wheel building.
Does spoke orientation really matter?
The answers from George, Damon and Ric were surprisingly similar. The exact spoke orientation is much less important than how well the wheel is actually built.
Correct spoke length, a good fit between the spokes and hub flange, high and even spoke tension, avoiding spoke windup and proper stress relieving all have a much bigger influence on building a strong and durable BMX wheel.
36 spokes and 3 cross
Most BMX wheels we build today are 36 spoke and 3 cross. But not every hub requires exactly the same approach.
We can also build 4 cross, and with some hubs this is actually necessary. A Primo Flangeless hub, for example, needs to be built 4 cross so the spoke heads sit correctly in the hub.
And a little BMX history: 48 spoke wheels used to be the standard in BMX. We have built plenty of those at Soulcycle over the years too.
It's all in the details
A good BMX hub, rim and set of spokes are important, but ultimately those parts need to come together as one properly built wheel.
That's where experience counts. Choosing the correct spoke length, lacing the wheel correctly, bringing the spokes up to an even tension, stress relieving and finally getting the wheel perfectly true.
Get your BMX wheel built at Soulcycle
Got a new hub or rim, want to put together a custom wheel, or need your existing BMX wheel rebuilt? At Soulcycle we build and repair BMX wheels by hand in our workshop in Amsterdam.
Choose your own parts or let us help you find the right combination and spoke length. We'll take care of the rest.
BMX Wheel Building at Soulcycle
Wheels of Steel. Hand built at Soulcycle.
