How to Lace a Mountain Bike Wheel

Lacing is the pattern of the spokes as it connects the wheel hub to the rim.

If you are just a casual mountain biker, lacing your bike's wheel may seem like a huge maintenance step. Learning how to lace a mountain bike wheel may take some time and effort before you get the hang of it. If you are a serious rider, however, knowing how to lace bike wheels on your own can save you more money in the long run. You need to pay close attention to detail in order to complete the entire process. This involves pulling and pushing spokes in the right areas to make sure that you come up with strong wheels.

Things You'll Need

• Spokes
• Teflon oil

Instructions

1. Locate the inboard spokes of your bicycle on the drive side of your hub. Apply oil on the spokes as you insert them into the alternating holes found on the hub's drive side.

2. Place one spoke through the hole that is adjacent to the rim's valve hole. Place the spokes in every fourth hole on its rim.

3. Turn to the opposite side of the hub and place the inboard spokes in it. Start with the hub's first hole found on the left side of its opposite flange. Repeat the same step on the drive side as you turn the hub. This will position the spokes' angles away from your bike's valve hole. The spokes should go through the hole found on the rim, or the left of the hole where the opposite went through.

4. Place the outboard spokes right into the unoccupied holes found on the drive of your hub.

5. Move its first outboard spoke right under the inboard spoke that serves the hub's side. Insert the spoke into the rim, just two places to the hub's side-left serving. Do the same step for all disc-side spokes.

6. Complete the other spokes on the opposite side of your hub, following the same crossover process. See to it that the holes are lined perfectly when you place them to the left side of your corresponding spoke at the same hub side. Work backwards if the spoke is laced incorrectly.

7. Turn the nipples with your fingers to place the spokes under light tension and to keep them in place. True the wheel to finish the lacing.

References

• Bike Radar: Workshop: How to Lace a Wheel