# Chris King R45 / HED C2 / Sapim CX-Ray (Looking for wheel builder.)



## rearviewmirror (Aug 20, 2008)

I'm looking for a wheel builder (who ships internationally) to build an R45/C2/CX-Ray 24/28 wheelset for me, does anyone have any recommendations? I found wheelbuilder and prowheelbuilder on the interwebs. I'm looking for any additional recommendations on builders who have these parts available, if you know any shops, please send them my way.

Thanks!


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## Eyorerox (Feb 19, 2008)

No
But those are my wheels, 3X at the rear and 2X front
where do you live might have some bearing on wheel builder suggestions.


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## rearviewmirror (Aug 20, 2008)

I'm currently in Australia, but visit San Jose regularly for work so I'll either pick them up in SJ or have them shipped directly to Australia.


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## Darryl W (Jul 10, 2010)

check out 
wheelwerks.us


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## Zen Cyclery (Mar 10, 2009)

Well, the hard part may be tracking down a C2 clincher. We have been trying to get those rims in stock for a while but we can't seem to keep em because they sell so fast.


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## jct78 (Dec 12, 2011)

i had a similar wheelset built by PWB but with White Ind. hubs instead of Kings. they are bombproof. very happy with them. they also offer that package as a 'semi-custom' and offer a price break for the wheelset.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

Not sure if they ship internationally but Fairwheel Bikes.
Pretty much any custom wheel builder (as opposed to the factory handbuilder type) would build those for you.....those are mainstream parts pretty much anyone could get (although Zen is correct, those rims can be out of stock).
For what it's worth I recently ordered a set from a builder who doesn't carry those rims but he ordered them for me....they were out of stock (with his distributor) but recently came in, so I think there's more out there than there were. I won't mention that guy because he doesn't ship outside the US.


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## charlox5 (Jan 31, 2011)

Zen Cyclery said:


> Well, the hard part may be tracking down a C2 clincher. We have been trying to get those rims in stock for a while but we can't seem to keep em because they sell so fast.


waited about 10 days for 24/28 C2 clinchers to come off backorder. ordered at Treefort.


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## ergott (Feb 26, 2006)

Zen Cyclery said:


> Well, the hard part may be tracking down a C2 clincher. We have been trying to get those rims in stock for a while but we can't seem to keep em because they sell so fast.


You buy Hed rims direct from Hed?


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## omrep (Nov 12, 2012)

Thot about the C472 from Bikehubstore? We've built up quite a few of these. Killer price, very stiff rim and weight is about 470gr. They build perfect w/CH 45's and CXRAY, Btw (just did up 4 sets)


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## givethepigeye (Aug 23, 2009)

Getting the rims will be your toughest part.


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## Special Eyes (Feb 2, 2011)

Contact Chris King. They may build them for you.


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## Pitts Pilot (Dec 5, 2011)

I had Ron Ruff at White Mountain Wheels (New Mexico) build me Alchemy/HED/Sapim wheels and was very pleased with the service and finished product.


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## jneilt (Aug 11, 2012)

Contact either ron ruff (dunno if he will ship overseas) or RT wheel craft. I know RT has those rims available...

I have wheels from both, would recommend either equally...but check their backlogs!


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## SnowBeer (Oct 4, 2012)

I just recieved the exact wheelset you specified. The bad news is I had to wait almost two months for the rims to come into the builder. I went with prowheelbuilder.com. Good price on the semi-custom wheelsets and built well, but be prepared to wait for the HED Belgiums no matter where you get them. I think HED is reluctant to sell a bunch of them because they'd rather have you getting some Ardennes factory wheelsets for a lot more money with worse hubs and spokes.


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## Eyorerox (Feb 19, 2008)

I got my rims from HED UK no wait no problem just a lot of money.


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## Whale_520 (Aug 16, 2012)

Jay Strongbow said:


> Not sure if they ship internationally but Fairwheel Bikes.


Jay, thanks and we do ship internationally. Oddly enough a lot of our business is in Australia. 




rearviewmirror said:


> I'm looking for a wheel builder (who ships internationally) to build an R45/C2/CX-Ray 24/28 wheelset for me, does anyone have any recommendations? I found wheelbuilder and prowheelbuilder on the interwebs. I'm looking for any additional recommendations on builders who have these parts available, if you know any shops, please send them my way.
> 
> Thanks!


Rearviewmirror,

Zen is right, Belgium C2s are hard to get and we are more often than not out of stock as well. Coincidentally though we have two, unspoken for, sets on the way right now. CX-Ray spokes and CK R45 hubs are no problem. 

Cheers


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## ergott (Feb 26, 2006)

Whale_520 said:


> Coincidentally though we have two, unspoken for, sets on the way right now. CX-Ray spokes and CK R45 hubs are no problem.
> 
> Cheers


Coincidentally, you also now have H+Son Archetypes in stock which are an excellent alternative/:thumbsup: Anyone here having trouble getting the Hed rims should consider this rim from Fairwheel who distributes them.


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## NWS Alpine (Mar 16, 2012)

Yeah that is a nice option too. Saw the post on FB about them being in stock. Curious to see Fairwheel's new rim. 

Also waiting to see what rim you are releasing too. Tons of great aluminum rims out there now. Hard to pick which one to go with.


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## ergott (Feb 26, 2006)

NWS Alpine said:


> Yeah that is a nice option too. Saw the post on FB about them being in stock. Curious to see Fairwheel's new rim.
> 
> Also waiting to see what rim you are releasing too. Tons of great aluminum rims out there now. Hard to pick which one to go with.


Fariwheel and I are in cahoots;-) There's one more player involved as well.


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## NWS Alpine (Mar 16, 2012)

ergott said:


> Fariwheel and I are in cahoots;-) There's one more player involved as well.


Ah ok. :thumbsup:


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## Whale_520 (Aug 16, 2012)

ergott said:


> Coincidentally, you also now have H+Son Archetypes in stock which are an excellent alternative/:thumbsup: Anyone here having trouble getting the Hed rims should consider this rim from Fairwheel who distributes them.












Thanks Eric, we're pretty excited about the H Plus Son rims. The hard ano is going to have a great wear life and the shape is, like you said, a HED C2 killer.


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## punchy (Nov 11, 2008)

Hmmm. Interesting thread. Ive been looking at Chris Kings myself. Im after just a rear and I want to be able to fit 37c tyres.

HED's are also on my radar as well as CX Ray spokes. Rearviewmirror has done well posting the topic 

Can anyone tell me if the HED's will be ok with 37c tyres ? If not, can someone recommend a suitable rim ? Ive also considered Mavic A719's and I do like the H plus Son rims also, that is if they are suitable for 37c tyres, particularly the SL42.

I will be running it on a Salsa Casseroll with a 9 speed road rear derailed (1x9).

Can any pro wheel builders on here give some feed back and do you's post to Australia ?

Cheers


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## rayovolks (Dec 13, 2007)

Another source I recommend is Justin at luxewheelworks

I have a set of CK R45's built with Velocity A23 rims, CXrays, 20/24. As close to perfection as it gets for aluminum clinchers. He can build with other rims too, H+SON, etc.


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## Darryl W (Jul 10, 2010)

punchy said:


> Hmmm. Interesting thread. Ive been looking at Chris Kings myself. Im after just a rear and I want to be able to fit 37c tyres.
> 
> HED's are also on my radar as well as CX Ray spokes. Rearviewmirror has done well posting the topic
> 
> ...


I was running 35c cross tires on my HED's and had no problems


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## Pegorider (Nov 2, 2008)

Fairwheel Bikes can do that build, and quite nicely, too.

Here's the set they built for me:
Silver A23s, Chris King R45 hubs, 24x28, C-Xray spokes.

They ride beautifully.

Steve
Tucson


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

*Nice wheels!*

That is a very eye catching combination. Nice!


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## verycreativeusername (Jan 26, 2012)

Where about in Australia are you mate? If your in SA, check by International Cycles, Peter there is really helpful, he's given me great advice when I'm doing my own builds... Catching him is an issue though


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## punchy (Nov 11, 2008)

Hey verycreativeusername. Im in SA mate !

Yes heard of International Cycles. He seems to be the go to man in Adelaide. Ive spoken to him before. I find though, that buying anything thats a little rare and higher end here in OZ attracts very extravagant prices. You get some real bargains on line, and when your not rich like me it makes a difference. Im happy to see Peter to build up the wheel if I buy the wheel in parts. and have it built here.

My problem though is my spoke choice. Local shops in OZ charge around $9 a spoke for Sapim CX Ray's. Where as you can find them on line for less than $3 a spoke. It adds up when you buy 32 spokes for each wheel. I don't know how to calculate spoke lengths and im not confident enough yet to build my own wheels. Not sue id want to build up a wheel with high end components as a first wheel build anyway. Probably not a smart starting point in wheel building.

If his willing to to calculate spoke lengths and I order the parts on line Im more than happy to have Peter build me a wheel. Even if I have to pay a little extra for the wheel build, I don't care. Problem is though, local shops don't really want to hear that your shopping online and taking business away from them. Which is why I hesitate to have a wheel built locally.

Im only after a rear wheel. Yet to find one on line (still looking). Ive found a nice set of Chris king hubs laced to DT Swiss 415's at $800. Tempting. But I dont think I'll have much change out of $800 just for a rear wheel if I ordered locally. Im after just the rear because I plan to build up a dynamo hub wheel for the front. Which will actually be built up (at this stage) by a dude in Melbourne. His willing to calculate spoke lengths if I ship the parts to him for the wheel build, which suits me fine. If this goes ahead, then I can transfer my current CL 24 Dura Ace wheels to my Cannondale racer. And use the Salsa Casseroll for the Chris King/dynamo wheel set up as a commuter, as its not really ideal as a racing bike. Great as a commuter though, as I want to run at least 32c tyres on it (not an ideal tyre for the Dura Ace wheels, even though they are handling fine with 32c tyres on the at the moment) . But yeah, High end commuter wheels with suitable rims for 32c to 37c tyres is what im ideally after.

Do I really need a Chris King hub ? Probably not ! But im keen to just to try them out. Or maybe even Hope 3 hubs, they get ripper reviews too. Chris King is probably a little overkill as a commuter hub, but I do own a Rohloff hub in a Travellers Check frame, so I have been known to be a little extravagant 

By the way, Local shops quoted me at $2,600 for a Surly Travellers check frame, I got one sent over from the states for $1,300 landed her. Its hard to ignore that type of saving. Love to support the local businesses, but we have to look after our own pockets too.


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## verycreativeusername (Jan 26, 2012)

True that Punchy, If its within 15% I'm happy to support local, but 200% is just ridiculous

Not sure about your opinion on "backyard" builders, but there are a handful of local "backyard" builders in Adelaide, who are usually happy to build up your parts for you for minor costs. If you have a local cycling club, it may be worth checking in there... IMO these guys are just as good, sometimes having 6 month waiting lists. However they seem a bit sketchy with the "I take no responsibility" disclaimer. If you would rather a professional do it, I can't recall which shop, but I am aware of a builder who is happy to build parts bought online for a reasonable cost. I'm sorry I can't remember this shop, but it exists...


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## punchy (Nov 11, 2008)

Im happy to go to a local shop for a wheel build. They don't charge much for the build. They vary from aroud $35 to $65 form quotes ive had. Id rather that than a 'back yard builder' with dodgy disclaimers. Mate im happy to pay $80 if they are willing to calculate spoke lengths and build up with Sapim CX Ray spokes ! 

It only gets pricy when you are paying full retail prices for parts. THAT is where the prices become insane !

Im actually looking into doing some bike courses through Bike SA. I can put a bike together, but I still have a lot to learn. Wheel building for exmple, and aving the 'hands on knowledge' of mixing up and matching different bike part combination for gearing, bottom brackets, calculations etc. Even saying that, I still think it will be a while before I can confidently build a bike wheel. So as I said earlier, using premium parts for a first build I don't think is a very good idea. Especially at around $50 a wheel build.

Within 15% ? Yep ! I happy to pay that too ! Doesn't work out that way in reality though unfortunately. I paid $1,850 for my Rohloff, I can find them on line for around a grand if I shop smartly enough. I also paid $300 to have the bike put together ! I think that was a little steep IMO. That was the day I decided to learn to build my own. It just requires alot of patience and researching sites like MTBR (Great site !) to achieve your gol. I think the high ozi dollar helps in regards to finding cheap deals, probably not so much for the local shops though. But as I said, we gotta look after our own pockets too. How can you ignore those type of savings ??


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## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

punchy said:


> My problem though is my spoke choice. Local shops in OZ charge around $9 a spoke for Sapim CX Ray's. Where as you can find them on line for less than $3 a spoke. It adds up when you buy 32 spokes for each wheel. I don't know how to calculate spoke lengths and im not confident enough yet to build my own wheels. Not sue id want to build up a wheel with high end components as a first wheel build anyway. Probably not a smart starting point in wheel building.
> 
> If his willing to to calculate spoke lengths and I order the parts on line Im more than happy to have Peter build me a wheel. Even if I have to pay a little extra for the wheel build, I don't care. Problem is though, local shops don't really want to hear that your shopping online and taking business away from them. Which is why I hesitate to have a wheel built locally.
> 
> ...


If you are after saving money as you say you are, you need to do a bit more homework.
Rims: Look at the likes of Velocity Synergy and Dyad. 
Hubs: There are quite a few hub choices that will cost you 1/4th of what the CK will and will give you the same functionality for commuter duty; Ultegra 6700 comes to mind at $80USD.
Lastly, I don't understand why you are putting "commuter/touring" and "CX Rays" in the same sentence. Double butted or triple butted spokes are more than what you need. Not much aero going on with that Surly you are looking at. BTW, $9 a piece for cxrays I find absurd.


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## punchy (Nov 11, 2008)

Your right dcgriz. $9 is absurd !! Its the spoke I want though, preferably. I want a fast commuter, not a horse n cart tourer. And the bike is a Salsa Casseroll. The Surly has the Rohloff, which is my work horse/ tourer so to speak. So, im not just looking at it, I own it 

Yep, looked at factory Shimano Ultegra's. They are in my top 3 atm. Less than $200 shipped is a bargain ! Im also looking at Hope Pro 3's laced with 32 spoke Mavic Open Pro's. A little more cash, and you have to buy a skewer, but they have 32 spokes, and get ripper reviews, where as the lesser spoke count on the Ultegra's makes me hesitate just a little. Its the Hope Aero 3.0 with the CX Ray spokes that has really caught my attention though. They also have CX Ray spokes, a more aero rim and aren't too much more than the Hope/Mavic Pro combo. But...Haven't been able to find them on line that ships to OZ as yet. Still looking.

Mate if I spent as much time riding as I do researching...id be in the Tour de France ! :/

However... There is something about those Chris King hubs that appeal to me. Like Thompson, Brooks, Rohloff's, Dura Ace etc. They are extravagant items to own, but I do own them all. And I love them all


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## Zen Cyclery (Mar 10, 2009)

Wow. Those Luxe Wheel Works pictures are mind blowing. What a great hub color. Thanks for posting!


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## verycreativeusername (Jan 26, 2012)

punchy said:


> However... There is something about those Chris King hubs that appeal to me. Like Thompson, Brooks, Rohloff's, Dura Ace etc. They are extravagant items to own, but I do own them all. And I love them all


Glad to know I'm not alone... 

with the build, have you checked in at Super Elliots? I'm not sure what they charge, but I remember seeing boxes of spokes being bought in...


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## punchy (Nov 11, 2008)

Hmmm yeah. I haven't had a good experience at Super Elliot's. Not sure I'd be welcome there. friends of mine have had good dealings there. But I'm afraid not for myself. 

I actually wrote up a review on their bike shop a while back. And I will stand by my comments, as I believe they were warranted. But it's done now. Probably best to leave it at that. 

When your dealing with bike parts that are rare or not over the shelf regular parts like Shimano it sometimes unfortunately falls in the 'too hard basket' for a lot of bike shops here in Iil old Adelaide.


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## verycreativeusername (Jan 26, 2012)

True


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## sibette (May 18, 2011)

how is your wheel set now ?
i am planing to build withe same set, but
use the HED C2 plus rims..


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