The Art of Wheelbuilding: A Bench Reference for Neophytes, Pros & Wheelaholics Spiral-bound – January 1, 1999

Great book. Talks about the history and technical aspects of wheel-building. Much better to buy this book than waste hours finding unreliable information on the internet. All the internet sites seem to have the same data as the book, just not as well communicated or entertaining. Also a good book to look at before buying wheels. Goes over some basics of wheels that one should know.

Upon my first attempt at wheelbuilding, my bike mechanic friend told me that I had crossed my spokes incorrectly, and recommended this book. The book is easy to read and highly informative -

I'm a mountain biker who tired of leaving his bike at the repair shop everytime he broke a spoke. I bought this book and read in an evening. I felt there should be a disclaimer as the author obviously has some sort of relationship with DT Swiss, a company who makes componants for wheels (there were times when I felt I was reading one long advertisement). When I finished the book I felt I needed more information before I tackled my fisrt wheel build. I bought "The Bicycle Wheel" by Jobst Brandt. It was also quick and easy to read. Both books have their upsides and I'm glad I have both books. Now I'm ready to start building.

I'm a long-distance bicyclist and I have put over 50,000 miles on various bicycle wheels. I decided that I needed to know more about the structure of wheels and perhaps build my next set myself. This book is really easy to read and understand. Armed with the information I've gotten from this book I will be able to build my own wheel and learn a new skill in the process.I recommend this for anyone who depends on their bicycle wheels for long distances across the country. Being able to fix your own wheel out on the road is very valuable knowledge.

Great book to get started. Very easy to follow and great guide for spoking patterns. A bit outdated as it does not speak of builds with straight pull spokes, but really great first book.

I bought this book back in 2005 when I wanted to make my own fixed-gear wheelset (they weren't common around here at the time). I was able to have a set of wheels no one had around here at the time and I knew they were strong. I built up four more wheelsets after, but I always use this book because I'm know building wheels all the time. My favorite part of the book is when the author mentions stress-relief and setting the spokes. I'm glad it's spiral bound, too.

The positive reviews of this book are perplexing, to me. I can't imagine how it could serve as anything like a "bench reference." It's nothing of the sort, in my opinion. It's more like a book of glossy advertisements for DT Swiss, and reminders from the author about what a consummate wheel-building artiste he is. Whatever. As far as I'm concerned, Jobst Brandt published the real bench reference for wheel building in 1981. It's an actual point of reference because it focuses on the foundational concepts of what factors make for a good wheel. The approach of that book is to carry the message that with the careful application of consistent, simple, practical methods, anyone can build a professional quality wheel. It's not magic, it's just science, and it's not necessary to be an artist. In other words, all you need is an understanding of some basic principles and a bit of practice. If my read-between-the-lines take is accurate, Schraner's approach seems to be -- at some level -- a sort of reaction against this idea. Schraner seems to want to say `absolutely not, it's pure wizardry, not science, which makes someone able to produce a pro quality wheel.' He's full of annoyingly pompous-sounding name drops of who he's worked with, or for, and weirdly denigrating statements to the effect that only when you've ascended to the lofty heights of his artistic talents can you claim to understand the inscrutable mysteries of the bicycle wheel. Whereas Brandt invites the reader to dive in and build some wheels, Schraner seems to put the reader off, in a `don't try this at home' kind of tone. Maybe I'm over-stating it for the purposes of making a point and comparing/contrasting with Brandt. And perhaps it just rubbed me the wrong way, after having loved the very down-to-earth, highly practical, highly approachable, and extremely useful information packed into Brandt's book. If you're choosing between the two, I guess you know which one I'd recommend. The Bicycle Wheel gave me the foundational understanding I needed to kick-off my adventures in wheel building, and I still refer to it. The Art of Wheelbuilding, I can honestly say, taught me nothing of practical value.

I bought a copy of Jobst Brandt's "The Bicycle Wheel" when it was first published in '81 and got Roger Musson's "Professional Guide to Wheel Building" E-book a couple of years ago. I bought "The Art of Wheelbuilding" on a whim to complete my wheel building "library". Frankly, I'm somewhat disappointed. If I didn't own the other two books, I would probably regard this as a good wheel building guide, but in my opinion, the others are considerably better. I find that Schraner incorporates too much habit and tradition in his building for my taste. He seems more interested in name-dropping and touting his successes than in the science and technique behind building good wheels. While his stories are entertaining, I was expecting more "nuts and bolts" information and less fluff.I don't regret buying "The Art of Wheelbuilding", but I wouldn't recommend it as a first wheel building reference. If you're technically oriented and want to understand the "why" behind building wheels rather than just the "how", "The Bicycle Wheel" is the book for you. "Professional Guide to Wheel Building" is the easiest to understand, the best illustrated, the most current and the least expensive of the three titles. I would recommend either of these - or better yet, both - over "The Art of Wheel Building".