Wheels When Wheelsmith Fabrications started in 1980, we were the first company to build high quality wheels in large numbers, and Wheelsmith wheels continue to be among the very finest wheels available today. In the more than 25 years we have been building wheels, there are few techniques we have not tried or situations we have not encountered. Wheelsmith's wheelbuilding philosophy emphasizes strength and durability, and the key is high, uniform spoke tension.
Spoke tension is the most difficult and elusive aspect of wheelbuilding.
It is the characteristic of the wheel most difficult to evaluate, yet the most critical to its performance. This approach to wheelbuilding, based on combining both art and science, and focusing on tension rather than cosmetic trueness, was pioneered by Wheelsmith and remains at the foundation of our process. Cosmetic trueness can actually come at the expense of a wheel's strength because it can result in unbalanced tension. So do not be misled by some builders' claims about trueness, because what really matters is not how true a wheel is now, but how true it is 1,000 miles from now. We offer a wide range of Wheelsmith wheelbuilding services, but we do not sell complete wheels.