ordering fixed-gear wheelsets from the US

frenchie091

Hi,
I've been looking around for fixed-gear wheelsets for a build I'm planning to do, and saw good prices on the flashy deep-v jobs on a couple of US shops on ebay. Even with shipping they come in at around €150-200. Has anyone ordered parts from the US? I was wondering what the story is with import duty.
Alternatively, has anyone any experience of getting fixed-gear wheelsets built in Dublin? I know this came up briefly before.

Cheers,
john.

(ps - while I'm asking about fixed-gear wheels, can anyone explain to me what the difference is between track front hubs and ordinary road front hubs? i don't really understand why they exist.)

Morgan

You pay 4% duty on the total of goods and shipping and then pay 21% VAT on the total of that. You'll have to make sure it's still a good deal with all that piled on top.

Track front hubs can be made lighter and without sealed bearings (which can make them roll quicker) since they're intended to be used indoors (on on dry outdoor tracks). They're not really designed for street use.

fish-head

You don't need to order from the US. Talk to Will at Hubjub.co.uk and he'll be able to sort you out.

BlackMirror

Front hubs have high flanges mainly out of tradition. Besides, if your rear hub has a nutted axel (which it should) then you have to carry a 15mm wrench anyhow, so you might as well have a nutted front hub as well as a theft deterrant.

On one of my fixed gear bikes, I have a track hub, only because I bought the wheels as a set. On the other two, I use ordinary road wheels in the front.

I've built a couple of fixed gear wheels myself. It's pretty easy.

frenchie091

You don't need to order from the US. Talk to Will at Hubjub.co.uk and he'll be able to sort you out.

I'd like to avoid messing around with import duty and VAT from the US alright. With sterling and shipping though, does it not work out pretty expensive? Options are limited I guess.

I've built a couple of fixed gear wheels myself. It's pretty easy.

I've thought about trying this out sometime. Is it time consuming? It'd be nice to learn to do, but I'd thinking it'd be safer to get it done professionally

lukester

Interesting, I was about to post a similar question. I'm going to convert an old bike for hacking round town. I've been looking at getting one of these Goldtec track hubs. They'll build up the wheel for you, options for rims and spokes are on the page. I considered building up the wheel myself, but feared it would become one of those projects where frustration would overtake ambition. I will probably just get them to build the wheel, do the wheel building another time.

On the same topic, for getting the correct width rear hub, which measurement do you use, the existing axle length, or the distance between the dropouts?

niceonetom

lukester wrote: »

On the same topic, for getting the correct width rear hub, which measurement do you use, the existing axle length, or the distance between the dropouts?

distance between dropouts, inside to inside, i think.

frenchie091

I've been looking at getting one of these Goldtec track hubs.

Yeah, nice to be able to order them pre-built, but Goldtec hubs seem to be the only option they provide. With the cheapest rim option, + delivery, it's nearly €300 for the set.

Nice if you can afford it, but I was thinking of using budget hubs like those SystemEx/Formula/IRO ones (all the same, just branded differently, apparently?). The On-One hubs are also the same I think: http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk
Cycleways have SystemEx hubs for around €35 as far as I know. But where to get the rims etc, and get them built, without it costing loads?

frenchie091

niceonetom wrote: »

distance between dropouts, inside to inside, i think.

Yep, that's it.

niceonetom

frenchie091 wrote: »

Cycleways have SystemEx hubs for around €35 as far as I know. But where to get the rims etc, and get them built, without it costing loads?

i had cliff in cycleogical build me up a pair of wheels systemEx hubs & mavic openpro rims. they're very solid wheels (i give them fair abuse and so far they're still perfectly true) but they weren't the cheapest. can't honestly remember how much he charged me but it was around the €250 mark. you could probably do better, but i rate him as a wheelbuilder, i've never had wheels stay so straight for so long. touch wood etc.

what shops were you looking at in the US?
some cheapies here, possibly even if the taxman does catch you.

lukester

niceonetom wrote: »

distance between dropouts, inside to inside, i think.

frenchie091 wrote: »

Yep, that's it.

Cheers

frenchie091 wrote: »

Yeah, nice to be able to order them pre-built, but Goldtec hubs seem to be the only option they provide. With the cheapest rim option, + delivery, it's nearly €300 for the set.

Nice if you can afford it,

I can't afford it! Was just going to go for the rear wheel, with the cheapest options it's around €130 delivered. This is just a hack bike, for when I have to lock the bike in town, and I want to do it as cheaply as possible. I considered using the existing rear wheel but it's totally fooked.

BlackMirror

lukester wrote: »

Cheers



I can't afford it! Was just going to go for the rear wheel, with the cheapest options it's around €130 delivered. This is just a hack bike, for when I have to lock the bike in town, and I want to do it as cheaply as possible. I considered using the existing rear wheel but it's totally fooked.

If 130 Euro is $200 US, that's a lot for just a rear wheel. Dimension puts together a combo that's a Velocity Aero rim and a Dimension track hub for about $190 for a pair.

I built a wheel with a Dimension hub, a Mavic Open Sport rim and DT Swiss spokes for $120.

Or get an old 6 or 7 speed wheel that uses a thread-on freewheel, remove the freewheel, re-space the hub and re-dish the rim and rotofix a cog. They call it a "suicide hub" but it's only suicidal if you don't have any brakes.

frenchie091

niceonetom wrote: »

what shops were you looking at in the US?
some cheapies here, possibly even if the taxman does catch you.

I was looking at a couple of places on ebay aswell, here
and here, same kind of prices as the place you posted. could work out ok, even with duty/VAT.

I got a good deal on a nice rear wheel last autumn from the bike shop in UCD, a budget track hub with a Mavic CXP22 rim and stainless steel spokes, for < €100. Unfortunately the guys who worked there are gone now, and the guy who works there now had no idea what I was talking about when I asked him to order in a fixed-gear sprocket recently, so I need to look elsewhere.

Was just going to go for the rear wheel, with the cheapest options it's around €130 delivered.

And that's with Goldtec hubs. If you could get something similar built on budget hubs it could be up to €50 cheaper. If they can do wheelsets with Goldtec hubs and Mavic rims for <€300, then surely it's possible to get a wheelset with budget hubs from somewhere in the UK for < €200?

Anyone ever order from hubjub? Any idea of prices? Maybe I should just ask them.