Introduction: Lacing Bike Wheel : 36 Holes Hub to 32 Holes Rim

By Just Can't Stop Thinking
About: Just an ordinary person who loves #thinking and #tinkering

Do you buy a mismatch hub and rim of a bike wheel? I just did. I never noticed that the new Shimano hub I ordered has 36 holes. If only that store had a pair of rims available, it would have been easier to lace the wheels. Then I ordered a new pair of rims from separate store. I am new to bike's parts and technology. I do carefully count the spokes on my old wheel and yes I ordered 32 holes 26" rims. When both parts arrived, it felt like doomed.

Searching around the web gave me no workaround. I read that there are many out there, and the senior/pro keep telling us to get a new pair of rims. This is not working for us who live in a small town where local bike stores do not sell fancy rims.

Then I give it a try by myself, building my first pair of wheel. Not bad. For those who have the same problem you can give this a try.Some said we need some spokes with different length, but I would say that you need not if you have a double wall rims. Some spokes do pop out about few millimeters from the nipples but I would say no worry for they are still under the second wall of the rim.

I adopted a new method, similar to "three cross pattern" but differ from the conventional wheel building method found on the web. You need "the working sheet" above to follow this instructable easier and clearly, print it out if possible. It will help you lacing the wheel easier.

Step 1: Preparation

  • Rim (32 holes).
  • Hub (36 holes, 18 holes at each flange).
  • 32 pieces of spokes.
  • 32 pieces of nipples.
  • Few foam boards from refrigerator or tv set will help reducing scratches on the floor and rim.
  • A flat head screwdriver.

Place the hub in the middle and the rim around it. I start with the non-driving side up (the left side of wheel). I will use the terms Inside-out spoke that is coming from the inside of the hub flange and the vice versa Outside-in spoke where you can differ them from the picture above.

Step 2: Initial Spoke and the Red Spokes

I use the color code "red spokes" regarding to my working sheet. Find the valve hole for it is our guide for the initial spoke. The holes on the rim are slightly offset, if you look at them carefully. You can see that they are slightly up or down alternately.

First we are working with all the outside-in spokes. Put your first spoke in one hole of the hub then go through the hole on the rim that is slightly up (either on the left or right of valve hole, it is on the left in my case). Then put the nipple on the spoke to lock it on the rim. Five or six turns on the nipple is good.

Then go on with all the red spokes namely on hole 4, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17 on the hub counting clockwise. On the hub flange we leave 2 holes between 1-4 and 10-13. On the rim, we leave 3 holes in between two spokes.

For easier to read on my working sheet, I mark the number on flange with colors. If a number has two colors it means one color is put on top flange and the other is put on the lower flange.

Step 3: The Blue Spokes

Flip the wheel over so that the driving side facing up. Locate your hole #1 and counting clockwise we get the hole #2 on the left. We are building based on our working sheet, the colors, the numbers on hub. We are still working with the outside-in-spokes.

The first blue spoke goes to the right side of the initial red spoke on the rim. In my working sheet, the blues are on the left of the reds because it is viewed from non-driving side, we have flipped the rim remember? It is good if you can imagine that your spokes have colors, otherwise.. you can mark it with color sticky notes. Now put all the other blue spokes on the hub namely hole number 3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17. All blue spokes goes to the next right holes of reds on the rims.

Step 4: The Orange Spokes

Flip your wheel over so that the non-driving side is facing up. Turn the hub counter clockwise. For orange spokes we are now working on inside-out spokes. These orange spokes are red spokes partners on one flange.

Start from the hole #3 on the hub (from the inside out), the orange spoke goes clockwise and make three cross to three red spokes. The first cross is from the above (up), the second cross is from above (up) and the third cross is from the below (down) the red spoke it passes. You might need to bend the spoke a little to bring it down the other spoke. Do not bend too much. Then it goes to the left of the blue spoke on the rim . So it is between a blue spoke and a blank hole on the rim after crossing three red spokes.

Put all the orange spokes on namely on hole 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18 on the hub. They are all goes to the left of the blue spokes on the rim. There you can see we leave two holes blank on the flange without spoke.

Step 5: The Green Spokes

Flip the wheel again so that the driving side is on top. We are working with the inside-out spokes. Note that these green spokes are partners to blue spokes on the other flange.

Start from the hole #2 on the hub (from the inside out), the green spoke goes counter clockwise and make three cross to three blue spokes. The first cross is from the above (up), the second cross is from above (up) and the third cross is from the below (down) the blue spoke it passes. As on orange spokes you might need to bend the spoke more to bring it down the other spoke as our wheel is now getting tighter with more spokes. Try not bend too much or straighten it back after reaching the hole on the rim. It goes to the empty hole on the rim after making three crosses to the blue spokes.


Put all the green spokes on namely on hole 5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18 on the hub. They are all go to empty holes on the rim. Here we leave another two holes blank on the flange without spoke.

We are done. We are heading to the next level that is truing the wheel. Hope I can serve you another instructable on that one later ;)

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