Wheelbuilding Course

In addition to building quality wheels, Yellow Saddle Cycling also runs courses on wheelbuilding. Once you’ve
completed this course and practiced on a few wheels, you too will be a master wheelbuilder. Our courses
are for professionals and amateurs alike, there is no difference in what I teach you, whether you work in a bike
shop or plan to do only your own wheels. There are some universal secrets and they apply to both
scenarios – science is science. Professionals may want to supplement their experience with an
Advanced Course. This will teach you how to build tandem wheels, prepair boutique wheels and
deal with special problems.

The Wheelbuilding course takes place over two days – Saturday from 8:30 to 18:00 and Sunday from 08:30
through to 15:00. The first day covers theory and wheel lacing and the second day is a practical hands-on
wheelbuilding session where you get to build your own set of wheels.

This course will teach you lots of interesting stuff about wheelbuilding, engineering and metallurgy. Even after 20
years as a bike shop mechanic, I assure you, you will learn useful new stuff. Many mechanics feel they have
nothing more to learn after building a few hundred wheels but that notion is naïve. It’s like saying the guy who
pours concrete onto reinforced steel at a building site, and has been doing so for 20 years, understands
pre-stressed structures. Unless he was taught the theory, he’ll never pick up the nuances of pre-stressed
concrete. Likewise, unless you acquire the theory of wheelbuilding, you won’t pick it up by building
wheels or watching other people.

Amateurs and DIY cyclists who would like to build and fix their own wheels also love this course. It gives them
all the confidence to tackle the most complex bicycle DIY task by themselves and the knowledge they
need to win technical arguments in the peloton.

We have taught dozens of wheelbuilders all over South Africa and neighbouring countries.
Join the Yellow Saddle Master Wheelbuilders Club today.

In this course you’ll learn:

Each delegate receives a text book on wheelbuilding as well as a portable truing stand as part of the
course package. The course is conducted by Johan Bornman.

On successful completion of the course you receive a Master Wheelbuilder certificate and
license to thrill your customers.
The Wheelbuilding Course costs R3400 and includes a foldable wheel truing stand and spoke spanner,
notes, a copy of The Bicycle Wheel, all meals and refreshments and, a certificate.

For a course schedule Click here.

Amateur or professional wheelbuilders can learn how to build
top-class wheels at the Yellow Saddle Cycling Academy.