Welcome to Wheel Builder – building wheels for you since 2015

Hi. My name is Nicholas Krul, and I’m your wheel builder.

I’m passionate about building wheels, that’s why I do what I do.

There’s something magical about starting with a handful of spokes and nipples, a couple of hubs and rims – and a few hours later having a set of beautiful wheels, ready to be ridden.

I’m also passionate about helping cyclists get the most enjoyment, satisfaction, reliability and performance out of their bikes – much of this depends on the wheels.

My mission is to help you, the rider, get the most out of your road, gravel or mountain bike by building you the best possible wheels to suit your bike, your riding style, your taste and your budget.

Although I’m located in Wilderness, in the beautiful Garden Route, near George, in the Western Cape, I serve customers nationwide.

I source rims, hubs and spokes from South African and international suppliers.

My focus is on building reliable bicycle wheels for any discipline of cycling. I’ve built wheels for tandems, mountain bikes, road bikes, BMX bikes and even unicycles.

Whether you’re looking for top-of-the-range carbon wheels for your race bike, or a bulletproof set of alloy wheels for your enduro bike, or anything in between, I can help!

Get your no-obligation quote by sending me some info – click here.

The problem with stock / OEM wheels

Bike brands have to hit a certain price point for the bikes they sell – this means there are always compromises, and the easiest way to save cost is to spec inferior, cheap wheels.

Too many bikes are sold with sub-standard wheels which do nothing good for the riding experience. Your wheels are the most important component on your road or mountain bike.

Your wheels are what connect your bike to the road or trail. If your wheels are weak, they flex and you lose power. If they are too heavy, they need too much energy to get rolling.

I also do bicycle wheel repairs, so let me know if you have a wobbly rim or are breaking spokes.

Tubeless

I advocate using tubeless tyres when mountain biking, especially in South Africa – thorns, sharp rocks and broken glass are everywhere. Nobody wants a puncture to spoil their ride! As a wheel builder, I see broken wheels all the time – nothing will ruin your day worse than a broken wheel when you’re out on the trails. I build wheels that last for years and provide you with a worry-free riding experience.

The current trend in mountain biking is to use rims that are as wider – for good reason. Wider rims provide a more solid foundation for your tyres and allows one to use lower tyre pressures without the risk of burping. Wider rims add volume to the tyre which aids in comfort and traction.

My wheel building services

• Complete wheel builds, according to your requirements: budget, riding style and taste
  Carbon or alloy rims, hubs from a variety of brands, for road, gravel and mountain bikes.
• Wheel truing, broken spoke replacement, tubeless conversions
• Rim or hub replacement for existing wheels

I source rims, hubs and spokes from local agencies and international suppliers, and can get most items from most brands, depending on availability.

Some of the brands I work with: Hope hubs, Spank rims, Stan’s NoTubes rims, WTB rims and tyres, Raceface rims, Aivee hubs, Nextie rims, Pillar and DT Swiss spokes, Industry Nine hubs, to name a few…

Invest in the best wheels you can afford

You already spend so much money on your bike, accessories, clothing, shoes, eyewear, entrance fees for races and bike maintenance – invest in really good wheels that will cost you less money in the long run. (read this to see what I mean)

Choose wisely

I recommend using double butted spokes and brass nipples in your bicycle wheels. These are the most durable and have a great weight to performance to price ratio. I lace the wheels by hand and painstakingly tension each spoke evenly to create a balanced, reliable wheel that will give years of faithful service.

Peace of mind

As a wheel builder, I offer a lifetime guarantee on my workmanship, as well as on the spokes and nipples I use. Ask me for more info on that!

Get in touch

Contact me by sending me an email, WhatsApp message or simply call me for more information or a quote. I can’t wait to build a set of wheels just for you.

Nicholas.