Anyone in Montana build ebike wheels?

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yooper2001

10 W
Joined
Dec 3, 2025
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70
Location
Montana, USA
I'm in Great Falls, but will travel to anywhere in MT. I want to have a 135mm hub motor laced with a 20x3 rim. I will order both if I can find someone. I called all bike shops listed in montana, and was turned down. Lemme know what will make it worthwhile.

Most people will ask why I don't do it myself, but I have no artistic ability whatsoever...can't weld....I blob solder jobs...ect..

Thank you!!
 
Weird that the bike shops won't do it. I had my wheel rebuilt by "Dave's Wheels" - a custom bike wheel builder - and he didn't bat an eye. And the wheel has lasted quite a while.

I've now laced two wheels - one with a front hub motor and one with a SRAM 9 speed internal gear rear hub. So both had larger than normal hub diameters. The process isn't difficult. It requires no artistic ability. It does require attention to detail and either a truing stand or something that can serve the same purpose. You have to calculate the spoke lengths and order custom spokes. There are loads of tutorials on You Tube. Unless your motor is particularly powerful (over 1000 watts) I wouldn't hesitate to build it myself or recommend that you do the same.

BTW, did you contact this wheel builder?
www.missoulabicycleworks.com

Customs Bicycle Wheel Building

We offer custom bicycle wheels, built by hand right here in Missoula, MT. Let our master builders help you find the ideal set up for your bike and make it a reality.
www.missoulabicycleworks.com www.missoulabicycleworks.com
 
Thanks for the reply!
Yes I contacted them and another 'custom wheel' place in the Missoula area....Hamilton I think?....anyhow, I was told that they would build a front rim for me with their stuff, but wouldn't build one with my motor and rim

My bike has a 3 inch rim (60mm), and 140 mm dropout.. That combination is like a unicorn to find. It currently has a 500w motor with 55 torque, which I stress too much with my fat ass.(240 ibs 6'3) The same company that makes a 140 mm 1000w motor with 95 torque. That's what I want to build so I won't stress my bike as bad. I currently run close to peak long enuff I have to stop frequently.

I might try building a front rim....but the stress of my weight..I'd rather someone more experienced do the rear.

Thanks for the reply!
 
yooper2001 said:
I want to have a 135mm hub motor laced with a 20x3 rim. I will order both if I can find someone.
Click to expand...
Assuming you don't have the motor or rim, I would suggest you talk to Grin Technologies, just north of you in Vancouver, Canada, They have both the rim (65mm) and a selection of hubmotors and will assemble ready to install. Not cheap, but top tier stuff.
 
I dropped Grin an email....it's funny when the pre-built wheel will probably cost more than 3 times the price of the bike. But I like my bike so it may be worth it
 
yooper2001 said:
I dropped Grin an email....it's funny when the pre-built wheel will probably cost more than 3 times the price of the bike. But I like my bike so it may be worth it
Click to expand...
It's worth it. Nothing is like buying quality parts and backing it up with quality work. If grin has the motor and rim, have never thought twice about them doing the work. I can lace or rebuild a wheel but grin does this all day long.
 
Just for fun, check out these extremely helpful hubmotor wheelbuilding videos to see what all is involved: (videos listed at the bottom of the page)

Wheel Building - Getting Advanced - Resources

There are many good print and online references for lacing bicycle wheels. Many will defer to Sheldon Brown, Brandt's Bicycle Wheel Book, and others. However, a lot of the points and details with a conventional bicycle hubs don't necessarily apply to hub motors with their much larger flange...
ebikes.ca ebikes.ca

If you decide it's still beyond your capabilities or desires or motivations, at least you will have a better idea of the important factors.
 
99t4 said:
Just for fun, check out these extremely helpful hubmotor wheelbuilding videos to see what all is involved: (videos listed at the bottom of the page)

Wheel Building - Getting Advanced - Resources

There are many good print and online references for lacing bicycle wheels. Many will defer to Sheldon Brown, Brandt's Bicycle Wheel Book, and others. However, a lot of the points and details with a conventional bicycle hubs don't necessarily apply to hub motors with their much larger flange...
ebikes.ca ebikes.ca

If you decide it's still beyond your capabilities or desires or motivations, at least you will have a better idea of the important factors.
Click to expand...
Just to let you know that I hate you......because I am gonna try it.... My wife also hates you because I am gonna try it. ;)
 
Grin does sell a 20" x 60mm Weinman rim. I bought one 4 years ago and laced a motor into it. Used their spoke calculator. As long as you measured the ERD right, it will work out,
 
Yeah grin will let you ship them a rim and lace anything.
It can make sense if you are going to use one of their hubmotors!
 
Well... I guess It's time...it had to happen.. I snapped the head off 3 of those 13g spokes you guys don't speak highly of sometime in the last couple of days on my active bike.
1750 miles....I guess maybe they just weakened slowly. I found them in my pre ride inspection.
I have a cheap stand and the 127mm spokes should be in Tuesday..
My virgin spoke replacement!

Any advise on changing 3 out would be helpful
Thanks!
 
Thanks! No ovaling at the cap...I was lucky. I did check and find 2 other spokes loose enuff to barely make a note when pinged... I was told loose spokes are the ones that break. I replaced the 3. Then went around the rim tweaking spokes where the rim rubbed the truing stand arm...I got the deviation to between 1 to 1.5 mm (less than the thickness of a spoke) I hope that's good enuff.
 
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