The ordering process:
1. The quickest way to in touch is to use this form. Before you do, please have the following information to hand:

  • Your Name
  • Your Weight/Riding Style 
  • Rim Brake Or Disc Brake? 
  • What axle standards and freehub do you require? Don’t forget a lot of products can be converted easily, so don’t be afraid to mention multiple standards
  • What Key Function Are The Wheels For? It’s also helpful to know if you need the wheels to be light, strong, aerodynamic, stiff etc
  • What Size Tyres Would You Like To Run? (eg: 700 x 25 – 35c, 27.5″ x 2.5 etc.)
  • Any Other Comments (for example any particular products you would like to use or avoid)

2. You will most likely receive a reply from David with prices, availability of products, perhaps some suggestions on altering the wheelset and perhaps some questions for clarification on the build. He might ask you questions regarding additional extras – tyres, rim tape, delivery and so on.

3. You can reply with confirmation of the build with any extras you require or any questions you may have.

4. Once you have confirmed you would like to go ahead you will receive an email from one of us containing an electronic formal quotation. Along with the quotation will be details of how to pay, the warranty and further information about the order.

5. At this stage it is up to you to check the formal quotation and if you are happy with it you will need to make a payment in order to move things forward and get in the build queue. Upon receipt of initial payment, non-stocked items will be ordered. Only once full payment is complete will an order be dispatched. A full written receipt will be dispatched with the wheelset. Most components are kept in stock as standard and most wheelsets are built and dispatched within 2-3 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Do you deliver?
A: Yes. Just let us know where you need your order to go to! Standard UK Mainland next working day delivery is £7 for parts and £10 for wheelsets but we will deliver internationally too. Shipping is charged at cost. European shipping rates are generally reasonable but shipping to the rest of the world is often more pricey.

Q: I’m not far away ~ can I collect the wheels myself?
A: Yes, however it is a private workshop premises not a shop premises. It is normally closed to the public so visits are by appointment only.

Q: How long will it be before I receive my wheels?
A: Normally 2-3 weeks from initial payment to dispatch. It can be less or more depending on the length of the build queue (which tends to be longest in fairer weather!). If special order items are out of stock with the distributor this may delay the order, in which case an estimate will be given depending on their delivery schedule.

Q: Can I run ordinary tyres with tubeless rims?
A: You need to make a distinction between tubeless and tubular. People often get confused. Tubular is what racers used for many decades. It means there is no bead hook at all and the tyre is completely closed with no inner tube. It is rolled onto the rim. Tubeless is like tubeless mountain biking; you fit a special tyre with a specific type of tape, valve cores and a sealant to allow for a self-healing tyre that requires no inner tube. You can still fit ordinary tyres with ordinary tubes to these rims, whereas you cannot usually set up a tubeless system with tape and cores to a non-tubeless rim. So ‘tubeless compatible’ gives you the option of running tubeless, or inner tubes. These rims do tend to be harder to fit ordinary tyres to though.

Q: My quotation says it is a Shimano 11 speed hub. Can I run my 8/9/10 or 12 speed groupset with this hub?
A: The Shimano 11 speed freehub body is slightly larger than the previous freehub bodies. If you want to run an older cassette just ask for a spacer. You fit the spacer first and then put the cassette on. If you want to fit an 11 speed cassette in the future, take the old cassette off as well as the spacer and the 11 speed will fit straight on.

Q: Can I run Campagnolo 11 speed with the old Campagnolo wheels you built me?
A: The Campagnolo freehub body is the same for 10 and 11 speed. You don’t need a different freehub body.

Q: How often do I need to service my wheels? What do I need to do to them?
A: Most DCR wheels should not require much servicing.  You can just replace parts when they wear out. Some hubs have specific servicing requirements (eg: White Industries, Royce, Chris King) and they provide information on their website about this. Often it is best to leave hubs alone and the biggest killer is degreasers and pressure washers. Quite a lot of ordinary bike cleaner can also strip grease from inside a bearing or freehub mechanism. If you need to do a degrease clean of your drive it is best to completely remove it from the bike first. If you want to re-grease your freehub body David recommends W&S HL grease (available from us for £24 per 142g pot). To keep your drive clean and running well David recommends W&S lube – shake the bottle, apply plenty, run round, then remove the excess (available for £14 per 125ml). As a general rule of thumb for cleaning: less is more. If you can clean it with a dry rag or running water, do that. Use the least aggressive method possible.  You can read more about careful cleaning to extend the life of your wheels here.

Q: Rim wear: how long will my wheels last?
A: A very difficult question to answer. Ultimately it depends how much you brake and in what conditions. Wet conditions offer more wear than dry. Carbon generally lasts longer than alloy. Something like the Ryde CSS coating is the most durable rim available. To extend your rim life, choose your brake pads carefully. For alloy rims David recommends Koolstop Dual Compound (available from us for £17 per set of 4). For carbon David recommends Swisstop Black Prince pads.

Q: Can I just buy parts?
A: We are not permitted to sell all parts on their own, according to certain manufacturer’s terms. Some parts are only allowed to be sold as part of a complete wheel. Assuming we are able to sell the parts separately by the manufacturer/distributor we can sell them on to you and advise on selection/building with them.

Q: Can you repair carbon fibre rims?
A: It is possible to repair carbon fibre, but it is not a service that DCR Wheels currently offers. We can rebuild a repaired carbon fibre wheel though.

Q: If a product is not listed on your site, can I still buy it?
A: The site represents information on some of the more popular items that we use but David can build with many additional items and new products are launched regularly.

Q: Do you accept credit card?
A: There are various payment options available. Most commonly people pay by bank transfer or debit card.

Q: Do your prices include VAT?
A: All prices quoted are inclusive of VAT.

Q: Do you offer wholesale services?
A: There are no discounts available on labour for complete wheelsets. Discounts are often available on large volumes of components though.  Some components we are the official distributor for, there are wholesale prices available to retailers on these parts.

Q: Can I supply parts for you to build with?
A: Where possible David prefers to source the parts for wheels he builds. We have a competitive pricing policy and price match wherever possible. However, certain products are inaccessible through trade accounts and are sold as retail only products. You can supply these if you wish. Labour-only services are also available if you have all the relevant parts.

Q: Can I supply used parts?
A: If you have a hub that is in good condition, David will happily rebuild a wheel onto it. Rims are less likely to be in good condition so re-using them is rare. Spokes come in 1 or 2mm increments, so second hand spokes are unlikely to be reusable. Spokes also fatigue over time so their re-use is generally not recommended, especially if some spokes have already broken.

Q: How long will these wheels last?
A: It really depends on the wheels, the rider, the use and the conditions they are ridden in. However assuming the wheels are used appropriately and any required maintenance is undertaken punctually, all DCR wheels should run for at least 10,000 miles. Many will last considerably longer than that and if rim and spoke replacements are undertaken, a number of hubs will continue almost indefinitely.

Q: Do you warranty builds?
A: Yes. If a rim or hub fails, the warranty for it is covered by the relevant manufacturer, its replacement will not incur any labour charge. If spokes fail or the wheel goes significantly out of true, spokes can be replaced free of charge and free retrues are available for life.  If you have any problems, contact us. The warranty does not cover misuse of the wheelset.

Q: If I send you an email, how long before you respond?
A: We aim to respond to all emails within 24 hours but this is not always possible. However during peak season, the volume of emails we receive can be very high and David is also much more tied up with building wheels at these times. If you have not received a response after 4 days your message may have been missed or spammed so it would be worth re-sending.