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Q. What is the difference between single wall and double wall rims?
A. Bicycle rims are made by either forming sheets of metal or extruding metal through a die or
mold. Single wall rims have a single layer of material (either steel or alloy) in the bead area where the bicycle tire rests. Double wall rims have 2 layers of material (typically alloy) where the tire bead sits. The area formed by using two walls, at times with an air space in between, yields a stronger, but at times heavier, rim.

Q. What is the difference between chrome and silver finishes?
A. Chrome is a shiny, plated finish, and silver is a hard, but less shiny (matte) anodized finish. For a description of various finishes, please see the next question.

Q. What is the difference between the various finishes you offer?
A. There are many finishes for the various rims and hubs we use. Finishes include plating (a process that tightly affixes an extremely shiny, reflective and protective layer of metal all over the surface of the rim), anodizing (a process by which aluminum is chemically and electrically oxidized, making it stronger and corrosion resistant), painting (a process where paint is coated over the exterior of the surface), or powder coating (a process where a dry powder is electro statically adhered to a rim and then baked to a hard finish. The shiniest finishes are plating and powder coating. Paint can have a gloss too. Anodizing is often more of a matte finish.

Q. Can you explain why a 26” wheel does not have a 26” diameter?
A. Although industry standards have some exceptions, for the most part wheel sizes are designated by the outer diameter of the tire that mounts on a given wheel. So a 26” wheel actually measures closer to the inner diameter of the tire (actually just above where the tire bead is). Tires can be measured in inches or millimeters.

Q. What is the benefit of stainless versus standard (UCP) spokes?
A. Simply put stainless spokes are stronger and less prone to rusting then less expensive UCP (universal chrome plated) spokes.

Q. What is a universal flatted axle?
A. A universal flatted axle is a larger diameter axle (3/8”) with flattened top and bottom edges, allowing the wheel to have a larger diameter and stronger axle, but give it the flexibility of installing it in a fork with a narrower opening (5/16”) or standard opening (3/8”).

Q. Are your products really assembled in the U.S.A.?
A. Yes! Sta-Tru chooses the best quality components from leading manufacturers all over the world and then assembles each and every complete wheel in our factory in Santa Ana, California.

Q. I have heard that machine (robot) built wheels are not as good as hand built wheels – is this true, or is the opposite the case?
A. Proponents of each process might give you a different answer to this question. And while there is a certain mystique and comfort taken when we think of a master wheel builder carefully and meticulously hand building a wheel, the newest, computer controlled robotic equipment can certainly match, if not exceed the standards that a trained craftsman can achieve, and usually do it much faster. And while we at Sta-Tru use robots to build many of our products, we still often hand build wheels for certain unique applications or put a machine built wheel on a hand building stand to finesse it. We believe the best solution is one that achieves the desired result, and therefore employ both processes in our manufacturing of our wheels.

Q. I see many abbreviations in your catalog that I am unfamiliar with – where can I find out what they mean?
A. Each spread of two pages in our catalog contains a key at the bottom of the page that provides the descriptions of commonly used acronyms and abbreviations. If you still need further assistance or clarification, please do not hesitate to call us toll free at 1-855-4-STA-TRU.

Q. Are steel wheels stronger than alloy wheels?
A. A number of variables dictate the final outcome of how strong a wheel is. While steel is considered a stronger finish then aluminum in general, it is also much heavier. And a properly laced alloy wheel can be every bit as strong as a steel one. Some things to consider when evaluating wheel strength are not only the material the rim is made from, but also the material the spokes are made from and the type of lacing pattern used to build the wheel. Sta-Tru wheels are built using a symmetrical pattern with inside pulling spokes. This is considered the strongest lacing pattern as it transfers torque generated by accelerating or braking evenly to both the rim and the hub, thereby preventing spoke breakage and improving wheel durability.

Q. Who does Sta-Tru sell their products to?
A. Sta-Tru sells solely to major wheel resellers, including wholesale bicycle parts distributors and bicycle manufacturers. Sta-Tru does not selling directly to the general public. If you are a consumer looking for wheels and you see something on our website of interest, please contact your favorite bicycle dealer and ask for Sta-Tru wheels by name. If you are a bicycle dealer interested in Sta-Tru products, please contact your local bicycle parts distributor to purchase our products. A list of suppliers that currently distribute our wheels can be found here.If you are a bicycle manufacturer interested in setting up an aftermarket wheel program, please contact us – we would be happy to put together a program catered to your specific needs.

Q. Are there minimum order requirements?
A. Although we do not specifically have a minimum order size, we do request that you purchase wheels in specified carton quantities. In addition, if your order reaches various sales levels, you will be eligible for freight discounts. Please contact your sales representative for details toll free at 1-955-4-STA-TRU.

Q. If I buy a large volume of items, do you offer quantity breaks/discounts?
A. If you wish to place a large order or buy a large quantity of a specific item please contact us and we would be happy to provide a special quote for you. Call us toll free at 1-955-4-STA-TRU.

Q. What is the best way to place my order?
A. Do to the complexity of our catalog and the unique requirements of each of our customers, currently our website is not set up to accept orders at this time. We will be working in the near future to provide a robust ecommerce solution for customers interested in buying through a secure section of our website. In the meantime, you may place your order by faxing or emailing a purchase order to us. Our fax number is 714-432-0456 or you can send it to bill@statruwheels.com or andy@statruwheels.com.

Q. What forms of payment do you accept?
A. Our preferred method of payment for new customers is prepayment by Company check. Once you have been approved for terms, or have some purchase history with us, we will review your account to see if we can send product COD or on credit terms. We do not accept credit cards for payment at this time.

Q. Do you offer open accounts, and how do I go about getting terms?
A. Accounts interested in establishing credit terms must 1) establish a prepaid order history with us, and 2) provide trade and credit references for our review and approval. Please contact us for details and an application toll free at 1-955-4-STA-TRU.

Q. How long does it take to process and receive an order?
A. While we maintain a large inventory of finished wheels and can usually ship orders quickly, the nature of our business means at times we need to build specific items to order, which can extend service levels. If you have a turnaround time question about a specific item or order or are in need of something on an expedited basis, please contact us toll free at 1-955-4-STA-TRU

Q. What do I do if my supplier doesn’t carry Sta-Tru wheels or if they don’t have a specific item I am looking for?
A. If your supplier does not carry a specific item from our catalog, we request that you contact them and ask them to carry or order the item for you. In rare cases, with the approval of our distributor we may ship items directly to bicycle dealers however please do not contact us requesting us to do so unless your distributor says that they cannot assist you directly.

Q. Do you offer freight discounts or free freight on larger orders?
A. If your order reaches various sales levels, you will be eligible for freight discounts. Please contact your sales representative for details toll free at 1-955-4-STA-TRU.

Q. How do you typically ship your products?
A. Due to the size and weight of our products, we typically ship orders via truck/freight carriers. Orders are shipped on pallets, and most freight companies use large trucks for making deliveries. If you do not have a fork lift or require a lift gate please be sure to mention this when placing your order as additional costs may apply.

Q. How many wheels are packed in a carton?
A. The number of wheels in a carton is usually dictated by the size of the wheel. Smaller wheels can be packed 7-10 in a carton. Larger wheels are packed 4-5 in carton and some specialized wheels might only have 2 in a carton. Please see our catalog for quantity information for specific products.

Q. If I have a problem with a wheel, what is the warranty and return process?
A. Damaged or defective items should be returned to us for inspection. We do request that you contact us for a return authorization prior to returning items. Items will be inspected, and if determined to be defective, replaced or repaired at our discretion. For a full copy of our warranty, please see our warranty page.

Q. If I have questions, who should I contact?
A. Please feel free to call us toll free at 1-955-4-STA-TRU or email bill@statruwheels.com or andy@statruwheels.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

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