Wheel building for polo

I got through 32/36h wheels every couple of months (Open Pro...

No bloody wonder!

In my opinion build quality is number one, machine built are massively inferior to a good wheel builder and one or two professionals are a class above.

Then what the wheel is built from, 26 is stronger than 700, but loads of spokes mean a few can die and you don't need to worry, spoke type and rim strength. All these things are interrelated, your wheel is only as strong as the weakest part of it.

Then covers.

Who the hell dishes a wheel for polo anyway?

Who the hell dishes a wheel for polo anyway?

um, i do.

Just talking from personal experience, and I've only made a few polo wheels (plenty of experience with road/mtb wheels though). I really think covers help a lot though - when balls hit spokes they don't have to snap them to cause a buckle, they can bend or loosen them and the effect is just as bad.

I've never totally fucked up a wheel at polo, so I'm talking about keeping wheels true rather than wrecking them or not wrecking them. My front and rear wheels are both within 2mm true, which is shit for normal wheels, but pretty good for polo wheels I reckon.

To clarify dishing though, I was just saying that cassette/geared hubs need dishing and they definitely make weaker wheels.

In my opinion build quality is number one, machine built are massively inferior to a good wheel builder and one or two professionals are a class above.

Not even the best wheelbuilder can make a strong wheel from inferior parts, although 'build quality' is a combination of parts and build. Machine built wheels vary massively in build quality, as do hand built.

this seems the most relevant thread to post this question in, would it be possible to add holes to an alfine hub, from 36 to 48. Does anyone know anyone/anywhere that this could be done?

not really, the number of existing holes, and spacing, doesn't work.

How could you? It's already been drilled with 36 holes, where would you put the new holes? Oh, Seb...
#retarded

you could make a big metal disc, with 16 bolts to go in the existing holes, and have 24 holes in the disc. One on each side.

Not gonna work.

#properretarded

my 32H DT swiss 1.2 to large flange ambrosio is the best polo wheel i ever had. Only thing that fucked it up is my hitting my own rim. Open swiss is are made of chocolate.

Can you get 24 hole alphines/hub gears? Because you could do it with one of them.

Oh and I take back what I said about machine built wheels and dishing... My experience of machine built wheels has been 100% negative, but my experience is probably not enough. And I Didn't think before making the dishing comment.

Nope alfine is only 32 or 36h.

Just put a wheel cover on it

or not, mine is fine, 8 months old, not a single broken spoke.

i realised that even though, it would work for one side correctly the offset between sides would mean that a whole new set of holes would need to be drilled.

or not, mine is fine, 8 months old, not a single broken spoke.

you also have 26" wheels..

the holes in my 36h 700c wheel would let balls through way easier.

Which raises another question for this thread - what's the best spoke cross pattern for polo?
Haven't some folk used 4x on the basis that it leaves less gaps for balls to get through?

my 32H DT swiss 1.2 to large flange ambrosio is the best polo wheel i ever had. Only thing that fucked it up is my hitting my own rim. Open swiss is are made of chocolate.

im still rolling with my first polo wheel too, on the front that is...
cxp33 its solid hand built by that guy from cycle surgery (holloway road) a few years back. Its less dished than my commuter front wheel.

thats what i had before DT swiss, good rim also.

4x creates more connections between spokes than 3x, so in theory any big impacts are spread across more of the wheel. There are also marginally smaller gaps, yep. The wheel should stay truer for longer as there's more friction/connects to form a more solid structure (in theory).

In reality it doesn't seem to make too much difference, build quality and sourcing good parts are far more important.

what pattern stop time pedals getting stuck in a 26" 32H wheel jon?

So is 4x on a 36h wheel overkill? I did it on the 48s but wondering whether I should or not on the new hub gear wheel... It'll have covers on both sides anyway but I'm very 'belt and braces' when it comes to polo wheels...

Do it if you feel like it, maybe let spoke availability play a role? 4x = marginally heavier and marginally stronger, but no difference in reality if you ask me.

Does 4x require longer spokes? Doesn't longer spokes = less strong?

Just a thought.

Yes, by about 10mm. The benefit of the extra supporting spoke on said spoke probably outweighs the 10mm in additional length.

I've only used 3x on polo wheels. I've got a crows foot on the back of my commuter bike, which seems to be incredibly strong,and was massively easy to lace. In theory it gives more lateral strength than 3x because of the radial spokes. If I were building my own 48h wheel, I'd try it on that (pattern needs to be divisible by four) and maybe interlace the radial spokes through the crossed spokes.