Wheelbuilding / Wheel Building / Wheel build help

For the basic theoretical answer, I'm with Sherrit.

The reality is that it depends on the hub flange and the spoke shoulder length. If you have thickish flanges on the hub, and short shoulders on your spokes, you will need to stess the spokes to get them around the flange when going heads-in. So this could in fact lead to a a slightly weaker wheel. Also some radial specific front hubs dont have the conical opening on the inside face of the drillings (they assume heads out). Which wont allow the spoke head to seat properly, when laced heads in.

The answer is it does not matter and is just a matter of personal choice. For the machine made wheels it is probably easier for the machine to thread them up from the outside

Zeb

About to build a pair of wheels, Hope pro 3's 28h front and rear on ambrosio excellights and deciding what spokes to go for. Hoping to keep it as light as possible and I weigh 70kg(hopefully less in the future) I'm thinking sapim lasers front and Non drive side and sapim race drive side as advised by this site http://www.dcrwheels.co.uk/custom-wheelsets/choosing-spokes-advice/ ......However I came across this conflicting advice from http://www.wheelsmith.co.uk/wheelinfo.htm saying lasers are'nt suitable for rear wheels at all. Could anyone shed some light on this, either through knowledge or experience

Much appreciated

Ziya

Sorry i can't help with your 70kg wheels. You might make the Guinness Book of Records with them!

I think you missed the "I" bit when you read that.

just find a bike shop that stocks those spokes and ask for their advice on what combination they would use them in.

Sapim CX-Rays, next question.

I would go with CX-Rays but sadly not rich enough.

You've got £300 worth of hubs and rims, and you're going to wreck the build for the sake of £100 worth of spokes? OK.

What's the actual difference - maybe £60 extra over both wheels? Worth saving for...

56 CX-Rays from Starbike €127 inc. postage (about £115)

56 ACI spokes from Cyclebasket £17.20 inc. postage

ACI are at least the equal of Sapim Race or DT Comp, so if you're not going to go for the best, you might as well go for the cheapest.

How good can a spoke be!?

In the case of CX-Rays, about double the fatigue life of any other spoke, and less than half the aerodynamic drag of any round spoke.

I went with Sapim Race, I couldn't justify £140 on spokes.

If the Crabon rims are any good then I'll build another pair onto some Tune hubs, but for an alpha test pair I reckon Race will be ok.

I couldn't justify £140 on spokes

They only seem expensive until you look at trying to get the same speed benefit by other means.

I'm sure this is true, however at the moment I am trying to ascertain if the rims will stay circular, bear my weight etc etc.

If this is proved, then we move onto the beta test- going as fast as possible.

CX-Rays will be involved in this bit.

I haven't managed to source CX-rays singly anywhere as they seem to be sold in packs of 20 where I've looked. Will need some soon on a rebuild job for a DT-Swiss 240 on a Easton carbon rim. I imagine it'll be a 24 hole which would mean 8 spokes left over either side. I could longer nipples for the non-drive side but then it's still 16 spokes remaining if I can only find packs of 20.

Half the aerodynamic drag of round spokes... unless there's a side wind?

Arup , from the CX-Ray thread these guys sorted me out for a whole wheelset build 67 spokes in total; spotted them selling odd spare spokes left over from their builds on Ebay and took a punt.

George Halls Cycle Centre gave me a great price, was happy to split packs of 20 spokes AND even though I ordered a couple of spares in case of future breakages, chucked a couple more in on top for nothing.

GEORGE HALLS CYCLE CENTRE
10-12, NORTHAMPTON ROAD
MARKET HARBOROUGH, LEICESTERSHIRE
LE16 9HE
01858 465507

Steve, did you need to use this tool to prevent spoke twist with the CX-Rays?

I used an aero spoke holder from PBK, definitely required. The different sized slots let you use them with other flat/bladed spokes too, CX Rays are much thinner than those used in Shimano factory wheels (RS80s both versions) for example.

Individually yours, all the way from Germany;

http://www.komponentix.de/onlineshop/index.html?sapim.htm

I use a small pair of flat nosed pliers with a couple layers of electrical tape wrapped around the ends, to grip spokes. Works for twisty Revos too.

Have this bookmarked for CX rays, although I havent used them*.
http://www.sdeals.com/oscommerce/product_info.php?products_id=402

(*use cheaper Pillar spokes from taiwan)

Half the aerodynamic drag of round spokes... unless there's a side wind?

Spoke move fast through air. Cut wind in face. Wind bleed. Samurai win.

Half the aerodynamic drag of round spokes... unless there's a side wind?

They work until the yaw angle exceeds the stalling angle of attack - at which point, unless you're riding really slowly, you've been blown over by the crosswind anyway.