Wheelbuilding / Wheel Building / Wheel build help

Looking at a 650b wheel set for 'gravel'-ing. I'm 70kg for reference.

Got some Pacenti rims - 28h. Think I'm set on Novatec 791/792 hubs as I've had good experience with novatecs on my other wheels, they're cheap, light and the axles can be converted at a later date.

My main question is re: spokes, lasers would be nice to help keep the weight down, are they suitable for a disc wheel set? Or lasers with race on the NDS rear? or just go full races? Ta.

lasers would be nice

No they wouldn't

Noted. Too light I take it?

Too light I take it?

Just pointless. Over any normal course, it will be impossible to measure any performance benefit from the weight saving, so you just make your wheel weaker for no reason.

I've got the exact same thing (in 700c) with ACI Alpina. I have nothing to add other than that but if you have questions let me know.

Lasers are 💥

Fair enough! Races it is then! Cheers.

Just picked up a pair of carbon rims for a wheel build.
They're second hand but i know the previous owner.
Front rim looks ace, however rear has this on brake track:

Thoughts please hivemind....

I have some serious form in buying fucked 2nd hand carbon wheels (5 from 5 so far), but none of them have looked like that

Yeah I had a feeling my first impression was correct.....

Now to have the awkward conversation and (try to) get my £ back....

ah, that sucks. just to be sure, is that a hole in the brake track?

Yes - it has a very thin layer of a few strands of carbon over part of it - looks like an air bubble between the layers of the weave more than a hole - it’s about 2-3mm deep.

My concern is that the carbon weave layer on top is flaking, and has in another spot further up the rim that can also be seen in the photo - I can’t imagine braking on top of that is going to feel particularly pleasant and could potentially rip more of the carbon off..

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yeah, if you can get your money back I definitely would. if you can't then it might be worth speaking to https://londoncarbonrepairs.co.uk/contact/ but I don't know if he can do brake tracks. I'm taking a tub to him to repair the rim bed where an old tub had torn off some of the resin, but I assume the brake track needs something more durable.

Cool - thanks for the link

Pissed off as I just wanted to get these built up and ridden, but I’m not comfortable with that hole in the brake track.

Hope pro 4 to kinlin xr 31rt asymmetric . How can i find out the spoke lengths ?

Measure components and then
https://www.wheelpro.co.uk/spokecalc/

My Easton rear is finally going to have to be rebuilt. If I use regular spokes instead of aero I presume it'd be a fraction lighter but less aero? I can live with that. What's good in the world of straight pull at the mo? 270mm & 276mm I think.

Also, a good rim to pair with 105 hubs for same bike (will run 700 x 23c or 25c, maybe 28's)... open pro still?

What's good in the world of straight pull

You can get DT Comp, but you can also get Aerolites and keep your aeros. You can also get the equivalent Sapim, and when it comes to straight pull their distribution is barely any more sucky than DT.

open pro still?

Open Pro UST if you love the looks, otherwise (drum roll....) XR31T

Just received a wheel I bought off ebay (xt m756 front hub on a mavic xm419 rim) that I was gonna change the axle in and use as a rear with a 6 bolt cog and the spokes aren't interlaced. It's 3 cross but instead of over, over, under it's just over, over, over!

Chances of a fiery death if I use this as a rear wheel as is?

Picture? That sounds a bit sketchy. Always the worry that if it was built by somebody that didnt know what they were doing it might have other underlying problems

Hard to see in photos, I’ve tried to point at the crossing which should be woven. Instead there’s a good few mm between the spokes.

I’ve put it in the truing stand and it could do with a slight tweak but otherwise it’s fine.

Pulled the rim tape back and spoke length seems pretty good, like I’d imagine if you did the calculations for weaving the spokes (as most spoke calculators and formulas would) and then didn’t weave them you’d be left with excess spoke sticking out the top of the nipples?

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So supposedly Mavic Deemax are built without weaving, and this photo,

Seems to support that.

If a downhill specific wheel doesn't need weaving, does any wheel?

Obvious caveat being that the Deemax may have been designed around this weaving pattern.

Hard to find discussion of this on google as I perhaps don't know the right terminology.

This thread talks a lot about 'accepted wisdom' over any actual factual basis for the weaving.