|   spokes and lacing | ~ScaryFast~
Jun 6, 2002 7:10 PM | | 2 newbie questions:
1. I want to get a light yet strong (in that order) set of XC wheels. Are butted spokes the way to go? I thought I read somewhere that they were actually stronger than straight gauge spokes. True or false?
2. Should you change your lacing pattern depending on whether you have butted spokes or not?
I was told that the less crossing you have (ie 2X versus 3X) you get a more rigid wheel, which is not necessarily good.
Help please? I am planning on ordering some XT/517 wheels with 3X DT straight gauge spokes, but I would personally like to see them come with butted spokes. |
| re: spokes and lacing | Seb
Jun 7, 2002 6:21 AM | | 1) For a light strong wheel, butted spokes are the way to go. "Stronger" is a nebulous word, but for your application they are ideal, unless you are building with a very low spoke count (maybe 20 or less). The spokes aren't stronger in an absolute sense of yeild strength, but the wheels they build are perhaps more durable due to better stress distribution.
2) No need to change lacing. Less crossings is "stiffer" because of the small amount that it reduces spoke length. This amounts to maybe 20mm for a 260mm spoke, and is a direct relationship- the shorter spoke is maybe 10% less elastic, at most. The differenace amounts to changing tire pressure by 1psi. Lower crossings also better resist lateral deflection, but agin, the difference is very slight, though somewhat greater with high flange hubs.
Go ahead and order the butted spokes. You don't mention what gauge, but I think you could simply pick the lightest ones you can find and be OK. |
| re: spokes and lacing | trailmaster
Jun 7, 2002 7:10 PM | | First Strength: More spokes or thicker spokes are stronger. period!
Lacing:
The real trick to intellegent wheel building. The lacing changes the responce of the wheel, the flexabillity of the wheel, and the tension of the spokes, by changing the incidence angle to the force on the rim. Which is always perpendicular to the plane of contact.
The standard 3X is basic lacing, was adopted from non-multispeed wheels. And, really sucks when it comes to a modern 8/9 speed rear hub. I highly reccomend an asymetric lacing like 1X on non-drive side (spoke heads out) and 3X or 4X on drive side, on an ASYM rim, to balance the spoke tensions and improve the geometry of the lace. Making a wheel with less lateral flex and therefore more presice handleing and less likely to taco.
Radial lacing has the least resilency and the least flex. I built radial laced wheels for track racers in the 70's because the are so stiff, but, they feel like crap on anything but a perfectly flat clean surface. Suspension on MTB's has changed that by letting the shock take the beating, and a dead responce from the wheel is countered by the positive reaction from the shock. Radial lacing can cause hub failure and should never be used on a Disc brake wheel.
4X (the other end of the spectrum) is a softer feeling wheel. I built a lot of 4X wheels for rigid touring road bikes, where being soft allowed the rider to stay on the bike longer and carry loads without over stressing the wheels.
2X is gaining notice with XC racers with disc wheels. They are slightly lighter and stiffer than 3X. Overall durability and longevity are compromised slightly for the average recreational rider.
Hope this helps you with your decision. |
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