|   Advantages of certain lacing patterns | Steve-O
Nov 25, 2002 2:19 PM | | Well.... With the help of this forum, Mike T's site, Sheldon's site, and a chapter out of the Barnett's I have successfully laced up four wheels that all seem to be holding their own.
In each case I laced the wheels 3x. After peaking around on the Internet I was curious about other lacing patterns and their relative merits. Is there any good rules of thumb out there where certain lacing patterns excel?
Crow's Foot?
Radial?
Twisted spoke patterns?
combos (drive side 3x, NDS radial)?
others?
Besides weight savings are there any OTHER reasons to go to other lacing patterns other then 3x? |
| My take on lacing patterns............. | Mike T.
Nov 25, 2002 3:57 PM | | ....is that there isn't one of them that will prevent you from being or make you World Champ if you have, or don't have the ability.
3x has proven itself over a zillion wheels to be the leader, even if it is boring, in a race with no visible winners.
The biggest reason that people use the other patterns is that they subconsciously need the "hey look at me" factor.
All my opinion. |
| Ultimately, i agree... | GMF
Nov 26, 2002 12:17 AM | | While i'm certainly no wheel building guru (i've just built enough to be confident in my builds), i will say you can't go wrong with 3x.
I do think there are probably sound engineering advantages to other "non-conventional" cross patterns, but what little advantage you might gain is probably far outshadowed by differences in build quality, part qualities, etc.
Once you get comfy with 3x and want to have some fun, then go crazy. :-)
To answer your question more directly, though, my take on how the different number of crosses affect a wheel goes like this:
the fewer crosses, the stiffer/lighter the wheel, but the more catastrophic the failure.
-GMF |
| I've been thinking the same thing... | Steve-O
Nov 26, 2002 7:23 AM | | That most non-traditional lacing patterns are just eye candy. After building up some wheels I've been curious to try a new lacing pattern but not at the expense of decreased reliability... |
| SUBconcious?? | Seb
Nov 26, 2002 7:25 AM | | LOts of times its entirely conscious, just like any other part you put on a bike. Nothing wrong with that. Why else would they make black spokes, colored rims, etc? |
| Hey! Look at me!...err my wheels! | shiggy
Nov 26, 2002 1:56 PM | | Gulity as charged Uncle Mikey 80) (still have not ridden them.)
Laced these so weird and long ago I can not remember what I did. Rear wheel on the left. |
| LOL! haven't | Duckman
Nov 26, 2002 3:59 PM | | laughed that much in awhile. of course that might of been cause of these broken ribs more then anything.:)
thanks, i needed that.
duck |
| Yebbutt................ | Mike T.
Nov 26, 2002 6:59 PM | | .....you're a special case Shig. A whole other dimension! You get a category all to yerself. We just have to come up with a name for it......but maybe we're better off if we don't! We just love ya because you're you! Keep on polkadottin' man. |
| I think I laced them like this: | shiggy
Nov 27, 2002 11:29 AM | | Front: disc side 2x; non disc 3x
Rear: drive side 1x; disc side 3x
Will be run with a 9-speed cassette. |
| I'v thought of buying some of these wheels.... | Dirt Pilot
Nov 26, 2002 9:07 AM | | http://www.sheldonbrown.com/power_wheel.html for 3 grand and I'd be 50% faster so I could out run Angel the devil dog; )
Really, my opinion is also that all those fancy shmancy lacing patterns are just for looks (and they DO look cool). The small amount of weight savings going with radial front and radial nds/3x ds... or something like that... isn't worth giving up the reliability of good old 3x.
I have thought of lacing a set alternating black and silver spokes though... that might be interesting. |
| radial is maybe easier to clean... | Seb
Nov 26, 2002 11:19 AM | | I figure you can get at the hub easier to dig crud out from around tha axle. This would apply to both full radial and half radial.
That actually could be kinda nice if you ride a lot in mud and snow. Unfortunately, that's exactly when you also want disc brakes...
Radials are also the easiest to calculate spoke lenght for and to lace up, for obvious reasons. |
| re: Advantages of certain lacing patterns | pimpbot
Nov 26, 2002 2:06 PM | | From what I got from Sheldon's website is that radial makes for a super stiff wheel. I was picking a former bike mechanic buddy of mine and he told me that radial makes for a stiff but unforgiving wheel. It will put up with more abuse, but when you bend it, it's toast. My bud is around 5'6" and 140lbs and he said he wouldn't build one for himself. OTOH, he swears that FS bikes mark the decline of civilization. |
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