|   Tieing & Soldering | Mike T.
Jan 7, 2004 12:43 PM | | Yesterday, this appeared at www.velonews.com in the tech colum written by respected tech editor, framebuilder and author Lennard Zinn -
Beefy wheels for a beefy guy
Howdy Lennard
I'm a big guy, 6 foot 6 and pushing 300 pounds, and all but the heaviest and most overbuilt wheels feel flexy under my weight, especially in the turns. Can tied-and-soldered wheels offer me any performance advantage on road or off?
Ryan
Dear Ryan,
Yes, I think so. I have tied and soldered my own disc-brake mountain bike wheels for years now, and I notice a difference not only in lateral stiffness but especially in application of the disc brake. But then, I am your height but weigh only 170 pounds, though. Are there heavier readers out there who have noticed the difference? The folks at DT Swiss have been experimenting with the concept for years.
Lennard
Response from DT Swiss
The performance advantage of tied and soldered wheels is difficult to quantify, but some riders claim to notice an improvement in wheel stiffness, ride quality, and wheel life. The effect of tying and soldering would be minor, however, compared to the differences between various rims and spokes that you could choose. In the past, tying and soldering was very popular for track racing, where strong side loads can be exerted on the wheels. It also helped to make up for inferior spoke quality. Now that rims and spokes are significantly improved, the benefits of tying and soldering are less tangible. You could certainly try it on your current wheelset and see if it makes a difference, but most likely you will have the best riding experience using heavier rims and spokes.
Paul Aieta
General Manager
DT Swiss, Inc.
Still no definitive proof of its benefits but at least two respected authorities favor the process positively. |
| Lennards always got some good stuff... | airwreck
Jan 7, 2004 2:55 PM | | that whole thing on the new bearing technology was great. |
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