Questions for wheel builders

[timsmcm]

I am about to try my hand at building some wheels. I an going for some royce hubs and Easton R90 SL Alloy Road Rims , sapim cr ray or dt bladed spokes. I am not trying for lite rims. Just trying to figure out spoke count and also trying to find out the differences royce mid flange front hub and the royce ultra light front hub. Do any of you know much about royce products? Also what differences between small flange and medium flange and the differences in the way the wheel react to the two different size hub flanges. I'm just thinking 28 hole or 32 hole. Any thoughts on that?

[Mark McM]

I am about to try my hand at building some wheels. I an going for some royce hubs and Easton R90 SL Alloy Road Rims , sapim cr ray or dt bladed spokes. I am not trying for lite rims. Just trying to figure out spoke count and also trying to find out the differences royce mid flange front hub and the royce ultra light front hub. Do any of you know much about royce products? Also what differences between small flange and medium flange and the differences in the way the wheel react to the two different size hub flanges. I'm just thinking 28 hole or 32 hole. Any thoughts on that?

I'm not sure I'd use CX-Ray (or the similar DT Aerolite) spokes for a very first wheel build. These spokes are more difficult to get to high tensions because they are so thin.

A recommended number of spokes depends also depends on the rider weight and rider conditions. But the Easton R90 SL should work fine in 28 or 32 spokes for all but the largest riders.

Structurally speaking, flange diameter makes little difference in wheel strength or stiffness. About the only structural significance of flange diameter is that it be large enough to retain enough material between the spokes - in other words, more spoke holes needs a larger flange. The flange dimension that can make a big difference is offset - the more widely spaced the flanges, the stiffer the wheel will be. For dished rear wheels, you want the right (drive-side) flange to be as far outboard as possible.

[CiclistiCliff]

Don't use the Easton's. They're soft. I have them.

Get HED Belgiums.

[timsmcm]

Don't use the Easton's. They're soft. I have them.

Get HED Belgiums.

What do you mean soft? I have heard that they are made pretty much the same way in the same plant. But I am open to suggestions.

[Kontact]

I know nothing about Royce hubs. But generally, "ultralight" front hubs rely on smaller bearings with shorter lifetimes.

I don't think CXRays are bad spokes to use, but you're selecting some pretty expensive and challenging components to figure out wheel building. I'd be more inclined to use Kinlins and round butted spokes. Kinlins are inexpensive but a hard alloy and easy to build from. Velocity or even Sun would be reasonable lower cost alternatives with nice profiles.


By all means, do as you wish. But if you want to learn and end up with something useful, take the pressure off a little bit. You'll still end up with terrific wheels.

[bigbill]

Cracked my R90 SL rims. DT 511 or 522, both are tubeless.

[oldpotatoe]

I am about to try my hand at building some wheels. I an going for some royce hubs and Easton R90 SL Alloy Road Rims , sapim cr ray or dt bladed spokes. I am not trying for lite rims. Just trying to figure out spoke count and also trying to find out the differences royce mid flange front hub and the royce ultra light front hub. Do any of you know much about royce products? Also what differences between small flange and medium flange and the differences in the way the wheel react to the two different size hub flanges. I'm just thinking 28 hole or 32 hole. Any thoughts on that?

Not to avoid your questions but if you haven't built a wheel before, I'd use just standard double butted spokes. Like Sapim Race or DT Comp. Lace the front 2 cross and the rear 3 cross..for 28f and 28 or 32h rear. If you gotta use these ovalized spokes(lotsa $, no real performance benefit)..have a way to prevent windup as you build them..use something like this below.

High flange or low flange..spokes are shorter on high flange and more spoke to hub flange overlap on 28/3 cross. Otherwise the differences are teeny and mostly lost in the noise.

I'd pick a more forgiving(better, IMHO) rim also..DT460, DT511, H+Son Archetype..HED really nice but big $.

[MaraudingWalrus]

I find bladed spokes easier to build with than a round spoke, because you can be more certain more easily that you had no windup with the spoke - the DT bladed spoke holder (http://www.wheelbuilder.com/images/P/dtswiss-bladed-spoke-holder-250.jpg) is great.


But, you might be wise to try a less expensive build first just to have a bit of practice (even taking an existing wheel apart and rebuilding it a couple times) would be advantageous if you've never done it and are not going to have any guidance.

Likely won't have an issues with 28h front and 28 or 32h rear laced as Peter says. Royce hubs are supposedly very nice, I've never messed with them myself. In theory a larger flanged hub leads to a stiffer wheel and maybe a stronger wheel, due to shorter spokes. Also the degree to which this actually makes a difference is perhaps debatable, at best. Also that "benefit" (if it exists) is offset some by the hub being heavier, which is perhaps why nobody makes a ton of high flange road hubs any more.