Wheelbuilders? Number of spokes?

[Chris]

I am having a set of wheels built. I've done a lot of reading in the archives and decided on White Industries H1 hubs and Velocity Aerohead rims. I am 6'2" and 175lbs. I have a set of Cosmics for racing and a set Mike Garcia built Niobium 30s that are 24 rear and 20 front as a kind of lightweight wheelset. The new wheelset is going to be the everyday training/club racing/trainer wheelset. I'm not opposed to heading down the occasional dirt road when the opportunity arises.

Since many of the prebuilt wheels like the Eastons and the Zipp CSCs have less than 32 spokes these days, I am wondering are so many spokes needed, or are they overkill anymore? So my question is 32 spokes for each wheel? 32/28 or 28/28? Do four spokes make enough difference to even be asking the question?

[frenk]

With 32 spokes you are pretty sure that if you break one you can get home without calling someone that will not be very pleased to drive 2 hours just to bring you back...

The weight of those 4 spokes is just your cheap insurance...
You loose some bling points, but real racers train on 32 spokes alu rims :D

[dgauthier]

I am 6'2" and 175lbs. . . . I'm not opposed to heading down the occasional dirt road when the opportunity arises.


Because of the dirt road comment, I would suggest you consider 36 rear, and 32 front. Several pro teams (with riders way smaller than you) use 36's front *and* rear for the cobbles of Parix Roubaix.

[davids]

I'm 5'8" and 155, and Mike built me a set using the Niobium 30s laced 20/24! I'm really surprised he did the same for you. Maybe the difference is that for me they're day-to-day wheels?

[Chris]

He also built me a set of training wheels with a powertap hub. Those were 28/24. The 24/20s were for racing.

[itsflantastic]

Maybe you should consider this many spokes. . .
http://www.parleecycles.com/model_TT.html

has anyone seen that? what's the story with that rear wheel? Crazy nice/FAST looking bike though eh?

[saab2000]

32 rear
28 front

[Chad Engle]

More thread drift.

When you folks do the gravel road thing on the road bike do you run different tires?

If I head down the crushed limestone trail will by Michelin PR2's work or should I get a different tire set?

[Marburg]

You're discussing something almost identical to my "daily driver" wheels -- H1 hubs, aeroheads, 32 2x front, 32 3x rear. I think you'll be happy with 28/32 or 32/32, honestly. I was leaning towards 28/32 but went 32/32 because, um, that's what my LBS had.

As for dirt roads? I've put thousands of dirt road and worse miles on a set of King 32 3x to Open Pros. If you aren't really pushing the limit of 700c wheels, I think you'll be OK with 32s.

[Look at 29er wheels, which will likely be subject to far worse ... 32 spoke is still the norm]

(oh, 5'11", 155)

[bostondrunk]

32 rear
28 front

+1. Should be fine.

[Steelhead]

32 rear, 3X/3X and 28 front 2X/2X

[Bart001]

I've been tempted by the blingy low spoke wheels myself, but I might just keep my 32 spoke aluminum OP's on my Legend ti. They work and I'm slow anyway :D

[Grant McLean]

although 32/32 is often considered 'standard' these days,
i've always liked 28/36, given the same number of spokes.

32 in the front is about the same amount of "overkill"
as 36 is for the back....which makes more sense an
overbuilt front, or rear? i'd say rear....


g

[gdw]

28/32 or 32/32 are all you need if the builder is competent and uses regular butted spokes, not Revolutions or the Sapim/Wheelsmith equivalent. Light spokes are great but not worth the weight savings if you aren't racing and ride the dirt from time to time.

[Michael Maddox]

Maybe you should consider this many spokes. . .
http://www.parleecycles.com/model_TT.html

has anyone seen that? what's the story with that rear wheel? Crazy nice/FAST looking bike though eh?


That's a disc wheel with a cool paint job. Sorry, not spokes. :p

[Grant McLean]

That's a disc wheel with a cool paint job. Sorry, not spokes. :p

there's no paint on that disc! as for 'spokes' i guess that depends on how
you define what 'spokes' are. Tensioned carbon strips from hub to rim,
maybe they are spokes!

:)

g

http://www.carbonsports.com/LW_Disc_Tune.lasso

[Kevan]

Just last week I had to replace both my Velocity rims due to braking wear. I got good service from those wheels after nearly 6 years of heavy use. In all that time I broke one spoke and needed 1 truing, if even that.

The front was laced radial to an Ultegra hub and the rear 32, again with Ultegra, was 2x'd with the added support of soldering.

I'm having them rebuilt exactly as they were. They have handled perfectly the smoothest pavement and lumpiest dirt roads without a complaint. Why fool with near-perfection?

[Michael Maddox]

there's no paint on that disc! as for 'spokes' i guess that depends on how
you define what 'spokes' are. Tensioned carbon strips from hub to rim,
maybe they are spokes!

:)

g

http://www.carbonsports.com/LW_Disc_Tune.lasso

Now, looking at the photo you linked, I think you're right. The original photos really didn't give me a feeling of depth, and the wheel looked like a cover or disc with a neat photo job on top of it. These photos show that the spokes are inside a translucent cover with "Lightweight" printed over it.

Pretty cool.

[gdw]

Yikes! It looks like Carbonsports resurrected the Tioga Disk Drive wheel with carbon instead of kevlar. Somebody put a stake through its heart before things turn ugly.