Radial front spoking - What's it cost?

[BdaGhisallo]

Just wondering if anyone with some experience with radial spoked front wheels can comment on how durable the wheel is compared to regular lacing. Wheel would be hugi 240s radial hub and mavic reflex tub rims with dt 14/15 spokes.

Thanks.

[Too Tall]

I've seen DH bikes use radial. That hub is specifically designed for high tension so no worries regards hub detonating! Fr. radial can ride a bit harsh. Out of vanity and for no other reason I always build my front commuter wheels radial....that's about 160-200 miles a week and some each day on dirt/rough stuff. Beats me d##D, I can't really see there is a problem.

The oldest fr. wheel in my arsenal is a Mavic OP ceramic laced radial for wife...it never goes out of true and Zapper will attest it was WAY under tensioned for a couple years. Oops my bad.

Go for it.

[93legendti]

I have 6-7 front wheels that are radially laced...Speeddreams (650c and 700c, deep and shallow rims) and Mavic K's. Never had a problem. Some say they are harder on headsets, but I think that's an old wive's tale. They all have been very durable and I haven't broken any front spokes yet.

[Sandy]

I will always defer to Too Tall since he knows his stuff. I can only give my experience. I have two wheelsets, both with radial laced front wheels. I weigh about 220 or so. One wheelset is built with an American Classic front hub and a American Classic 350 rim. Although the American Classic hub is light, but not considered the stiffest or most durable hub, and the 350 rim is very light and probably not considered very good for my weight, the wheel (24 spokes) has held up very well with almost no problems. I use a 28 hole Nimble rim radially laced to a Dura-Ace10 front hub on my other wheelset and have approximately 5000-5300 miles on it, and it has needed no truing at all.

With my weight and my age, radial lacing is probably foolish, but both wheels have held up very well thus far.

Sandy

[Jeff N.]

I've been told that radial lacing will void the warranty of pre-10-speed Dura Ace and Campy hubs. But don't quote me on that. Jeff N.

[Sandy]

That is my understanding for pre-10-speed Dura-Ace.

Sandy

[CNote]

According to John Barnett:

"The weight loss of radial spoking compared to 3X is 4% or as little as 7 grams per wheel...Aerodynamic resistance is not a factor, because, at the top of the wheel where the spokes are moving the fastest in relation to the air mass, changing the cross pattern does not change the face the spokes present to the air."

Why even bother?