Re: [CR] mixing spoke crosses

(Example: Framebuilders)

From: "Jon M. Schaer" <jschaer@columbus.rr.com>
To: "KCTOMMY" <KCTOMMY@email.msn.com>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <20010323174306.3364.qmail@web906.mail.yahoo.com> <002301c0b3c5$2dff2900$333efea9@oemcomputer>
Subject: Re: [CR] mixing spoke crosses
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2001 21:26:11 -0500


----- Original Message ----- From: KCTOMMY <KCTOMMY@email.msn.com> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Friday, March 23, 2001 1:15 PM Subject: Re: [CR] mixing spoke crosses


> Back when I started riding, the cognoscenti told us neophytes that 4 cross
> wheels were for tourists, because they gave a softer ride due to increased
> flex in the longer spokes. Given what has been said on the effect of cross
> patterns and tensions, was this an urban legend, or is there a difference?
>

Maybe not urban legend, but just a misunderstanding of how wheels work. With the exception of a wheel laced so loosely that spokes go slack in the load effected zone, lacing pattern and spoke type/gauge have no effect on how a wheel rides. Rims do a little. Tires do a lot. Some contend that spoke materials (such as SPOX vectran) have different harmonics and subtly effect the ride, but I'm pretty sceptical that it's little more than marketing hype.


> Also, since so many say the 4 cross will result in the spoke crossing the
> head of adjoining spokes, how were 4 cross wheels ever built? Do you have
> to use certain hubs only?
>

Large flange hubs have the most problems. With small flange hubs, 36' 4x wheels sqeak by with just a touch of head overlap. 40' and 48' hubs have to be a larger flange because of the number of holes. 40' is usually ok with 4x. Some 48' are laced 5x, but that's just rediculous.


> And by the way, what effect did tieing and soldering the spoke crosses have?
> Who should have it done?
>

You'll get people who swear tying and soldering makes their wheels feel stiffer, but those coments are based on empirical data. No one has been able to measure a difference in a controlled test environment. And I'm confident no one who claims to be able to feel a difference could pass a double-blind A-B test, which would eliminate preconceptions and chance. Tying and soldering was done originally for especially abusive races, back when available parts were of lower quality that what we have now. When spokes would break, the tied junction would kep the loose spoke from floping all over the place, lessening the chance of a racer needing to stop.

Jon Schaer