So he measured lateral and torsional rigidity, but not vertical compliance (which I personally think changes when you tie a wheel). Perhaps if someone has space (perhaps Bulgier.net?) I could scan the wheel rigidity testing that was done in Bike Tech back in June of '85. I know it's slightly OT. These tests were of different spoking patterns and not tied and soldered wheels, but it makes for interesting reading.
David Bilenkey Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
> -----Original Message-----
> From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org
> [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org]On Behalf Of Todd Kuzma
> Sent: August 18, 2003 1:21 PM
> To: Joe Bender-Zanoni; Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: Re: [CR]Urban Legends, by Jobst Brandt
>
>
> I don't have my copy of "The Bicycle Wheel" here to check for quotes from
> that, but here is what he has to say about tied and soldered wheels in the
> rec.bicycles.tech FAQ:
>
> ----
>
> While writing "the Bicycle Wheel", to conclusively determine what
> effect tying and soldering of spoke crossings in a wheel had, I asked
> Wheelsmith to loan me an untied pair of standard 36 spoke rear wheels,
> on on Campagnolo low and high flange hubs. I had an inner body of a
> freewheel machined with flats so that a wheel could be clamped into
> the vise of a Bridgeport milling machine while the left end of its
> axle was held in the quill.
>
> With the hub rigidly secured, with its axle vertical, dial gauges were
> mounted at four equally spaced locations on the machine bed to measure
> rim deflections as a 35lb weight was sequentially hung on the wheel at
> these positions. The deflections were recorded for each location and
> averaged for each wheel before and after tying and soldering spokes.
>
> The wheels were also measured for torsional rigidity in the same
> fixture, by a wire anchored in the valve hole and wrapped around the
> rim so that a 35 lb force could be applied tangential to the rim.
> Dial gauges located at two places 90 degrees apart in the quadrant
> away from the applied load were used to measure relative rotation
> between the wheel and hub.
>
> Upon repeating the measurements after tying and soldering the spokes,
> no perceptible change, other than random measurement noise of a few
> thousandths of an inch, was detected. The spokes were tied and
> soldered by Wheelsmith who did this as a regular service. The data
> was collected by an engineer who did not know what I expected to find.
> I set up the experiment and delivered the wheels.
>
> ----
>
> Todd Kuzma
> Heron Bicycles
> LaSalle, IL
> http://www.heronbicycles.com/