So Harvey, are you saying that the spoke are conventional, and it's only the nipples that were made by Hi-E? That makes things a little easier, as the nipples can be reused if the spoke breaks, provided it doesn't break off inside the nipple.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, TX
Harvey Sachs <hmsachs@verizon.net> wrote: Glad to see that Jerry Moos has joined the small and select society of Hi-E enthusiasts. Sort of like folks into French bikes, except that better documentation is available, eh? :-)
Let me take a crack as some of Jerry's questions:
The Hi-E spoke nipples are just like other spoke nipples, except that they end about flush with the inner edge of rim. So, the nipple has flats and is turned with a wrench wrench the inside, after loosening the tire at that point. It is made from a sheet-metal tube beat to hex shape at one end, sort of like the old TTT adjustable ste wrench, but much smaller (and with a crosspiece). A 7/32 socket works just fine - after you grind down the OD to fit. Very little clearance there... Or, a 7/32 nut driver, same story.
The only HiE special spokes that I know of were the double-length ones that passed through the hub and then on to another point on the rim. The conventional spokes were just that. I suspect the "E" that Jerry saw was the Robergel "Trois Etoiles," which was stainless. My memory is that the spoke head had a backwards E.
Jerry asks about putting all the heads outside (or inside) the hub flange. Heads inside gives a slightly larger bracing angle, which is nice on the front if you corner hard at low speeds, etc. Otherwise, I think it is mostly cosmetics.
The Hi-E rims are remarkable, made of rolled aluminum sheet. The inners overlap and the ferrules serve to rivet the two edges, too. I believe that our friend from the frozen flatlands of SD (Robert S Broderick, rsb000@hotmail.com) has posted some of the voluminous HiE "literature."
Enjoy!
harvey sachs
mcLean va.