Re: [CR] If you're requesting measurements for Suntour Superbe track hubs

(Example: Events:BVVW)

In-Reply-To: <591684.31916.qm@web82202.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
References: <591684.31916.qm@web82202.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
From: "Bianca Pratorius" <biankita@comcast.net>
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 13:33:22 -0400
To: <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR] If you're requesting measurements for Suntour Superbe track hubs


Actually all the low end work done by these "build house workers" is done by hand. On Apr 9, 2009, at 10:34 AM, Jerome & Elizabeth Moos wrote:
>
> Kind of amazing that someone could build 6 wheels an hour. I guess
> one could get pretty fast at spoking them, but the tensioning is what
> takes time. I've read a few places that In The Day inexpensive wheels
> were tensioned "by machine", but I've never seen a description or
> photos of the machines used. Is JB using some sort of tensioning
> machine? If these guys are spoking and tensioning 6 wheels an hour by
> hand and sustaining that all day, its amazing they can even get them
> true enough to not drag on the brake pads. I'll bet some of these
> guys get good enough that they could probably build some really
> excellent wheels if they were ever given the time and decent pay for
> doing so.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, Texas, USA
>
>
> --- On Thu, 4/9/09, Bianca Pratorius <biankita@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> From: Bianca Pratorius <biankita@comcast.net>
>> Subject: [CR] If you're requesting measurements for Suntour Superbe
>> track hubs
>> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>> Date: Thursday, April 9, 2009, 5:00 AM
>> In my experience in using Damon Rinard's spokecalc
>> program, if you don't see the exact hub you have listed
>> in his database all one needs to do is to take a minute or
>> so with a caliper. For rear track hubs only two measurements
>> are very important. Measure across the axle from the center
>> of one flange to the center of the other. Next divide this
>> measurement by two and input the number you get into the box
>> for the center to right flange and then enter the same
>> number into center to left flange (For track hubs with 120mm
>> dropout width the spoke lengths you get for drive side and
>> non drive side are never going to be more than a mm
>> difference anyway).
>>
>> Next measure the distance from the spoke hole one side of
>> the right flange to the opposite hole on the same flange ...
>> enter this result in Spokecalc. Now do the same for the
>> other non drive side and enter that result. For most hubs
>> these measurements will be identical (exception hi-lo Campy
>> hubs and the like).
>>
>> Repeat all this for the front hub ...
>>
>> Getting measurements for hubs is a lot simpler than getting
>> measurements for rims (like ERD), I've measured one or
>> two rims that are not in the Rinard database and both times
>> I got the correct size spoke for the wheel build-up. Make
>> sure you input how many spoke holes each rim has. Make sure
>> you read your results from the number of crosses you intend
>> to build (ie. two cross, three or four).
>>
>> For most wheelsets you can order just one box of spokes
>> even though the front and two rear sizes will come out a mm
>> or two different. I believe if you choose the average size
>> you get for each of three values you will still be able to
>> build up very acceptable looking wheels. For most classic
>> wheels I have cut up to rebuild the two rear spokes from
>> left and right measure the same anyway. It's probably a
>> different story for modern wheels with really wide locknut
>> to locknut measurements and 10 or 11 freehub cogs. Some of
>> those modern wheels don't take normal spokes or
>> wheelbuilding techniques anyway.
>>
>> Wheelbuilding is increasingly a lost art for bike
>> mechanics in my area. Many shops just take your hubs and
>> rims and send them out for the rebuild. Few mechanics feel
>> confident with the newer race wheels anyway. And the cheap
>> replacement wheels that shops sell are made by near slave
>> labor in sweat shops. In my neighborhood there are many
>> illegals building up wheels for JB importers. Each day JB
>> drops off hundreds of rims and hubs to one of many build
>> houses and picks up the last day's completed wheels.
>> These are distributed to all bicycle shops in the the SE
>> area of the country. If you wonder how a bike shop can
>> afford to sell a completed wheel with new hub, rim and
>> spokes for thirty bucks, this is the reason. The local
>> builders get $1.25 for each wheel they complete. If you
>> work real hard you can make $7 an hour building for the
>> largest bike parts distributor in the country. The better
>> wheelsets are made by talented and experienced wrenches that
>> JB employs but for those wheels made with quality parts you
>> have to pay standard per spoke, per nipple and per wheel
>> prices.
>>
>> The whole affair is so objectionable ... I would much
>> rather just learn to build my own 32 hole wheels with
>> standard stainless db spokes and cross three. It may take
>> and hour or two per wheel but it's one more empowering
>> thing I can do and it's a source of pride for me that I
>> can now build up a better wheel than I can get from all but
>> the most careful of pro builders.
>>
>> Garth Libre in Miami Florida USA