Please describe how you are measuring the spokes, which side you are measuring,
and in fact, why you are measuring your spokes at all if you are going to be using
different rims in your project.
If so, they will doubtless have a different erd and so whatever you have as a current
spoke length will be meaningless. And while Garage Sale GT and I rarely agree on much,
he is 100% correct in his advice to you with regard to prebuilt wheels being more
cost effective for someone on a budget......you just need to carefully retension them.
In other words, the spoke lengths you need to buy depend on both the hub measurements
and the erd of your new rims........so you need to measure that first because you cannot
always depend on the manufacturer's given effective rim diameter numbers.
Also, you can buy "security" skewers to replace the QR ones that need a wrench to
remove them. I've done this for a couple of bikes that I use around town.
I used to ride all over DC when I attended Maryland, College Park. I lost more than
a few bikes to thieving, lowlife scum before i finally started riding around on beater
3-speeds as less desirable to the enemy. Primer paint overlays and some duct tape
are also helpful. Sheldon Brown's website has something to say about anti theft
camouflage.
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Last edited by 3alarmer; 09-29-11 at 01:35 AM.