Bicycle Mechanics - CXP33 Rim Drilled for left and right?

Sorry about the double post, not sure what happened. Any way...

After building my front wheel, I read something here that raised a question...are the spoke/nipple holes drilled in the 32 hole CXP33 rim drilled for a "Left or Right" spoke? When I began building the wheel, all of the holes seemed to be drilled the same; straight. If they are drilled for left and right, how do I determine which is which? I hope Im not a day late and a dollar short!

Thanks again

I believe it is drilled left/right. Look down the nipple holes from the outside of the rim and you will be able to see how they orient towards the hub. You want to get it right or you will put a bunch of load on the nipple.

Sorry about the double post, not sure what happened. Any way...

After building my front wheel, I read something here that raised a question...are the spoke/nipple holes drilled in the 32 hole CXP33 rim drilled for a "Left or Right" spoke? When I began building the wheel, all of the holes seemed to be drilled the same; straight. If they are drilled for left and right, how do I determine which is which? I hope Im not a day late and a dollar short!

Thanks again

All rims are drilled for left or right spokes. Lay the rim on your lap with the valve stem hole opposite you and the label upside down. The first spoke to the left of the valve hole should be a bit higher than an imaginary center line. The holes alternate around the rim that way. Once you look at it, it becomes pretty noticeable.

There are some rims, usually cheap, that are not drilled left/right.

There are some rims, usually cheap, that are not drilled left/right.

That's quite correct. I recently relaced a couple of old Nashbar rims to be used on indoor trainers and the spoke holes were all in a straight line. Most of the high quality rims I've come across do have the spoke holes drilled in an off-set pattern but even some of them may not. I have Sun Mistral semi-aero rims on one bike and they are light well made rims but the holes all line up.

OK, Crap! Everything went so well. :( I checked for left and right and they seemed as if they were drilled straight. Im sure it's right, but now I'll never sleep if I dont tear it down and see! Well second times a charm. (yeah right! :rolleyes: )

Thanks!

If the holes are drilled in an off-set pattern, it's quite obvious from looking at them. It's not a subtle distinction.

CXP33 rims are rather aero and the narrow "point" may require that the spoke holes be drilled in a straight line. I believe that is why my Sun Mistrals (see above) were also drilled without the off-set.

If the holes are drilled in an off-set pattern, it's quite obvious from looking at them. It's not a subtle distinction.

CXP33 rims are rather aero and the narrow "point" may require that the spoke holes be drilled in a straight line. I believe that is why my Sun Mistrals (see above) were also drilled without the off-set.

I tore my wheel down and am sitting here staring at a plain rim. For the life of me I cannot distinguish a left or right in the holes drilled in this rim. It does have the narrow point you are refering to, which was my original reason for believing that the holes were drilled straight. I also assumed that it permited exotic lace patterns. Anyway, back to building.

Before you go back. Eyeball down the outer and inner hole in the rim. Sometimes the angle is subtle, esp. with a deeper rim. but often you can tell that there is an angle this way.

Before you go back. Eyeball down the outer and inner hole in the rim. Sometimes the angle is subtle, esp. with a deeper rim. but often you can tell that there is an angle this way.

I found this on Google..."CXP33 rims have an inset made of spring metal between the spoke holes in the inner and outer rim wall. The insert is there to hold a molded piece of metal that "cradles" the spoke nipple. These metal peices add to the rim weight without adding any structuaral connection between the inner and outer rim walls like the sockets do on OpenPro and A719 rims. The nipple "cradle" help distribute the spoke load locally. The spring metal keeps nipples from falling in the rim cavity when you are building the wheel."....

This doesn't really say anything to answer if the holes are drilled for left and right but the "cradles" appear uniform inside the holes and I can't see a left or right when viewing in the hole itself. I can best describe the cradles as being simlar to the white cup inside a golf hole. Also, I measured from the edge of the braking surface to the center of each hole and they all measure the same. Im thinking the cradles allow the rim to be laced in any pattern imaginable and still allow proper seating of the nipple. ??? So, Im making the call...CXP33 rims are not drilled for left and right spokes.

Now someone is going to come along and say "dude you're a blind idiot" . :rolleyes:

Thanks for the help!!!

There are some rims, usually cheap, that are not drilled left/right.

Sorry to disagree but I've never seen a rim that didn't have an off-set, no matter what the cost. And I've used some cheap rims in the past ;)

No problem. I have built more than a thousand and seen quite a few that were straight drilled

I've built up 3 sets of CXP33 rims. As long as your #1 spoke goes into the first hole to the left of the valve hole, the wheel will be just fine. I just looked hard and long at a rim and there is no noticeable offset. I guess that's cause of the aero profile.

I just finished building up a pair of CXP 33s. No offset that I could see.

Bob

I just finished building up a pair of CXP 33s. No offset that I could see.

Bob

Where did you lace the key spoke, right or left of valve hole?

Where did you lace the key spoke, right or left of valve hole?

Right of the valve hole (when viewed from the cassette side).

Bob

I had a set of CPX30's and could not distinguish a left-right hole drilling either.

Sorry to disagree but I've never seen a rim that didn't have an off-set, no matter what the cost. And I've used some cheap rims in the past ;)

Come visit me. I'll be happy to show you several rims in a variety of quality levels that have the spoke holes drilled with no offset.

After all is said and done I have no doubt they are drilled straight. I questioned myself after reading a different thread that stated all rims are drilled for left and right.

After I tore them down to double check, the rebuild was even easier than the first time around. The wheel was so easy to build and true that I assume it has to be due to it's quality build. This is my first wheel build so I can't compare to other rims, but I would highly reccomend this rim to anyone for their first try.

Thanks everyone for the input.