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02-26-08, 08:13 PM
For various reasons, I am learning more about 20" Dahon Mariner spokes and wheel lacing than I had originally intended,
but would like to hear some additional opinions about them.
If I understand it correctly from Robert Torre's web pages, http://www.geocities.com/spokeanwheel/index.html ,
this is a 28 spoke wheel laced 2 cross. Although Dahon seems to be very proud of their wheels
( http://www.dahon.com/news/dahonnews/11212002.htm ), I was dismayed to find that the rear wheel broke 6 spokes after
about 3 years of light use. I am well under 180 lbs at my worst, so it should not have been a weight issue.
Contacting Dahon, I was told that I was supposed to have tuned the spokes every 6 months. Great. News to me, as it
wasn't in the manual. Oh well, get some new spokes and proceed. Now here is my observation and resulting question:
Both the port and starboard sides of the drive wheel are laced exactly the same as opposed to being the mirror images
of each other. This results in the trailing spokes being on the outside on one side of the wheel and the inside of the
other side of the wheel. A photo is here: http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj94/sptsailing/MISC/wheel1.jpg
Is that the best way to lace for some reason, or would they be better if the trailing side was either on the outside or
inside of both sides?
I hope this question makes sense. If not, but if you can understand it anyway, perhaps you could re-word it in
addition to proposing an answer. Thank you.
but would like to hear some additional opinions about them.
If I understand it correctly from Robert Torre's web pages, http://www.geocities.com/spokeanwheel/index.html ,
this is a 28 spoke wheel laced 2 cross. Although Dahon seems to be very proud of their wheels
( http://www.dahon.com/news/dahonnews/11212002.htm ), I was dismayed to find that the rear wheel broke 6 spokes after
about 3 years of light use. I am well under 180 lbs at my worst, so it should not have been a weight issue.
Contacting Dahon, I was told that I was supposed to have tuned the spokes every 6 months. Great. News to me, as it
wasn't in the manual. Oh well, get some new spokes and proceed. Now here is my observation and resulting question:
Both the port and starboard sides of the drive wheel are laced exactly the same as opposed to being the mirror images
of each other. This results in the trailing spokes being on the outside on one side of the wheel and the inside of the
other side of the wheel. A photo is here: http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj94/sptsailing/MISC/wheel1.jpg
Is that the best way to lace for some reason, or would they be better if the trailing side was either on the outside or
inside of both sides?
I hope this question makes sense. If not, but if you can understand it anyway, perhaps you could re-word it in
addition to proposing an answer. Thank you.