Folding Bikes - Wanted advice about preformance 16"(349) wheel

I want a light weight front wheel with less spokes,(or other options), for my Mezzo folding bike with racing sytle handlebars.

The main reason I want fewer spokes is so that the bike folds better,allowing the brake levers to go through the wheel more than present see photo.

I would prefer to have a spare wheel. so I wil properbly get one built up .

Any suggestions on spoke numbers,rim or hub choice.

thanks in advance

You may want to consider using a Birdy front hub. The flanges are closer together, despite a normal 100 mm OLN. Together with a reduced number of spokes (can't recall offhand), it should give you noticeably more room for the brake lever.

The Birdy front hub has 24 spokes and you could reduce that to 12; try to get them to use butted spokes which would be more durable as the spokes would stretch in the thinner section, reducing stress on the J-bend.

The Birdy hub is a very nice hub indeed. The spacing between the 24 spokes at the rim is about 35mm.

Thtry to get them to use butted spokes which would be more durable as the spokes would stretch in the thinner section, reducing stress on the J-bend.


There are very few double butted spokes available aftermarket in the short lengths necessary for a 349 wheel. Pashley (TSR) and Brompton (lightweight front wheel) special order them. I would guess that Brompton's spokes are available as a spare part.

There are very few double butted spokes available aftermarket in the short lengths necessary for a 349 wheel. Pashley (TSR) and Brompton (lightweight front wheel) special order them. I would guess that Brompton's spokes are available as a spare part.

I'm chasing down short spokes at the moment & I didn't consider this, thanks LWaB.

The Brompton butted spokes are available here (http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Brompton-Brompton-Spoke-set-Front-BUTTED-150mm--QSPOKFSS-XL-19458.htm).

I'm chasing down short spokes at the moment & I didn't consider this, thanks LWaB.

The Brompton butted spokes are available here (http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Brompton-Brompton-Spoke-set-Front-BUTTED-150mm--QSPOKFSS-XL-19458.htm).

The last ones I had done for 349 rim laced to a dualdrive hub were, (I am told), custom made, but they did not cost any extra.They just took longer. This was from freewheel ,nottingham ,england.

The Birdy front hub has 24 spokes and you could reduce that to 12; try to get them to use butted spokes which would be more durable as the spokes would stretch in the thinner section, reducing stress on the J-bend.

The Birdy hub is a very nice hub indeed. The spacing between the 24 spokes at the rim is about 35mm.

thanks Jur. But I thinck I need around 7cms at the rim. I am aware that every other spoke can be omitted ,or that one spoke in every three can be used if using a say36 spoke hub for example.

The last ones I had done for 349 rim laced to a dualdrive hub were, (I am told), custom made, but they did not cost any extra.They just took longer. This was from freewheel ,nottingham ,england.

Custom lengths in plain gauge spokes are fairly easy, not so with double butted spokes.

If you're willing to lace a new wheel radially, then just re-lace the existing wheel with half the number of spokes. The resulting wheel will not be visually "evenly spaced".

A better (stronger) choice would be to use either a 32h or 24h rim/hub combo (must be a multiple of 8). You can then lace the wheel with a normal 3x pattern, skipping every other cluster of 4 (skipping every other "pair" on each side). Note that even though you will use a 3x pattern, each spoke will only cross 2 other spokes, since one of them will be "missing". This will result in a "gap happy", but still strong, wheel.

I don't have a picture handy, but my wife's Batavus comes from the factory this way, although the rims were made specifically to have this pattern so there are no "empty" spoke holes.

My Swift's wheels are laced using single butted spokes from Gaerlan. He cuts them to length.

He cuts them to length.

Probably from double butted spokes, losing the thicker section at the nipples. Given the greater spoke angle at the nipples, due to smaller wheels, not an advantage.

If you're willing to lace a new wheel radially, then just re-lace the existing wheel with half the number of spokes. The resulting wheel will not be visually "evenly spaced".

A better (stronger) choice would be to use either a 32h or 24h rim/hub combo (must be a multiple of 8). You can then lace the wheel with a normal 3x pattern, skipping every other cluster of 4 (skipping every other "pair" on each side). Note that even though you will use a 3x pattern, each spoke will only cross 2 other spokes, since one of them will be "missing". This will result in a "gap happy", but still strong, wheel.

I don't have a picture handy, but my wife's Batavus comes from the factory this way, although the rims were made specifically to have this pattern so there are no "empty" spoke holes.

Thanks for that ,a picture would be great.

Probably from double butted spokes, losing the thicker section at the nipples. Given the greater spoke angle at the nipples, due to smaller wheels, not an advantage.For a radially laced front wheel such as the OP wants, no problem.

My Swift's rear wheel is so far so good. Can't remember the miles, I think between 5,000-6,000km. It's laced radial non-drive, 2x drive side. I think it is a given the spokes must fail at the thread, just the durability remains to be seen.

Thanks for that ,a picture would be great.

This is copied off the Batavus USA site since I wasn't able to get a good photo. Imagine a 72h rim laced to a 36h hub, with spokes 1 and 3 in a cluster on one side, and spokes 2 and 4 in a cluster on the other.

that would be great if my LBS are willing,thanks. I will either go with this a reduced spoke or anything else out there.

I am considering adding a QR satori quill stem instead, to alter the folding stem bat angle angle if/when I need a compact fold. This may also allow me to use full length bull bars instead of the cut down ones I run currently. Concerned about the weight however. Any one tried one on a folder?