Homebrew01

I just built a front radial wheel, 50 mm carbon tubular, 18 spokes. For some reason (better bracing angle ?) I built it with the heads in/elbow out, but am now second guessing it. Looks like the nipples are angled a bit more than ideal in the spoke hole. Elbow in would give a little straighter angle for the nipple. I'm contemplating undoing each spoke 1 at a time and switching them. Is it just a theoretical advantage 1 way or the other ?

fietsbob

You pick... I only have radial spokes on my Brompton front wheel, they are head out
to have more clearance , between the fork tips, which are already Narrow.


74mm wide hub, 349 16" wheel.. 28 spokes..

reptilezs

depends on the clearance. i usually do heads out because i don't have the fork with me to see

dabac

Heads-in does give an easily measurable laterally stiffer wheel - which isn't much use to you unless you think your current wheel is too floppy.

Heads-out gives a nice aestethic effect, particularly if there's a colour difference between the spokes and the hub. And supposedly better aero.

FBinNY 

Lacing radial is one of those jobs that requires the use of a quarter.

Toss the quarter to decide, heads in or out. Like you did, I build all my radials elbows out to maximize bracing angle. Many (most?) builders builders build them elbows in to reduce the aero profile.

The reality is that it barely (if at all) makes a difference either way, so no sweat. Yes, the elbows might need to be set to correct the angle at the hub, but this is no different that what happens witn many tangential patterns so that doesn't matter either.

Don't bother. This wheel will probably outlast you anyway. In any case the spoke will take a set where it leaves the nipple, and isn't likely to fail there. Misaligned nipples are a more serious issue when there's lots of spoke twist during the build, which works the bend back and forth.

seeker333

You can adjust the angle slightly by bending the spoke near the head (pull), although I don't think it matters much.

mrrabbit 

Heads-out minimizes aesthetics damage should you decide later to change to a crossed interlaced lacing...

Also, often times going heads out results in unsupported elbows - mostly with cheaper spokes - resolved using spoke head washers...

Head-inside as already noted provide sightly better bracing...

=8-)

Jeff Wills

Since you've already built the wheel, leave it be. The spokes have bent a little extra at the elbow if you've tensioned the wheel properly, and re-lacing them head-out will straighten that bend out. Bend 'em back & forth enough will create fatigue.

You could start over with new spokes and lace 1/3 of the wheel head-in and 2/3 head-out. You could tell everyone that Sheldon Brown told you to do this at a seance.

FBinNY 

A friend laced a radial wheel alternating heads in and out on general principles. Whenever anyone asked he'd explain that ALL wheels are laced alternating heads in and out, and radials aren't an exception. Some even bought it.