Taking 4X even further, I rebuilt an old MTB wheelset years ago due to terrible corrosion and rust on the existing spokes. 26" rims, high flange freewheel hubs. I measured a spoke and bought the same length. Without thinking about it, I laced the wheel and found all the spokes were too long. The wheel was originally built 4X! And it went back together that way just fine. Though I wouldn't have built it that way myself.
Originally Posted by
79pmooney
I an realizing reading this thread that's why I occasionally break spokes at the nipples. Still, it happens infrequently enough and those highly crossed wheel s are such great rides I probably will not change. (Breakage is about on par with spoke head popping with this old zinc plated Robergel spokes, good strong spokes with classic French quality control. 2 or 3 spokes would pop heads no matter how well you built the wheel. Always. The rest would go for thousands of miles, no issues at all.
Maybe what I should do is run a rattail file at the spoke angle through the rim's spoke holes. Next time I do a rim replacement, I'll try that. (With the old and new rims taped together, there is no chance of filing the wrong direction.)
Edit: with 36 spokes, breaking one isn't a very big deal and never a ride ender, even when I don't have a spoke wrench on me.
I'm curious why you bother building 4X. The spokes are longer than necessary and as I recall it's more of a pain to build. So why do it?