Originally Posted by
branko_76
Got it, thanks for clarifying that. I have only built a few pair of 3X wheels on old Normandy high flange hubs, they are slightly smaller in diameter than Campy Record high flange.
The reason I was curious about 3X vs 4X is because i just picked up a pair of wheels with 27" rims, Normandy HF hubs and 4X spoke pattern and was wondering why someone would build them that way. Would it have been for durability or comfort?
Raleigh, and other English bike people, used to do that--36h, 4X, high flange. My wag was that they did it because with 36 hole and 4X spoke length doesn't vary as much with changes in dish and hub flange diameter. It's almost completely determined by rim ERD. You can use the same spokes for front, rear, right and left. Then, just hire a teenager with a BA grinder. At least, that's what a lot of raleigh wheels looked like. For example, calculated spoke length difference for 4X (ERD 620mm) changes only about 1mm with either 40mm or 60 mm flange diameter. With 3X the variation is about 4 1/2 mm. Also, supposedly 4X wheels are more durable, but I don't think anybody makes that claim anymore.
One thing about 4X and 630mm rims (ERD about 620, or so) is that you end up with spokes about 307 or 308 mm and it seems uncommon to find spoke longer than about 300 mm listed as stocked, though I've seen some. That seems to indicate to me that not many people are building 622mm and 630 mm rims with 4X anymore. Not everybody can be wrong, can they?
Personally, I rarely build 4X except with 40h Sturmey Archer hubs. Built with some Normandy HF hubs for a Raleigh and used 3X and no singularity occurred.