Originally Posted by
joeyfrench
Hello all,
I am in the process of a build. This will be the first time I have built wheels, but I am very mechanically inclined. I am ~200 lbs., and I commute ~20 miles per day. One of the biggest problems I have had on my beater, as well as my mountain bike, is spoke breakage. I have broken spokes on a weekly basis for months, and caused the rear wheel on my mountain bike to fail and require rebuilding. My commute is bad. Seriously. Potholes like crazy, bad pavement, you name it. I have purchased "The Bicycle Wheel" by Jobst Brandt, and have read it cover to cover. I have also purchased a pair of Mavic A317 disc rims, 36 hole. The hub that I will be using on the front wheel is the Shimano Deore LX HB-M585, 36 Hole Disc hub. The rear hub will be a Shimano Alfine internal hub, 36 Hole Disc.
Question 1) The Brandt book says that a cross 4 pattern is strongest for a 36 hole wheel, but I typically see cross three as the most common. Can anyone give me a thumbs up or down on the cross 4? I want to build them as strong as possible, no holds barred, I care not about fashion. No concerns about weight, I need bulletproof. I plan to build both of the wheels to these specs.
Question 2) After consulting all of the online spoke length calculators, I cannot find one that has the relevant information for either of these hubs (I didn't expect to find the Alfine, it is not really on the US market yet). Has anyone built up wheels using these specs (or similar), and could they point me in the right direction as far as spoke length is concerned? I need to place an order, and need to get it right the first time.
I know this isn't the "mechanic's" forum, but I figure the commuters on here know a little bit about strong, reliable setups that will last until the end of the Earth...
Thanks!
Joey French
Don't know if you've gotten your spokes yet, but I would highly recommend the DT Alpine 3. 4x pattern for the rear, definately. 3x should be good enough for the front. That being said may I suggest going to a 48h rear hub...I believe Saisun makes one that's used for tandems and is relatively inexpensive. For rims Sun makes a CR-18 48h model(25-35.00). I believe Mavic's A719 comes in a 48h model, too(65-85.00). Also, a 48h bmx hub w/freewheel threads may allow for a multi-cog freewheel. AFA a spoke calculator online try
http://www.bikewebsite.com They've got one that I've used to great success and satisfaction. Also, my friend who's a great DIY bike mechanic and does alot of radical stuff afa wheelbuilding goes...he's the guy who taught me. Just spoke w/him on the phone and he said to give you his e-mail address:
glennkamka@yahoo.com http://www.harriscyclery.com always has odd-ball stuff that may fit your needs, but they're NOT a discount house. Good luck on your build...I started building my own wheels for exactly the same reason. It's very empowering for the cycle-commuter.