How come every time I rebuild a wheel the spokes are too long?
03-28-11, 08:49 PM
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How come every time I rebuild a wheel the spokes are too long?
So I've been through this once before. Picked up a free bike that had a bent wheel. Disassembled the wheel and got the (steel) rim bent back pretty straight and then rebuilt the wheel using the old spokes. Somehow the spokes were too long and I had to file off the excess. Got it pretty true and sold it.
Now I have another flipper bike with the same problem. I went through the same process (which may be my problem
). Disassembled, straightened rim, rebuilt with old spokes, spokes protruding a good 1/8"-1/4" through the nipple. What am I doing wrong?
Now I have another flipper bike with the same problem. I went through the same process (which may be my problem
). Disassembled, straightened rim, rebuilt with old spokes, spokes protruding a good 1/8"-1/4" through the nipple. What am I doing wrong?
03-28-11, 08:51 PM
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1. You reduced the crossing when you re-laced.
2. The original wasn't tensioned properly - you did so and went a little overboard.
=8-)
2. The original wasn't tensioned properly - you did so and went a little overboard.
=8-)
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5000+ wheels built since 1984...
Disclaimer:
1. I do not claim to be an expert in bicycle mechanics despite my experience.
2. I like anyone will comment in other areas.
3. I do not own the preexisting concepts of DISH and ERD.
4. I will provide information as I always have to others that I believe will help them protect themselves from unscrupulous mechanics.
5. My all time favorite book is:
Kahane, Howard. Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric: The Use of Reason in Everyday Life
03-28-11, 09:01 PM
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So I've been through this once before. Picked up a free bike that had a bent wheel. Disassembled the wheel and got the (steel) rim bent back pretty straight and then rebuilt the wheel using the old spokes. Somehow the spokes were too long and I had to file off the excess. Got it pretty true and sold it.
Now I have another flipper bike with the same problem. I went through the same process (which may be my problem). Disassembled, straightened rim, rebuilt with old spokes, spokes protruding a good 1/8"-1/4" through the nipple. What am I doing wrong?
Now I have another flipper bike with the same problem. I went through the same process (which may be my problem
). Disassembled, straightened rim, rebuilt with old spokes, spokes protruding a good 1/8"-1/4" through the nipple. What am I doing wrong?2) Front or rear wheel? Multi-speed rear wheels with symmetric flanges have longer spokes on the non-drive side. On the 9/10 speed wheel I'm about to build the non-drive side spokes are 2mm longer than the drive side which is close to 1/8" off if you got the two spoke lengths swapped.
03-28-11, 09:08 PM
#5
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I got a completely disassembled bike a while back, built up the rear wheel as 3-cross, and spokes were too long, relaced it as 4-cross, and they were perfect, so that will sure enough do it.
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03-28-11, 09:08 PM
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-1 on the higher tension, there's no way a rim would tolerate the tension difference 1/8" or 7 full turns of the nipples would add, even compared to a very loose wheel.
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WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
03-28-11, 09:09 PM
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It's a rear wheel. I didn't remove the spokes from the hub, and thought I was careful to re-lace the same way. I guess I could try a 4-cross pattern and see how it turns out. Thanks for the help so far.
03-28-11, 10:57 PM
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+1 on the reduced cross. many old 36 spoke wheels are built 4x (full tangent), odds are you rebuilt 3x out of habit. If you run the the specs through a spoke length calculator I'll bet the difference is exactly what you saw.
-1 on the higher tension, there's no way a rim would tolerate the tension difference 1/8" or 7 full turns of the nipples would add, even compared to a very loose wheel.
-1 on the higher tension, there's no way a rim would tolerate the tension difference 1/8" or 7 full turns of the nipples would add, even compared to a very loose wheel.
Actually with a cheap steel rim you can - it's just that the eyelets will take on a "tornado funnel" shape from getting pulled inward...eventually they'll crack pretty soon under use - assuming they didn't already before use.
=8-)
__________________
5000+ wheels built since 1984...
Disclaimer:
1. I do not claim to be an expert in bicycle mechanics despite my experience.
2. I like anyone will comment in other areas.
3. I do not own the preexisting concepts of DISH and ERD.
4. I will provide information as I always have to others that I believe will help them protect themselves from unscrupulous mechanics.
5. My all time favorite book is:
Kahane, Howard. Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric: The Use of Reason in Everyday Life
5000+ wheels built since 1984...
Disclaimer:
1. I do not claim to be an expert in bicycle mechanics despite my experience.
2. I like anyone will comment in other areas.
3. I do not own the preexisting concepts of DISH and ERD.
4. I will provide information as I always have to others that I believe will help them protect themselves from unscrupulous mechanics.
5. My all time favorite book is:
Kahane, Howard. Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric: The Use of Reason in Everyday Life
03-28-11, 11:58 PM
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Maybe the spokes are so cheap they stretched. 
03-30-11, 04:01 PM
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Your diagnosis was spot on. It needed a 4 cross lacing. Thanks for your help everyone, it felt so good for a wheel build to turn out right for once.
