Didn't anyone get the punch line here?

It was the irony I missed :)

A double twisty pattern actually seems to hold up pretty well altho it seems to serve no real purpose. My wife likes the look, two cross is the prettiest, so I have done it several time. I think my front fixed wheel is a one cross full twisty, looks good and has lasted several years(OK the last year and a half was hanging on the wall, but it still looked good :)

So how do you figure out what length spoke to use? If I built up a set for personal use would I be required to change my screen name?

I have found that you only need to add a mm to the normal spoke length,

Thanks, I think. I was going to guess about 1 or 2mm. You know what you've done to me now. I have a spare set of road wheels hanging in my shop that I'll probably never use otherwise, sounds like an interesting, though totally useless, afternoon project.

When you say double twist, you mean that two spokes are twisted twice around each other? -As opposed to double twist meaning: two spokes get one twist, then split and each gets a second twist around a third and fourth spoke.

I think that I've figured out the trick. It looks to me like a double twist would be a lot harder to do. After looking at my wheels, I can see how a 2-cross would look prettier but that would mean completely rebuilding the wheels with new spokes (I am a 3-cross retro grouch after all). Seems like a lot of effort for the really pretty limited benefit. If I've got some 14/15 gauge spokes in the right lengths I'll probably try it.

look in the fixed gear picture sticky for cool lacing.

It's been 14+ years since I built the wheels, but I remember having to add a mm or two to the length to facilitate the twist. The reason the front is a single twist is because the spokes were too short to do two twists.

By single twist I mean the spokes wrap 180° around each other. A double twist would be 360°. With the single twist, the spoke ends up going into the nipple that normally connects with the spoke it would have crossed. With a double twist, the spokes continue to their normal holes.

The only 'advantage' I found was cool looking wheels.

Very interesting, but I don't think I want to try it. Thanks for the pictures.

Al

I will do things just for enertainment value and proof of concept.. even if it is already proven.. no good reason at all. I do it more often with computers then my bikes on average though. In process of setting up a PBX with some VOIP phones.. I have no use for it or any real reason to set it up.. other then just for fun, learn and pass time. I do agree with everyone standard 3 cross is best way to go.. twisting sounds like fun hmmm maybe we'll see. It's all for cosmetics no question about that, I like radial lacing for that reason, I don't think it makes me any faster.. I can get away with it to since I'm not tall and fairly thin.. on my road/track bikes atleast.