Deontologist

What have your experiences been with G3 pattern wheels and mechanics truing them? Did your ordinary LBS with no Campy ProShop designation true them up just fine?

Or did they do something stupid like twist the aero spokes by not using a spoke holder or just completely lost their minds when they saw the unconventional spoke pattern?

fa63

I took my rear Zonda wheel in for a very minor true once (most people wouldn't have even bothered with it), and the first ride after I picked them up I broke a spoke. Maybe just a coincidence, but seemed weird. Then I took the wheel to a shop where I knew there was an experienced Campy wrench and had the broken spoke replaced, and the wheel has been fine ever since.

So I would ask to see if they have any experience working with G3 wheels. If not, try to find some place that does (and doesn't have to a Campy Pro shop) so that your wheels don't become a guinea pig.

rpenmanparker 

That spoke pattern isn't so strange. You see it a lot. If someone knows how to build wheels properly, that pattern poses no problems whatsoever. Balanced tension is balanced tension. You aren't asking the mechanic to relace the wheels just properly tension and true them. No difference that matters between such wheels and any other.

Deontologist

That sounds like a good idea. I'm wondering how I should phrase my question. Obviously I don't want to walk into the shop and ask if the mechanic "knows" how to true a G3 wheel - that might come across as condescending to some types.

I think I'll just call around and say that another mechanic straight up told me he didn't want to mess around with my G3 wheel b/c it was unfamiliar with him and now I'm just trying to find someone who has experience or judges himself competent enough to true a G3 wheel.

I'll do this when my wheels come out of true. Whenever that is ...

rpenmanparker 

I know it is important to you to believe there is something special about your G3 wheels. After all Campy says so, and they wouldn't lie. Seriously, the spoke pattern is more commonly called triplet lacing, and it is very well known. I have been building wheels like that for years, and it is all I ride. Bike Hub Store sells no-name hubs drilled for that pattern and does a land-office business with them both in 8:16 (24 hole) and 9:18 (27) hole varieties. You don't true them any differently than any other wheel. You are making a mountain out of a mole hill. Nothing wrong with that if it floats your boat, but it is a little silly. If I were you, I would consider not making your life any harder regarding this issue than absolutely necessary. As I said before if any wheel tech knows how to true a wheel, he knows how to true a triplet or so-called G3 wheel.

Deontologist

I've read several stories online of people getting their aero spokes twisted by mechs so if mechs don't even know to use a spoke holder, I don't expect much more. Also the one time I brought in a wheel for truing at a shop the mechanic commented about how he had never seen 2-crossed drive side lacing before ...

Also it is true that I believe there is something special about my G3 wheels. They have a dramatically different lacing pattern than most other wheels. If that mech who was surprised at 2-cross I can't imagine his surprise when he sees the G3 pattern. I would have gotten the equivalent Fulcrums with the more conventional 2-cross pattern but they were 60 dollars more expensive on Wiggle for whatever reason.

rpenmanparker 

Yes, but aero spokes appear on all kinds of wheels. They are not a feature of G3 wheels only. G3 refers to the spoke arrangement, not that the spokes are bladed. It is right to want the aero spokes to stay straight. Any wheel tech can do that too. You shouldn't have to caution him to watch out for the spoke windup, but it only takes a brief comment to alert him to your concern. I'm just saying that an elaborate interview of the wheel tech regarding his familiarity with G3 wheels is a bit over the top. If you try to convince him someone refused to work on the wheels because of their complexity, you will lose all face with him.

rm -rf

It's not tricky to true a G3 wheel. The only unusual thing is that the pair of spokes should both have equal tension. It's possible to have the wheel quite true, but with unequal tension in the pair, so one of the two is taking most of the load.

Otherwise, two drive side spokes and one non-drive helps to even out the tension between the sides, so that's actually easier to true.

Spokes in threes, with the outside spokes paired on the same side:


Some older low-end Campagnolo wheels (Vento) had G3 on the front. It's not a good idea for a front wheel, with radically different tensions between the pair and the single spoke.

EDIT--It looks like they might still sell G3 front wheels. My old 2006 Ventos had one of the front pair unwind the nipple, dropping the nipple into the rim. It was still rideable to get home.