Show Us Your BICYCLE(S)!!!!

That all seems like sound advice. I know a fair bit about bikes, but my technical knowledge definitely falls down when it comes to wheels, particularly how to design and build one.

I'll probably go with a Deore or XT hub like you recommended, Xander. I just need to find a decent wheel builder. I'm not afraid to try putting it together myself, then have a shop true the wheel. Does that sound like a bad idea? I reckon that's a decent way to start learning.

-Andy

This looks like something I can do. Pretty sure this is the pattern you recommended, Xander. Would it be ok to use my existing hoops and spokes, seeing as they're quite new?

If not, what brand of spokes do you recommend. I weigh 180 pounds (and hopefully dropping).

-Andy

andrew98 said:

Would it be ok to use my existing hoops and spokes, seeing as they're quite new?

If not, what brand of spokes do you recommend. I weigh 180 pounds (and hopefully dropping).

Click to expand...

You can reuse your rims without much problem. The spokes may be a different story. Hubs are not standardized and come in different sizes. Different hubs necessitate different lengths of spokes be used. If your old hub happens to match your new hub, you can probably reuse the spokes. In the likely case that their measurements differ somewhat, you may need new spokes. I'd recommend DT Swiss spokes.

Hoops are fine to reuse, hubs too (not always, but genereally ok) I never reuse spokes. DT or WheelSmith spokes are all I use when building wheels.

To give an idea of why your spokes might not work, the hubs are measured for flange diameter on both sides, spoke hole circle diameter, spoke hole diameter, flange distance from center and overall locknut dimension. Rims have a specific ERD dimension used for building wheels, somtimes its printed on the rim, often times it needs to be looked up or measured with special tools. Nipple length and nipple seat depth is taken into account as well.

For a good write up on builing wheels check out Sheldon Brown's site (r.i.p.) his info is some of the best out there. Also, there is an excellent excell based spoke length calculator with large data base of wheels and hubs already in it, I think its by Damon Rainard. If you use this you can order your spokes precut online and save some money. I recommend DT or Wheel Smith brand, and get 14/15 double butted spokes for strength and weight. They are also the most common so likely will be easier to find. DT nipples are great, I like the pro-lock ones with thread locking compound in them already, it is not Loc-tite btw.

Find a good shop that would be willing to let you use their stand and teach you the art of trueing a wheel from scratch. It seems daunting at first, but be methodical and consistant and it goes pretty quick. I can build a wheel from scratch in about an hour now to fully trued and ridable. One tip, always start at the valve hole when truing, because you WILL drop your spoke wrench and lose your place!

If you do get a hub, shoot me an email with the brand and exact model number, also your rim and I can run it through my calculators to double check the spoke length for you. Also, have two extra spokes of each length to keep with that wheel. I tape mine to the seat stays on the bike so if I break a spoke on the trail I can replace it and finish my ride. Yes you will have two spoke lengths on a rear wheel, one drive side and one non-drive side.

-Xander

Oh, and to set the record straight on a few things, disc break wheels should NEVER be laced radially, use minimum 2x lacing, but 3x or 4x is better. And the big climbing gear on a cassette actually reduces torque on the hub. The highest torque is at zero rpm. So by spinning the wheel faster with a lower gear there is less torque.


-Xander

fast14riot said:

Oh, and to set the record straight on a few things, disc break wheels should NEVER be laced radially, use minimum 2x lacing, but 3x or 4x is better. And the big climbing gear on a cassette actually reduces torque on the hub. The highest torque is at zero rpm. So by spinning the wheel faster with a lower gear there is less torque.


-Xander

Click to expand...

BUT, at lower RPM (i.e. standing and cranking up a sudden hill), the bigger rear gear will give more leverage (moment = force x arm), thus more torque. No?

Can't believe I missed this thread!

i ride my bike maybe 100-200km a week depending. Since I've taken this pic I've made some changes to it.

Taken while on a little break

Here is my quiver of bicycles. I work part-time as a mechanic in a bike shop so it allows me to get stuff pretty cheap!

My old GT Avalanche converted to a cargo bike.


2011 KHS XC Team


2012 Cervelo R3

Brandon P K said:

BUT, at lower RPM (i.e. standing and cranking up a sudden hill), the bigger rear gear will give more leverage (moment = force x arm), thus more torque. No?

Click to expand...

Yes, exactly what I wrote, the torque curve is highest at zero rpm, but the bigger climbing gear helps you keep spinning faster, reducing torque compared to a standard 25-28t gear.

My comment was in response to the statement on the previous page that the bigger climbing gear increases torque. Anytime you are able to spin the wheel and keep moving, you are generating less torque than not spinning the wheel. Just try and ride up that hill in a smaller cog, which takes more effort? Our muscles work the same way, we generate the most torque (force really) at zero rpm. The big climbing gear is a reducing gear.

I would bet that I generate higher torque when climbing a 20% grade on my road bike in a 40/25 gearing than I ever would on a rough incline trail on my mtb. My "delicate" road hubs sure seem to take it just fine.


-Xander

So many great bikes. I totally love the single speeds....it kind of agrees with the ethos of this forum, one blade is enough, one fixed gear is enough, haha well not unless you live in a hilly area any way.

TenorClef said:

So many great bikes. I totally love the single speeds....it kind of agrees with the ethos of this forum, one blade is enough, one fixed gear is enough, haha well not unless you live in a hilly area any way.

Click to expand...

To be honest i have only one bike which is the fixed gear that i posted. I live in a hilly part of Toronto and i find that its actually easier going up the hills now compared to when i had gears or was on a single speed freewheel.

This is probably because of a few different reasons. One being my legs are just stronger now that i only have one gear, and the other is the pedal momentum. As long as the back wheel is spinning my cranks will keep spinning. This helps with a more efficient pedal stroke giving me the ability to keep going up where as if i was on a single speed i could stop pedaling midway through the stroke and loose any chance i had of making it up the hill.

Here is my Hybrid Sport
On the Canal at Linlithgow Scotland

fast14riot said:

Oh, and to set the record straight on a few things, disc break wheels should NEVER be laced radially, use minimum 2x lacing, but 3x or 4x is better. And the big climbing gear on a cassette actually reduces torque on the hub. The highest torque is at zero rpm. So by spinning the wheel faster with a lower gear there is less torque.


-Xander

Click to expand...

There are not many cases where I agree with radial lacing. I generally stick with a 3x pattern. higher spoke count wheels with this lacing pattern hold up better and are much easier to true when they do get a little wobble.

jim9112 said:

There are not many cases where I agree with radial lacing. I generally stick with a 3x pattern. higher spoke count wheels with this lacing pattern hold up better and are much easier to true when they do get a little wobble.

Click to expand...

I leave my trueing and respoking to the bike shop! I just had my rear rim respoked. It's got the large internal hub and the spokes kept popping and after 4-5 spokes, they offered to just respoke the wheel with butted spokes and I haven't had a problem in the last month.

apparently they looked into it and it's happened a few times with the large internal hub, something to do with the angle the spokes meet the rim (if that makes sense), so they used the stronger spokes and then also took care when stringing them to get proper angle and/or thickness where it meets the rims.

I have no idea what I'm talking about any more, but it made sense when he was explaining what they had done.

I'm happy with them in the end and it was all free.

Bianchi Pista Via Brera



So far (got it last year) it's been so perfect, that I haven't added or taken anything away from it.

Edit: Well OK, I changed the tyres to Schwalbe Durano Plus road tyres.

jim9112 said:

There are not many cases where I agree with radial lacing. I generally stick with a 3x pattern. higher spoke count wheels with this lacing pattern hold up better and are much easier to true when they do get a little wobble.

Click to expand...

I agree with you there. But I build what the customer wants after hearing my recommendations. I did build the front wheel on my wife MTB radially, but she's 105 lbs and has XTR V-Brakes, so other than coolness there is no real benefit.

My race wheels for the track bike are generally all 3x rear and radial front where absolute wheight matters, but I did own a '74 paramount Track bike with 27" tubular rims, 36H4x laced with 15 guage spokes to Campy high flange track hubs and solid axles that weighed less than my Mavic Ksyrium SL! That was an awesome wheelset, and bike too!


-Xander

My pinarello. (The stock wheels have plenty of radially laced spokes)

Maybe I'll take a picture of my other bikes tomorrow. They are all the way down stairs and I'm feeling a little lazy.

Another option to keep me rolling while I play with wheel building: Mavic Crossride Disc 29

Seems like a good deal, but I don't really know.

Edit: Mixed reviews here, so maybe not. I may talk to my lbs and see if I can just get the bearings replaced with something better, assuming that's the problem.

-Andy