Wheel Build Advice Thread

Nambra

Definitely should have gone to specsavers
OK thanks.
So would you still use washers under DT nipples on other rim brands?....do all wheel builds use washers all the time?

(I edited my first post when I realised how it read....Washers are for nipples, not spokes :rolleyes:)
The KOMs look to have a pretty meaty spoke bed, so maybe washers are not necessary.

Some rims have eylets in the spoke holes to negate the need for washers. Washers help distribute the load over a greater surface area so should in theory make for wheels that stay tensioned longer ie. the rim won't deform around the spoke holes as much and reduce spoke tension. Then there are things like the DT Swiss Squorx nipple with the PHR washers are an 'engineered' system, you should use them together. Sapim has something similar too.

The only disadvantage of washers would be the additional weight which is bugger all. A tiny bit of grease on the nipple will allow the washer stick to it and also reduce nipple/washer friction as you tension up the wheel.
 

tkdbboy

Likes Dirt
Whats the advantage of not having eyelets?

Seems like rims with eyelets are easier to build wheels with?
 

T-Rex

Template denier
Could be a good idea. I'm thinking of re-using the rim.
It's still round....sort of
Fixed a kid's wheel at Cannonball last year with this method.... 10mm deep flat spot. Probably would burp easily with tubeless, but held up for the weekend with a tube in it. Also, you need an angle grinder to remove the extra spoke length hanging out the back of the nipple so it doesn't rub through the tube.
 

born-again-biker

Is looking for a 16" bar
So what's the go with buying spokes & nipples?
Who's got a link? I can't find 293mm in black anywhere...(not really keen for the logistical hassle of Ze Krauts)

WTF is DT Swiss thinking using Apollo Bikes as the distro? It's like Samsung using Uncle Pete's Toys!

Have I got a date with the LBS and I just don't know it yet....?
 

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
It's very difficult to find spokes in odd-numbered measurements from anywhere. Easiest solution is to round off to the nearest even-numbered increment, e.g if the exact spoke calculation said 293.4 for example, then go up to 294mm; if 292.7, then go down to 292mm.

The Germans are about the best for pricing on the spokes themselves, but they'll ream you on freight, typically around 20 Euro (~A$30 depending on exchange rate at the time). @Boom King put me onto www.customcutspokes.co.uk, and they seem to work out about the best..... Unit price on the spokes isn't quite as sharp as the Germs, but they'll give a discount on nipples with any spoke order, and freight is a lot cheaper, so all said & done they work out cheaper.

For local sourcing, Apollo are only one of three (that I know of) Aus distributors for DT; Dirt works and Bicycle Parts Wholesale are the others. BPW are good for fairly run-of-the-mill straight-gauge & double-butted round spokes and some aero models, but can fall short with some less common variations. Dirt Works usually have a more comprehensive range, but can be pretty variable with dispatching stuff.
 
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T-Rex

Template denier
So what's the go with buying spokes & nipples?
Who's got a link? I can't find 293mm in black anywhere...(not really keen for the logistical hassle of Ze Krauts)

WTF is DT Swiss thinking using Apollo Bikes as the distro? It's like Samsung using Uncle Pete's Toys!

Have I got a date with the LBS and I just don't know it yet....?
1mm wont matter, get 292 for drive side and 294 for non drive side
 

born-again-biker

Is looking for a 16" bar
It's very difficult to find spokes in odd-numbered measurements from anywhere. Easiest solution is to round off to the nearest even-numbered increment, e.g if the exact spoke calculation said 293.4 for example, then go up to 294mm; if 292.7, then go down to 292mm.

The Germans are about the best for pricing on the spokes themselves, but they'll ream you on freight, typically around 20 Euro (~A$30 depending on exchange rate at the time). @Boom King put me onto www.customcutspokes.co.uk, and they seem to work out about the best..... Unit price on the spokes isn't quite as sharp as the Germs, but they'll give a discount on nipples with any spoke order, and freight is a lot cheaper, so all said & done they work out cheaper.

For local sourcing, Apollo are only one of three (that I know of) Aus distributors for DT; Dirt works and Bicycle Parts Wholesale are the others. BPW are good for fairly run-of-the-mill straight-gauge & double-butted round spokes and some aero models, but can fall short with some less common variations. Dirt Works usually have a more comprehensive range, but can be pretty variable with dispatching stuff.
1mm wont matter, get 292 for drive side and 294 for non drive side
DT Swiss calculator spat out 292.1 & 291.7 .....Roger Musson's gave 291.9 & 291.2.
...so I was rounding up to 293 assuming every length was available.
Do you think 292's would be too close to the ERD ? Would it be safer to build both sides with 294's?....and still get good tension?

I'm currently surfing customcutspokes.co.uk.....cheers for the link.

EDIT: Just realised that company actually cuts any length required (it's actually in the name. I'm not always the tightest spoke in the wheel... :rolleyes:)
 
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creaky

XMAS Plumper
DT Swiss calculator spat out 292.1 & 291.7 .....Roger Musson's gave 291.9 & 291.2.
...so I was rounding up to 293 assuming every length was available.
Do you think 292's would be too close to the ERD ? Would it be safer to build both sides with 294's?....and still get good tension?

I'm currently surfing customcutspokes.co.uk.....cheers for the link.

EDIT: Just realised that company actually cuts any length required (it's actually in the name. I'm not always the tightest spoke in the wheel... :rolleyes:)
If those are your calculated lengths I’d just get 292s all round. Easier to get replacements for even than odds and probably cheaper than custom cut.
 

Oddjob

Merry fucking Xmas to you assholes
DT Swiss calculator spat out 292.1 & 291.7 .....Roger Musson's gave 291.9 & 291.2.
...so I was rounding up to 293 assuming every length was available.
Do you think 292's would be too close to the ERD ? Would it be safer to build both sides with 294's?....and still get good tension?

I'm currently surfing customcutspokes.co.uk.....cheers for the link.

EDIT: Just realised that company actually cuts any length required (it's actually in the name. I'm not always the tightest spoke in the wheel... :rolleyes:)
I always round up to the nearest even number and add 2mm for safety.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
I always round up to the nearest even number and add 2mm for safety.
Dunno about "safety".... Leaves you at too much risk of running out of thread before you reach proper tension, especially if using finer gauge spokes which stretch more than you'd think. I always round off, either way, to the nearest even-numbered measurement, that way you're never more than 1mm out.
 
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Oddjob

Merry fucking Xmas to you assholes
Dunno about "safety".... Leaves you at too much risk of running out of thread before you reack proper tension, especially if using finer gauge spokes which stretch mare than you'd think. I always round off, either way, to the nearest even-numbered measurement, that way you're never more than 1mm out.
I've found the Sheldon Brown spoke calc spreadsheet to be very accurate. Way more accurate then my measuring skills or the erd listed on most websites.

So this has almost left thread showing a few times on wheels builds, which in turn means that there isn't full engagement between spoke and nipple. So my rule of thumb is to round up and add 2mm. The worst that can happen is that the spokes are a tad long but I can always
  1. add washers for extra strength or
  2. cut extra thread into the spoke.

A slightly too short spoke can mean that more than 25% of the spoke thread isn't engaged, or I have to get 14mm nipples.

I also never use any spoke skinnier than 1.8mm so I don't see all that much stretch.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 
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