Originally Posted by
Papa Tom
Until these two broken-spoke incidents, I did not even realize there are so many different sized spokes! I figured a 26" wheel had a certain size spoke, a 27" had a longer one, etc. Why does it have to be so confusing?
Every hub is different. Every rim has a slightly different effective rim diameter. Rear derailleur wheels usually have a different length for the drive side than the non-drive side.
The last time I built up a wheel with a dynohub, I was going to use that wheel on a fork with rim brakes but I thought it made sense to buy a hub that could take a disc in the event I wanted such a wheel years from now. Then I realized that a disc front wheel with that particular dynohub would have different spoke lengths on one side of the wheel than on the other side. Thus, even some front wheels will have a different spoke length on one side than on the other.
What I find more frustrating is that I usually use Wheelsmith Spokes, they are sold in a bag of 50. A wheel usually takes 32 or 36, if you want a couple spares that is 34 or 38 for a wheel. Why would they sell spokes in a bag of 50? And i usually use Sapim Polyax Brass Niples, why are they sold in bags of 100?