Cycleway town
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Milton Keynes, England
Posts: 1,402
Bikes: 2.6kw GT LTS e-tandem, 250w Voodoo, 250w solar recumbent trike, 3-speed shopper, Merlin ol/skl mtb, 80cc Ellswick
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
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Yeah i used motorbike spokes, think they're 2.8mm. And supermoto rims.
When drilling out the holes in the rim for the bigger nipples, you want to drill at an angle, so the spoke pulls straight. You start at the valve because the spoke aims away from the valve. You drill 2 angled that way, then 2 angled back, and so fourth around the rim.
The larger diameter your hub motor, the steeper the angle required to maintain a straight spoke. This will help prevent snapping either the spokes, nipples, or splitting the rim.