Grasschopper

I'm just pissed you can't get the Zonda in a tubular. I so want the Eurus tubulars but I so don't see the need/expense/lack of durability for AL spokes. I may get the Eurus and then if/when they break respoke them with the Zonda spokes...other than the spokes the clinchers are identical.

waterrockets 

Yeah, that's a reasonable route to go. I've re-nippled wheels for friends when maintenance time came.

Keep in mind though, that this is MUCH easier to do out of the box, before any oxidation sets in. Chances are they used threadlock (hate it), and threadlock plus oxidation = wire cutters for spoke removal. If you have to use wire cutters, then you risk bending your rim since other spokes are at full tension. Low spoke-count wheels have a much tougher time with sudden tension loss on a spoke. I prefer to detension gradually (1 turn per lap around the wheel until the spokes get floppy).

Retro Grouch 

I just looked up the wholesale price in QBP, divided by 100 to get the each cost, and doubled it. FWIW I work at an LBS so I can buy stuff at wholesale but I buy spokes on line from wheelbuilder.com because he'll sell me the exact number that I need so I'm not paying for extras that I'll probably never use. Service has been good too. I can get them about as fast as ordering from QBP.

brians647

Yeah, I'd love to get a tubular wheel for the claimed ride benefits (although, I must admit I still have reservations about flat repair, etc. - but that's been covered in other threads I guess) but come across the same problem that you are seeing. It's the similarity in the clinchers that sells me on the Zonda's too.

brians647

Sounds like you've done this before, eh? I can see how it would be much easier to do out of the box (referring to installing brass nipples). I prefer working with clean surfaces and doing it right the first time. I guess I need to do an internet search, but how much can I expect to be paying for Brass nipples? Any suggestions on where to get them? I'm sure this has been posted before, but any suggestions would help. Thanks!

CrimsonKarter21

Yep, $2.50 per spoke, I think it's $3.00 per spoke if you want black. That's why I don't want to buy anything expensive for my roadie.

brians647

So I just got off of the shop that I wanted to order the Campy Zonda's from, and they told me that the Shimano compatible hubs on the Zonda only works with the Shimano Dura Ace cassette, not the Ultegra cassette. WTF? Am I back to the drawing board that quickly? Geez...

Chorus_Girl

That's true, but my Ksyrium SLs have been perfect.

AeroDog

I've had three sets of Ksyrium SLs, all perfect. I've never had to true one.

sogood

Yet again, there's plenty of higher end wheels with alloy spokes on cycling enthusiast forums, and plenty of these owners are racers putting down a fair bit of power on their rear wheels. So the statistics on a forum may not accurately reflect the general market place.

Grasschopper

Huh? Is your Ultegra 10 speed? Either way that doesn't sound right.

brians647

Yeah, it's an Ultegra 10 speed. I just looked at the Shimano website, and you can see that the splines on the Dura Ace hub are a bit higher than the Ultegra splines, but I've never heard of there being a compatibility problem. I guess that Dura Ace cog set can go on an Ultegra hub, but an Ultegra cog can't go on a Dura Ace hub? Is it those Dura Ace elitists squashing my wheel aspirations?

slvoid

The cx-ray's are actually a lot cheaper if you have em build the wheel with it.

Grasschopper

Well you are right about the Shimano hubs but I thought the cassettes (the 10 speed) were all made to accept the deeper splines so a 10 speed cassette can run on a 9 speed hub but a 9 speed cassette can't run on a 10 speed hub.

Ok I found it on the Shimano site and I am correct. See here: https://bike.shimano.com/publish/cont...bility.pdf.pdf

In short what that says is that the 6600 (Ultegra) cassette does have the deep grooves so it will fit on the 7800 hub (DA) but the 6600 freehub has the shorter splines so an 8/9 speed cassette can be used as well as a 10 speed cassette. It is too bad that their chart isn't updated for 5600 (105 10 speed) as the same will hold true there, the cassette will work on any 10 speed freehub and the freehub will take 8/9/10 speed cassettes. Only DA hubs can't take 8/9 speed cassettes.

So any way you crack it the Campy wheel with the HG freehub will accept an Ultegra 6600 (10 speed) cassette...and my guess is that it will take 8 and 9 speed as well...in fact on the Campy web site they don't even mention that it is 10 speed compatible...but if it will take the 8/9 speed cassette it will take the 10.

brians647

Grasschopper, you are the man! Thank you very much for helping me sort that out. It didn't make sense when the rep first told me that, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to even begin to understand what the Shimano web site was saying.

Thanks again!

paul43

How about THESE spokes from the wheelbuilder.com site?

Exotic materials have been successfully used in spoke manufacturing, however cost and availability can sometimes be limiting factors. Titanium, and Carbon/Kevlar spokes are currently in use on several manufacturers production wheels. Titanium spokes weigh significantly less than stainless spokes. Due to their inherent flexibility the Ti spokes give a very unique ride sometimes described as comfortable, plush, soft, Flexi, and even sloppy by some riders.

waterrockets 

I had extras laying around, so they were free when I did it. I've always gotten the nips with the spokes, but I'll bet they're $.04 or so each, retail.

Keep in mind that this re-spoking or re-nippling is a pretty extreme behavior, but it's reasonable to make a special hub and rim spoking pattern more durable.

Grasschopper

Sounds like the rep wasn't knowledgeable enough either.

bbattle

spinlitecycling.com has Sapim brass nipples starting at $8 for 100 up to $37 for 100 self-locking colored nipples. cx-ray spokes for less than $3 each.


Why no love for carbon/kevlar spokes? https://topolinotech.com/700C-clinche...chnology.shtml

Serpico

how is it that someone says--unequivocally no less--that wheels aren't made with aluminum spokes, is called on it, says "I stand corrected" and then continues to talk with authority

only on bikeforums

brians647

I'm starting to see that some steel spoke kits (DT spokes) come with the brass nipples, so i'm good to go there. No love for the carbon spokes, haven't earned those yet.

brians647

Lol. Gotta admire that stuff. At least he intended to be helpful. Cheers to that!