144 spoke wheels
11-10-18, 01:25 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
144 spoke wheels
After seeing this bike on CL with 144 spokes on 26" wheels I wondered, how many spokes are too much?
11-10-18, 07:15 AM
#2
Old fart
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 24,776
Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.
Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3582 Post(s)
Liked 3,394 Times
in
1,928 Posts
Wheels like that are a fashion statement. And a PITA to true.
11-10-18, 10:00 AM
#3
Banned
If all you seek is a Gimmick. you got it there ..
next step: No more spokes at all..
hope no side winds either..
next step: No more spokes at all..
hope no side winds either..
11-10-18, 10:21 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 8,688
Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1074 Post(s)
Liked 295 Times
in
222 Posts
There’s a Race Manager in some manner of motor sports who is supposed to have said that ”anything that hasn’t broken once in a race season is too heavy”.
In that vein I suppose that the moment your wheels stop giving you trouble you’re right on the edge of ”too many”.
In that vein I suppose that the moment your wheels stop giving you trouble you’re right on the edge of ”too many”.
11-10-18, 10:30 AM
#5
FLIR Kitten to 0.05C
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Posts: 5,331
Bikes: Roadie: Seven Axiom Race Ti w/Chorus 11s. CX/Adventure: Carver Gravel Grinder w/ Di2
Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2349 Post(s)
Liked 406 Times
in
254 Posts
How many spokes are too much? Depends on what you are doing. Take for example this photo of an actual circus bike made for doing human-tepee gags with 6+ people while being ridden
You'll note...for the expected load--it doesn't need that many spokes.
You'll note...for the expected load--it doesn't need that many spokes.
11-10-18, 10:55 AM
#6
Heft On Wheels
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 3,123
Bikes: Specialized,Cannondale,Argon 18
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 887 Post(s)
Liked 560 Times
in
346 Posts
that cruzer is is kind of......ugly....to me anyways. On the other hand I have always wanted to try a disc wheel for the fun of it. Looks like it’s pure evil in not perfect conditions.
11-10-18, 12:42 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,547
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18350 Post(s)
Liked 4,502 Times
in
3,346 Posts
I think I found a cruiser wheel with 96 spokes.
An interesting thing is that they run radial on the rear.
An interesting thing is that they run radial on the rear.
11-10-18, 12:48 PM
#8
Disco Infiltrator
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,446
Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem
Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,102 Times
in
1,366 Posts
Since the cruiser has a coaster brake and 144 spokes it’s probably not important that the wheel be true or even.
The circus bike appears to have motorcycle spokes...
Now that monocoque wheel, that’s fun to make jokes about. Does it hang from the upper fibers?
The circus bike appears to have motorcycle spokes...
Now that monocoque wheel, that’s fun to make jokes about. Does it hang from the upper fibers?
11-10-18, 12:48 PM
#9
Banned
Discs
they sound like rolling an empty oil drum, used on time trial road bikes..
11-10-18, 01:05 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,547
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18350 Post(s)
Liked 4,502 Times
in
3,346 Posts
Tension may not have to be even, although perhaps with radial lacing, it might come out awfully close to true if the tension was made even.
Perhaps true for hops. Then set the tension even, with only minor touchup needed after that.
11-10-18, 03:11 PM
#11
Old fart
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 24,776
Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.
Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3582 Post(s)
Liked 3,394 Times
in
1,928 Posts
11-10-18, 08:17 PM
#13
Bikes are okay, I guess.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 6,938
Bikes: Waterford Paramount Touring, Giant CFM-2, Raleigh Sports 3-speeds in M23 & L23, Schwinn Cimarron oddball build, Marin Palisades Trail dropbar conversion, Nishiki Cresta GT
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2647 Post(s)
Liked 2,446 Times
in
1,557 Posts
11-11-18, 05:47 AM
#14
Junior Member
Thread Starter
11-11-18, 07:24 AM
#15
On Holiday
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,014
Bikes: A bunch of old steel bikes
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 394 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 14 Times
in
12 Posts
Wouldn't the hub drillings for 144 spokes be just a mm or two apart? Perhaps they are offset, but still seems to point to a very fragile hub.
11-11-18, 07:36 AM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 643 Times
in
364 Posts
I can tell you that in the earlier days of tandems 71 spoke wheels were tried. (They left the one out where the valve stem was.) When you use that many spokes that means you are drilling more spoke holes and the rim is weakened.
__________________
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
11-11-18, 09:21 AM
#17
Callipygian Connoisseur
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,373
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 564 Post(s)
Liked 350 Times
in
190 Posts
That thing is all about looks. I assure you, the person riding it cares nothing about hub or rim strength and only considers true to the extent the wobble is barely noticeable. It wouldn’t surprise me if the bike is never actually ridden, more like rolled from show to show.
-Kedosto
-Kedosto
11-11-18, 07:44 PM
#18
On Holiday
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,014
Bikes: A bunch of old steel bikes
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 394 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 14 Times
in
12 Posts
That thing is all about looks. I assure you, the person riding it cares nothing about hub or rim strength and only considers true to the extent the wobble is barely noticeable. It wouldn’t surprise me if the bike is never actually ridden, more like rolled from show to show.
11-12-18, 10:05 AM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 8,688
Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1074 Post(s)
Liked 295 Times
in
222 Posts
well, if done right, there are more spoke holes sharing the load. So doing an arbitrary assumption on the amount and kind of use a bike like that is likely to see, probably not an issue.
11-12-18, 10:08 AM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 8,688
Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1074 Post(s)
Liked 295 Times
in
222 Posts
There used to be a guy here (danny-something) who said he’d built some similar wheels, but 72-spoked. With so many spokes to share the load, radial wasn’t an issue.
