Wheelbuilding: Lighter spokes on NDS okay for 300lb Clyde?
04-25-16, 01:08 PM
#1
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Wheelbuilding: Lighter spokes on NDS okay for 300lb Clyde?
I'm looking at building a new wheelset based on 36h Deep V rims on 130mm hubs. I have run across a number of threads (including a fairly recent one over in the Bike Mechanics forum) extolling the virtues of using lighter gauge spokes on the non-drive side of a rear wheel to compensate for the tension difference between the two sides, thus making the NDS spokes less prone to loosening and making the wheel more durable overall. Typically the wheel would be built with 2.0/1.8 spokes on the drive side and 2.0/1.5 on the NDS.
My question is, would a wheel like this still be appropriate for a heavy rider in the 300lb range? I realize that building a clyde-friendly wheel with thin spokes on both sides is not recommended due to reduced lateral stiffness, but does that rule still apply when used only on the NDS, or do the durability gains outweigh the disadvantages?
My question is, would a wheel like this still be appropriate for a heavy rider in the 300lb range? I realize that building a clyde-friendly wheel with thin spokes on both sides is not recommended due to reduced lateral stiffness, but does that rule still apply when used only on the NDS, or do the durability gains outweigh the disadvantages?
05-03-16, 12:25 PM
#2
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Here's a free bump; I'm also curious about this issue ( thinking about 36-spoke Velocity Quill wheel-build).
05-03-16, 12:40 PM
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This question might be more profitably asked on the Mechanics forum or of an actual wheelbuilder IRL.
05-03-16, 03:06 PM
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Yes, using thinner spokes still works for a 300 pound rider. Although in my case I'm running 2.0 straight DS and 2.0/1.8/2.0 NDS, it's been working well for the last 7-8 years. 1.5 mm spokes on NDS are just about to get tight, so they should be fine.
05-03-16, 03:32 PM
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I'm not sure if the thinner spokes would make a stronger wheel, but the thicker spokes may not be necessary.
Good rims seem to be stronger than older style rims. I just flatted a tube and damaged the tire in a pavement crack on 16/20 wheels that likely would have wiped out my old Regida/Wolber box type wheels.
You mentioned 130mm. Road bike?
135mm wheels will have less of a DS/NDS tension difference, and will make stronger wheels.
Good rims seem to be stronger than older style rims. I just flatted a tube and damaged the tire in a pavement crack on 16/20 wheels that likely would have wiped out my old Regida/Wolber box type wheels.
You mentioned 130mm. Road bike?
135mm wheels will have less of a DS/NDS tension difference, and will make stronger wheels.
05-03-16, 04:02 PM
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Personally I think a spoke would break way faster than a spoke would loosen up in our circumstances. I have a rear deep V with straight 2.0 spokes. Truing the wheel will show me if anything is loosening up. Spoke breakage is not predictable and a lot more time and effort.
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