Melvang

Are 4x9 spoke lacing patterns acceptable for road bike disc brakes?

Planning on eventually building myself, yes going to practice with other standard builds first.

Not going to be anytime soon, just researching options.

Bill Kapaun

My younger brother's early 70's Takara was a 36 spoke 4X. It was "standard". too.
Disc shouldn't make a diff- One might make a case 4X is "1" better for disc.
And since you mention "road" bike, I'll assume you aren't using some tiny 20" or so wheels

Melvang

Not referring to a 4 cross, but where you have 9 sets of 4 spokes with gaps between groups.

rosefarts

4x9 is cool looking. Probably hard to do right. It's in no way related to Cross 4 lacing. I don't even know if it's crossed at all. I'd have to find a pic and zoom in.

Other than look, is there any advantage? That's a serious question, I don't know.

Disc wheels present a fly in the ointment for atypical wheel builds. Cross 3 with the same spoke counts on both sides is what I have done and would again.

Melvang

As far as I know, there is not advantage aside from looks. As far as cross pattern, I think they are a mix of 2 and 3 cross pattern depending on which spokes in the pattern they are, that or all 2 cross, not sure. I can double check.

tomtomtom123

Wouldn't the outer 2 of the group of 4 take more stress when the rim is loaded since they're adjacent to the unsupported arcs of the rim?

It also seems to me to be more difficult to true since the spokes aren't all symmetric to each other.