Positron400

Heya,

i am considering buying the Hunt rims https://eu.huntbikewheels.com/produc...30587767717943 and they specify to use radial NDR and 2x on the DR for the rear wheel (24 holes) and radial for the front (20 holes).
As a beginner wheelbuilder (a few wheelsets, all of them 3x) I am very much careful when it comes to lacing for proper wheelstrength. I have never laced radial or 2cross, but doubt i would find the lacing pattern to be all that difficult. I am more worried about improper spoke tension and truing.

I have a wheel truing stand and a spoke key to go about it, but would i be able to get the spoke tension high enough by hand?
Or is that endeavour ill adivsed and should i stick to 3x untill i have more experience? I don't want my wheel to come loose while decending or jeopardy my safety.

Thanks!
P!

FBinNY 

Though I've built plenty of radial spoke wheels, I'm not a fan. My main objection is that radial spoke patterns lack resiliency and can be very hard on both the hubs and rims. One of the undervalued virtues of crossed spokes is the shock absorber effect of the interlaced crosses.

Though radial fronts have their place, like for use on small, high banked tracks, they offer zero benefit for road use.

The suggested radial NDS, though a bit trendy, is actually counter productive since it increases the bracing angle on the side that already has a higher bracing angle ----- go figure.

As for tension, that relates to the spoke gauge, since the goal is somewhere close to 80% of yield, subject to limits of rim strength, and balancing the tension differences of dished rears.

So rule one, is to set tension goals proportional to spoke X-section. Then select spokes accorfing to your goals. With radials go with DB spokes, and consider 15g DB for a radial front. For the rear, use a lighter spoke for NDS side, since it won't require as much tension, giving you more latitude for the dish.

Ultimately it depends on your goals. The suggested build has more cool factor, despite being structurally dumb. Unless the rim is drilled at angles (test by seating nipples) I'd build the rear 2x, and the front radial or 2x using 15g DB spokes. (but they're not my wheels)

Either way, I'm sure you'll figure it out.

BTW, there's no safety concern, since wheels are very, very unlikely to suddenly loosen and/or collapse while riding.

base2 

There shouldn't really be any concerns with a half-radial pattern. In fact, If that is the way Hunt does it, that's the way I would do it. They ain't no dummies when it comes to wheel building. Half-radial is primarily done to help equalize the differential in spoke tension. Triplet lacing, (half-radial, minus every other radial) however, is the extreme version that actually provides the most equal tensions in rear wheels.

In conventional builds, the tension differential in some situations/uses can possibly mean that on the driveside, the tension is so high there is excessive stress on the spoke bed that leads to premature rim fatigue, while at the same time there is so little tension on the NDS spokes that the J-bend flexes like a paperclip leading to eventual failure/spoke breakage. This is obviously bad & should be avoided. Half-radial is the solution for problematic situations like this. It is solving a real problem. But, the method also makes a lot of sense in any high differential (modern) build. It has real utility in equalizing the tensions as much as possible in order to build a stronger, longer lasting wheel. Utilizing OC rims can help even further.

Especially with low profile shallow rims, when building your wheelset obsessing on roundness is an excellent proxy for equal tensions. As tension increases, the high/low spots will become very obvious and you can adjust accordingly. Then work on side to side deviation. Finally tension meter as a final QC. For deeper rims the tension meter will be indispensable because the rim is so stiff the radial deviations from each (different) spoke length may not cause a noticeable change at the rim edge.

Roundness is the hardest to set and doing so ensures every spoke is playing its part in the system. But focusing efforts there from the beginning will save a lot of heartache in the wheel longevity department.

Positron400

thank you for your response!

I was planning on going with DB spokes (DT or Sapim). I am not that well versed with the gauge of spokes and have been using DT Competition or Sapim Race in the past. (2.0/1.8 mm afaik), so could you elaborate on that?

FBinNY 

There are also 1.8mm (15g)
spokes, which come either plain gauge or DB. So besides the DB 2/1.8, there's also 1.8/1.6.

So, regardless of the pattern, you may use 15g spokes for a lighter front wheel. Or 15g on the left side rear to better suit the lower tension needed for the dish, while using 14g on the right for strength.

Note: you mentioned 3x, presumably for the rear, but need to know that 2x is the max with 24 spokes.

Yan 

There is zero noticeable difference from regular 3 cross lacing. I've built radial fronts and half radial rears for years, including for cross continent loaded touring. Never had a single problem, and never noticed a difference in durability between different lacing styles.

Dan Burkhart 

Your title says 2:1 so if that is the case, there will be 16 drive side spokes and 8 non drive. If the rim manufacturer specifies a particular pattern, it is likely because they have drilled the nipple holes at a precise angle to accommodate it. This is more critical with carbon rims that typically have a thicker rim bed. Even to the extent that the left/right holes will be drilled at different angles to account for dish.
24 hole 2 to one wheels almost always have 3 cross on the drive side in my experience. If you use a straight pull hub, it will be a moot point as the hub will dictate the pattern.

FBinNY 

Not surprising. All sorts of variables factor into wheel longevity.

IMO the most important factor is quality build. Meanwhile lacing pattern ranks far lower, which would account for just about every pattern having staunch defenders.

grumpus

Didn't someone (Hambini?) suggest that Hunt gear was overpriced and not very good?

Mackers

Aren't they just the Kin Lin XR-31 rims with a custom graphic?

Can't go too far wrong with those.

grumpus

Not a problem as long as you use a good spoke key of the correct size, and lubricate the nipples. I like these.

grumpus

They certainly look very similar.

wheelreason

It's a 24h, 2:1 build, so the DS identifies as a 32h, or am I missing something?...

FBinNY 

No, but apparently I did. However your math is off. A 2:1 build 24h has 16DS spokes and 8NDS. So with 18 spokes on the flange, it is the functional equivalent of 32h, not 36.

In any case, if the hub and rim are drilled that way the OP is obligated to adhere to the pattern, with the only option being the number of crosses on the right.