Why all the black spokes?
03-02-24, 06:54 AM
#1
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Why all the black spokes?
Throughout the process of building a neo-retro road bike, the wheels have been my biggest hurdle. The frame.will be outfitted with Shimano R7000 so I'm trying to find a wheel set with black rims. The trouble is, I hate the modern look of black spokes. A black rim with silver spokes will help to hold to a bit of the vintage vibe.
Can any of you give recommendations of where to look? Velomine has a few rims, particularly the Archetype, that I like the look of but still with black spokes. Their only choice for silver spokes is on 36h 105 hubs but I'm not.sold.on those.hubs or the spoke count.
Can any of you give recommendations of where to look? Velomine has a few rims, particularly the Archetype, that I like the look of but still with black spokes. Their only choice for silver spokes is on 36h 105 hubs but I'm not.sold.on those.hubs or the spoke count.
03-02-24, 07:30 AM
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You have a wheel builder in town, https://peteswheels.com/, my son-in-law was happy with him.
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03-02-24, 09:14 AM
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Any wheel builder can build a wheel set for you using silver spokes.
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03-02-24, 09:18 AM
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Yep. Go a-la-carte. Find the rims, spokes, and hubs you like, then present them to your local wheel builder.
A quick search for "spoke length calculator" will be helpful if you know your hubs/rims.
A quick search for "spoke length calculator" will be helpful if you know your hubs/rims.
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A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
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03-02-24, 09:23 AM
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I went to Wheelbuilder recently to get silver DT Revs. Easy, right? For the best wheels I've ever made on a super rim. Silver NOS Ambosia Futura. 282mm so nothing unusual. (And they are set up to cut spokes anyway.) DTs - black only. Sapim equivalents - black only. Ended up buying still lighter bladed Sapims priced like gold. Built up as beautiful wheels and a joy to do, but that's a lot of bucks to spend just to get the gauge al light as I want for best wheels ever in silver for a classic rim and titanium bike where black is the rubber, seat and handlebar tape.
Besides - black spokes look pretty mediocre a few year and miles later. Little scrapes look poor. Little scrapes on silver spokes? Good luck even finding them.
Besides - black spokes look pretty mediocre a few year and miles later. Little scrapes look poor. Little scrapes on silver spokes? Good luck even finding them.
03-02-24, 09:29 AM
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IMO, all bike parts are turning black or grey. Asphalt camouflage.
Carbon fiber grey frames, groupsets, rims, and black has even become the popular color of cycling jerseys.
It makes perfect sense in the time of texting drivers: they're the lions and we're their prey, so we need to be invisible to them against the grey/black roads we ride on. /s
Just be sure to never ride in the snow, because that's how they getcha.
Carbon fiber grey frames, groupsets, rims, and black has even become the popular color of cycling jerseys.
It makes perfect sense in the time of texting drivers: they're the lions and we're their prey, so we need to be invisible to them against the grey/black roads we ride on. /s
Just be sure to never ride in the snow, because that's how they getcha.
Last edited by calamarichris; 03-02-24 at 09:32 AM.
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03-02-24, 10:11 AM
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You have a wheel builder in town, https://peteswheels.com/, my son-in-law was happy with him.
03-02-24, 10:19 AM
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03-02-24, 10:44 AM
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And to prove my original point, my motorcycle was a garish Stormtrooper-white with the brakelight employed. I don't know what I was thinking; practically asking to be hit by a texting driver.
Last edited by calamarichris; 03-02-24 at 10:56 AM.
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03-02-24, 10:57 AM
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These are SunCR18 rims on high-flange Origin8 hubs, straight gauge spokes. I don't recall what I paid for them, but next time I need a wheelset they'll be my first stop.
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A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
Last edited by Fahrenheit531; 03-02-24 at 11:09 AM.
03-02-24, 12:47 PM
#12
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IMO, all bike parts are turning black or grey. Asphalt camouflage.
Carbon fiber grey frames, groupsets, rims, and black has even become the popular color of cycling jerseys.
It makes perfect sense in the time of texting drivers: they're the lions and we're their prey, so we need to be invisible to them against the grey/black roads we ride on. /s
Just be sure to never ride in the snow, because that's how they getcha.
Carbon fiber grey frames, groupsets, rims, and black has even become the popular color of cycling jerseys.
It makes perfect sense in the time of texting drivers: they're the lions and we're their prey, so we need to be invisible to them against the grey/black roads we ride on. /s
Just be sure to never ride in the snow, because that's how they getcha.
03-02-24, 12:52 PM
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03-02-24, 03:24 PM
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Both DT Revolite and Sapim CX Ray are indicated models on the producers websites and easily found online at places like Performance Bike. Maybe Wheelbuilder just didn’t have them in stock.
03-02-24, 03:34 PM
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Have to say I was initially put off by the appearance of black wheel sets (rims/spokes/hubs). However, dirt and stains don’t show as readily on black - and I don’t waste time cleaning spokes to make them shine any more. They get an occasional wipe but that’s it. I still have my vintage bikes with steel spokes, but they don’t get ridden that much - except the one on the trainer.
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03-02-24, 10:19 PM
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I had a set of 32 spoke wheels built up last December. 105 hub, silver 14g spoke and black Dt Swiss rims with silver brake surface. Funny I cheaper out and went with the silver spokes. But the frame is silver with black accents. Black fork and black 105 group but with black Tiagra triple crank.
Sorry I cannot find the picture on my phone.
Edit. Added picture. Tubeless ready.
Sorry I cannot find the picture on my phone.
Edit. Added picture. Tubeless ready.
Last edited by biker128pedal; 03-03-24 at 02:00 PM.
03-03-24, 12:35 PM
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I would bet as you built your wheels and used the excellent DTs you likely used an appropriate spoke gauge and rim for your weight and kept them tensioned appropriately, etc. You will eventually wear your rim out and if you chose to go in a different direction your spokes would be a good buy used having next to no impact on fatigue life. Not always the case with used.
03-03-24, 01:40 PM
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Chisholm's Custom Wheels
Peter, aka oldpotatoe at Paceline, is my recommendation.
He got silver spokes for a set of wheels I'm building. Super nice guy.
https://forums.thepaceline.net/member.php?u=28701
Peter, aka oldpotatoe at Paceline, is my recommendation.
He got silver spokes for a set of wheels I'm building. Super nice guy.
https://forums.thepaceline.net/member.php?u=28701
03-03-24, 02:05 PM
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03-03-24, 03:33 PM
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03-03-24, 03:43 PM
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I have a number of bikes with black spokes and I kinda find it cool
03-03-24, 03:47 PM
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