The Great Spoke Scam: In the early '80s a clever marketeer hit upon the idea of using only 32 spokes in wheels for production bikes. The exception was super-fancy special-purpose racing wheels, which might have 32 spokes front and rear. How Many Spokes?Up until the early 1980s, virtually all adult bikes had 72 spokes.ģ2 front/40 rear was the standard for British bikes, 36 front and rear for other countries. If you bend one, it breaks like uncooked spaghetti!. Carbon fiber spokes turned out to be brittle and dangerous. Titanium spokes should only be used with brass nipples, and the combination is not significantly lighter than stainless spokes with aluminum nipples.Ĭarbon fiber, aluminum alloy and polycarbonate plastic (Kevlar®) spokes also have been available, but they all have to be thicker than steel spokes, and the added air resistance slows you down more than the weight saving speeds you up - unless you only ride uphill. Titanium is also used for spokes, but, in my opinion it is a waste of money. The leading brands of spokes available in the U.S. Cheap wheels are built with chrome-plated (" UCP") or zinc-plated ("galvanized") carbon-steel spokes which are not as strong, and are prone to rust.
#Galvanized vs stainless steel spokes driver#
The point pokes into the hole in the middle of the spoke nipple, and helps keep the driver from sliding off. My preferred bit is a worn-out Phillips bit, on which I have ground off two of the four fins.
Spoke wrenchīesides the essential tools, a spoke tensiometer (picture, right) and an electric screwdriver with an appropriate bit are helpful. If you are on a tight budget, read the section of this article on truing, so you know the technical terms, and then check out the section near the end of this article on improvised tools. Improvised tools or the bicycle itself can substitute. The truing stand and dish stick are by far the most expensive of these tools.
You will also need a small flat-bladed screwdriver and optionally, a truing stand and a dish stick. My favorite inexpensive spoke wrench is a plastic one with a metal bit, called a "Spokey"). You will need a spoke wrench (I use a DT spoke wrench, but most people aren't ready for a $50 spoke wrench. It is much easier to learn this with new, undamaged parts than to start right in trying to repair damaged wheels. A "mechanic" who has not mastered this basic skill cannot be considered to be a fully-qualified professional, and will always feel inferior to those who can list wheelbuilding among their skills.Īlthough this article was originally directed to shop mechanics, a knowledge of wheelbuilding can be invaluable to any cyclist who wishes to do his or her own maintenance and repair.īuilding wheels from scratch is the best way to learn the craft of wheel truing, to get the feel for how a wheel responds to spoke adjustments. Learning to build wheels is an important milestone in the education of an apprentice mechanic. Nevertheless, there are still times when custom-built (or rebuilt) wheels are needed, especially in the case of higher-end bikes that have expensive hubs that are too good to throw away.Īlso, the combination of hub and rim that you want may not be available off the shelf: commonly, for example, if you would like to use an internal-gear hub. The wide availability of inexpensive, well-built replacement wheels has reduced the need for wheelbuilding in retail bike shops.
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