Steve Maas wrote: >The basic principle is that you want to make them as tight as possible short of
warping the wheel or breaking something. Usually, the rim is the limiting factor. If it starts
to warp--like a potato chip--it's too tight. Most modern rims will easily handle 100 KGF, but
older ones may not. The rims on my Carlton (ultralight steel) warped at something considerably
less than 100; I can't remember the exact value. So, in general, I make the front spokes 100 KGF
if the rim can take it. The rear is more of a problem--often, I find that 100 KGF on the right
side means that the left must be down around 40 (I'm going from memory here, so the numbers may
not be exactly right), which seems awfully low. I then make the right side 120, which puts the
left at about 50. I'm afraid to go much higher on the right, especially with older rims, for
fear that the spokes might pull out of the holes.<
I started building wheels at the beginning of my bike shop career in 1966, the old one-spoke-at-a-time,
twist-the-hub... Then I went to Schwinn service school and learned their way, filling the entire hub, establishing
cross, etc. In neither case did I ever hear of using shorter spokes on the right side of the rear wheel to compensate
for dish. I've lately started doing this, and would not this tend to make spoke tensions much more even?
Also, I just built wheels for my '76 Austro Daimler Vent Noir (mostly 1st Gen. Dura Ace) and did some low level flying
yesterday here in very hilly Western PA. What a sweet ride, absolutely no question why I'm on the CR List! Yes,
true love CAN be found on the "first date".
John Wilson
Greensburg, PA