Re: [CR]relacing used hubs

(Example: Framebuilding:Tubing)

In-Reply-To: <268456.38808.qm@web50213.mail.yahoo.com>
References: <268456.38808.qm@web50213.mail.yahoo.com>
From: "Brandon Ives" <brandon@ivycycles.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]relacing used hubs
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2007 11:07:28 -0800
To: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>


I was going to stay out of this, but I think there is a major part of the discussion missing. The absolute number one thing that breaks hub flanges is too high a spoke tension. Not lacing patterns, not heads in or out, or pulling vs. static spokes. Tension, it all boils down to how tight you make your spokes.

I've built a few thousand wheels on used hubs over the years. Heck, I still build one almost every day at work. There is tons of anecdotal, mechanical, and material engineering supporting both sides and I've heard it all. The one constant in it all is that the tension needs to be correct. The problem is most non-professional and some professionals believe tighter is better. I used to believe it too. That was until I started using a Wheelsmith spoke tensiometer about 10 years ago.

Using a tensiometer and checking post-build I found out that my regular spoke tension was on the border of too high. I never had problems with broken flanges but just to be on the safe side I re- calibrated my fingers "tensiometer" to a little lower on the tightness scale. After that I didn't use another tensiometer for about 6 years. When I got my new wrenching gig there was one of the newish Park tensiometers hanging on my stand, so I started to use it. My fingers are still calibrated correctly to the lower tension which is mid range on the Park scale.

If you build wheels buy a tensiometer. The Park one is the cheapest and best one I've used. I've used some of the really nice expensive euro ones, but the Park one works just as well. So to reiterate don't sweat spoke patterns worry about the tension. best, Brandon"monkeyman"Ives Vancouver, B.C.