[CR] I'm looking for a very experienced and meticulous wheel

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Avocet)

To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2009 12:37:37 -0800
From: donald gillies <gillies@ece.ubc.ca>
Subject: [CR] I'm looking for a very experienced and meticulous wheel


I recently rebuilt a wheel, changing out 9 bladed spokes (one broken) for normal 14/15 db ss spokes. I wanted it to be perfect and after initially inserting the spokes had to relocate them to get it right. I noticed the following issues when trying to "perfect" a lace-up job:

1. The rim decal should be readable from the right (drivetrain) side of the bike, as that side of the bike is normally photographed.

2. The 3-cross lacing pattern leads to spokes in groups of 4 so you want the valve stem hole to line up with one of the 'gaps' in these groups of 4 spokes, to make it easy to pump up the rim.

3. I missed the "hub logo visible through the valve stem" - is this a normal consideration?? I'd probably do the OPPOSITE, because in my favorite catalogues (raleigh) the photographs have the valve stems on the floor, and if the logos are visible through the valve stems, then the logos would be invisible in this display configuration!

On the other hand, I suppose if you wanted to photograph the rim decal and the hub logo together, you'd align the spokes so that the hub logo is visible through the valve stem ...

So here's the question :

"how should one lace a 'perfect' vintage wheel ??"

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA, USA