Stick a couple of pics up
Wheelbuilding questions tips and ponderations
- Thread starter doctor-bond
- Start date
EightBallFlyer
Dirt Disciple
Wow! That's an amazing looking bike. I've never seen anything bigger than a tandem in the UK, and occasionally a tricycle.
Sorry I can't help.
Good luck.
It's one off, built for members of a student union in Gothenburgs technical college, in the late 50's. It was built by Monark cycles and yes It's pretty impressive but a bit of a PIA to work on. It has kept my son occupied while he was studying. He's had more fun with the student union than the actual studying. SURPRISE SURPRISEWow! That's an amazing looking bike. I've never seen anything bigger than a tandem in the UK, and occasionally a tricycle.
Sorry I can't help.
Good luck.
bikeworkshop
Old School Grand Master
I've built a few similar wheels.
Those slotted spoke "holes" have some benefit - in some instances a spoke head doesn't have to be pushed through from the opposite side.
Other hubs lika s-a dynamo have them - it's a pita to lace because the spokes can just fall out
Leading and trailing spokes will be the same length.
If the hub flanges are equidistant from the centre, then both left and right flange (nds/ds) spokes will be the same length.
Consequently if some of your spokes appear short, then something isn't in the right place.
It could be a spoke head not at the end of the slot, or one spoke in the wrong hole, or a nipple hung up in the rim, or the hub is laced wrong, the hub spoke holes are out of phase with the rim.
(This is possibly it - it seems totally confusing until you realise. The wheel almost looks correct.)
Post a picture and it should be clear.
My thoughts, prompted by bike workshop is if the out head spokes are too long and inner head too short, that means they are going in the wrong holes, but the length is close enough.
Therefore:
Leave the lacing as is, BUT move the outer/longer to a further rim hole, and move the inner/shorter to a closer rim hole.
Therefore:
Leave the lacing as is, BUT move the outer/longer to a further rim hole, and move the inner/shorter to a closer rim hole.
bikeworkshop
Old School Grand Master
I would suggest you unbuild one side and take the spokes out.
Look at the crossed pairs.
You need to notice that the spoke holes are out of phase with each other.
If you are inserting a trailing spoke, it starts at the spoke hole to the left (or right) of its opposite trailing number, and the nipple will fit in the corresponding left (or right) hole in the rim.
Basically the set of spokes on the 2 sides are identical, but one set is rotated 1/36 around!
I.e. the spoke holes correspond to the drilling on the rim.
This all needs to be considered before lacing.
If this is too condensed to understand, i would suggest you read a book on it.
Building wheels is simple enough, but there are a few geometric moves you have to make that aren't obvious to a novice. If you miss one, your equal spokes suddenly seem unequal!
Look at the crossed pairs.
You need to notice that the spoke holes are out of phase with each other.
If you are inserting a trailing spoke, it starts at the spoke hole to the left (or right) of its opposite trailing number, and the nipple will fit in the corresponding left (or right) hole in the rim.
Basically the set of spokes on the 2 sides are identical, but one set is rotated 1/36 around!
I.e. the spoke holes correspond to the drilling on the rim.
This all needs to be considered before lacing.
If this is too condensed to understand, i would suggest you read a book on it.
Building wheels is simple enough, but there are a few geometric moves you have to make that aren't obvious to a novice. If you miss one, your equal spokes suddenly seem unequal!
Last edited:
This^.
My 10p worth as an explanation, which may or may not help...
Sounds like you have gone back or forwards a hole when you started putting in the second side set of spokes. If you shove a spoke through an empty hole to the far already laced flange, you need to make sure your lacing to the same side and direction as the spoke opposite. (Pick one opposite that's the same ie..push if you are lacing push..... or a pull if your lacing pull!)
So if your hole is to the left of the opposite spoke, you need to lace one hole to the left in the rim from that spoke.
Its quite hard to explain on paper, but if your a hole out you will start to find short spokes in one direction and long in the other. Problem is this issue often only shows up 3/4 of the way round lacing as you use up all the slack.
If you a have really looses spokes on the other side, you will part push the rim back round.....then it looks like both sides might be wrong.! Im my experience of teaching people it tends to be just the second side that's out....its a very common mistake....
If you manage to lace the whole thing like this...ie wrong...spin the wheel...most times it will roll like a signwave, as to get them all in you essentially have to tilt the rim out of parallel with the hub...sure sign.
Dont worry...its how we learn!
Best of luck.
My 10p worth as an explanation, which may or may not help...
Sounds like you have gone back or forwards a hole when you started putting in the second side set of spokes. If you shove a spoke through an empty hole to the far already laced flange, you need to make sure your lacing to the same side and direction as the spoke opposite. (Pick one opposite that's the same ie..push if you are lacing push..... or a pull if your lacing pull!)
So if your hole is to the left of the opposite spoke, you need to lace one hole to the left in the rim from that spoke.
Its quite hard to explain on paper, but if your a hole out you will start to find short spokes in one direction and long in the other. Problem is this issue often only shows up 3/4 of the way round lacing as you use up all the slack.
If you a have really looses spokes on the other side, you will part push the rim back round.....then it looks like both sides might be wrong.! Im my experience of teaching people it tends to be just the second side that's out....its a very common mistake....
If you manage to lace the whole thing like this...ie wrong...spin the wheel...most times it will roll like a signwave, as to get them all in you essentially have to tilt the rim out of parallel with the hub...sure sign.
Dont worry...its how we learn!
Best of luck.
