Does skipping spokes work when wheel building?

It can be done, but it will not be easy calculating the correct spoke
lengths. What is the problem getting 36 spoke rims? I can certainly
supply you with some or build a wheel around your hubs. email me if
that might be of interest.

Nigel Grinter
Well-Spoken Wheels Inc.
([email hidden])

Veggie said:

I have a pair of 36 hole hubs that I'd like to use. If I end up with
32h rims, that would mean I need to skip a few spokes. Does this work,
or is this asking for trouble?

If you're building it radial, you won't have any problems (building it,
that is). As the spoke pattern becomes more tangential (that is, from
2- to 3- or 4-cross), the more different lengths of spokes you'll need.
In a worst case, you could have insufficient thread engagement or
spokes protruding out the bottom of the nipple. You *should* be able to
make it work, though.

What do you mean by "If I end up with 32h rims"? If you don't have the
rims yet, why not buy 36-hole rims to match your hubs? The price will
be the same, and the wheels will end up an insignificant amount
heavier.

Jeff

Veggie said:

I have a pair of 36 hole hubs that I'd like to use. If I end up with
32h rims, that would mean I need to skip a few spokes. Does this work,
or is this asking for trouble?

I would not recommend it. Just find a 36h rim, they are plentiful,
regardless of what some mailorder places say.

In article <[email hidden]>,

JeffWills said:

Veggie said:

I have a pair of 36 hole hubs that I'd like to use. If I end up with
32h rims, that would mean I need to skip a few spokes. Does this work,
or is this asking for trouble?

If you're building it radial, you won't have any problems (building it,
that is). As the spoke pattern becomes more tangential (that is, from
2- to 3- or 4-cross), the more different lengths of spokes you'll need.
In a worst case, you could have insufficient thread engagement or
spokes protruding out the bottom of the nipple. You *should* be able to
make it work, though.

Built up a wheelset a couple months ago using 48h hubs mated to 36h
rims - front wheel: radial; rear: 3X drive, radial non-drive. On both
counts I can validate your observations. For the front, the standard
spoke length calculation for a 0x lacing pattern applied, as there was
so little deviation in the spokes' tangents.

The rear drive side required more forethought. Drive side lacing was of
three different lengths of spokes: 6 of the calculated (base) length
required for 3X lacing; 6 -2mm shorter; and 6 +2mm longer. In my case
the mismatched hub/rim hole count produced a lacing pattern that
resulted in six 3 spoke sets per flange, with every fourth hole
remaining unlaced.

I'm very happy with the results, but the (rear driveside) build
entailed particular attention to which spokes wound up in which holes -
marking the hub's holes beforehand with differently coloured sharpies
simplified matters.

Once all the spokes are in their designated holes - and if you've
calculated correctly - tensioning, stress relieving, etc.. is similar
to a wheel built from a hub/rim combo of equal spoke holes; with the
only difference for me being, that when initially taking up slack in
the spokes, it precluded the convenience of using the amount of exposed
spoke thread for roughly gauging that all the spokes had an equal
starting point prior to tensioning.

But I wouldn't recommend building a wheel from a mismatched hub and rim
if it can be avoided. That is, to seek out a 32h rim with the express
intention of lacing it to a 36h hub, is to invite needless
complication. However, if the parts are gathering dust in your closet,
and you're up for a project....

Luke

Luke said:

But I wouldn't recommend building a wheel from a mismatched hub and rim

if it can be avoided. That is, to seek out a 32h rim with the express
intention of lacing it to a 36h hub, is to invite needless
complication. However, if the parts are gathering dust in your closet,
and you're up for a project....

That seems to be the consensus. It seems like 32h and 28h are more
common these days. I have a pair of 36h Shimano hubs that I would like
to use, but 36h are harder to come by and cost more.

I guess the extra work to get 36h rims is well worth it 😉