M
Mike S.
Guest
From www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/wheel/index.htm
7.. How does spoke gauge affect stiffness? Thicker spokes make a wheel stiffer, if all else is
equal. A typical 32 spoke wheel built with 2.0mm spokes is about 11% stiffer than a similar wheel
built with 2.0-1.45mm swaged spokes.
Compare the deflection of two wheels: numbers 39 and 47. Wheel 39 is built with 2.0-1.45mm swaged
spokes, but wheel 47 is built with 2.0mm straight gauge spokes. Hub dimensions are effectively
identical, spoke count is the same and the rims are the same make and model, so the only
structural difference is the spoke gauge.
Result? The wheel with thinner spokes deflected 0.051" (1.30mm) in font and 0.067"1.70mm) in
the rear, but the wheel with thicker spokes deflected less: only 0.046" (1.17mm) and 0.055"
(1.40mm) for front and rear, respectively. That's an 11% increase in stiffness for the thicker
spoked wheels.
Interestingly, wheel stiffness depends on more than just spoke thickness; the rim and other
factors also contribute, so only part of the increase in raw spoke stiffness shows up in
measured wheel stiffness. The thicker spoke by itself is nearly twice as stiff axially as the
thinner spoke!
Since y'all are fond of making fun of me 'cause I can tell my wheel with the 15/16 spokes was
flexy, I thought I'd share this. I figure if Damon Rinard says so, it must be true!
Mike
7.. How does spoke gauge affect stiffness? Thicker spokes make a wheel stiffer, if all else is
equal. A typical 32 spoke wheel built with 2.0mm spokes is about 11% stiffer than a similar wheel
built with 2.0-1.45mm swaged spokes.
Compare the deflection of two wheels: numbers 39 and 47. Wheel 39 is built with 2.0-1.45mm swaged
spokes, but wheel 47 is built with 2.0mm straight gauge spokes. Hub dimensions are effectively
identical, spoke count is the same and the rims are the same make and model, so the only
structural difference is the spoke gauge.
Result? The wheel with thinner spokes deflected 0.051" (1.30mm) in font and 0.067"1.70mm) in
the rear, but the wheel with thicker spokes deflected less: only 0.046" (1.17mm) and 0.055"
(1.40mm) for front and rear, respectively. That's an 11% increase in stiffness for the thicker
spoked wheels.
Interestingly, wheel stiffness depends on more than just spoke thickness; the rim and other
factors also contribute, so only part of the increase in raw spoke stiffness shows up in
measured wheel stiffness. The thicker spoke by itself is nearly twice as stiff axially as the
thinner spoke!
Since y'all are fond of making fun of me 'cause I can tell my wheel with the 15/16 spokes was
flexy, I thought I'd share this. I figure if Damon Rinard says so, it must be true!
Mike