Tied and Soldered?

[hwttdz]

Why would you tied and solder spokes on a wheel?

 

[serenaslu]

Why would you tied and solder spokes on a wheel?

The most immediate effect will probably be to receive a whole bunch of contradictory and puzzling opinions of the effectiveness of the practice among different people.

Such as the following from Lennard Zinn:

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Howdy Lennard
I'm a big guy, 6 foot 6 and pushing 300 pounds, and all but the heaviest and most overbuilt wheels feel flexy under my weight, especially in the turns. Can tied-and-soldered wheels offer me any performance advantage on road or off?
Ryan[/size] [size=-1]Dear Ryan,
Yes, I think so. I have tied and soldered my own disc-brake mountain bike wheels for years now, and I notice a difference not only in lateral stiffness but especially in application of the disc brake. But then, I am your height but weigh only 170 pounds, though. Are there heavier readers out there who have noticed the difference? The folks at DT Swiss have been experimenting with the concept for years.
Lennard [/size]

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Response from DT Swiss
The performance advantage of tied and soldered wheels is difficult to quantify, but some riders claim to notice an improvement in wheel stiffness, ride quality, and wheel life. The effect of tying and soldering would be minor, however, compared to the differences between various rims and spokes that you could choose. In the past, tying and soldering was very popular for track racing, where strong side loads can be exerted on the wheels. It also helped to make up for inferior spoke quality. Now that rims and spokes are significantly improved, the benefits of tying and soldering are less tangible. You could certainly try it on your current wheelset and see if it makes a difference, but most likely you will have the best riding experience using heavier rims and spokes.
Paul Aieta
General Manager
DT Swiss, Inc.​

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[palewin]

Why would you tied and solder spokes on a wheel?

Apparantly a lot of pro teams believe it increases wheel strength, which is why they tie & solder wheels for the cobbled races in Belgium, such as Paris-Roubaix. Take a look at the write-up on Tafi's bike for P-R in the current VeloNews. Tied & Soldered!

 

[ritcho]

Why would you tied and solder spokes on a wheel?

For the same reason you throw salt over your left shoulder.

Ritch

 

[hwttdz]

Would it make them harder to true? Because if the benefits are questionable but there are no drawbacks I don't see how it could hurt to try it.

 

[fish156]

Would it make them harder to true? Because if the benefits are questionable but there are no drawbacks I don't see how it could hurt to try it.

Not likely, if your spokes are stainless steel. Lead/tin solder does not adhere to s.s. under normal conditions and so, the spoke will turn without any problem. All the tying and soldering really does is to create a mechanical bond between the two spokes that resists a change (under stress) in the geometry between the two spokes and moves some of the stress (of the spoke flexing under the wheel's load) away from the hub. I have heard some use the analogy that this is like a second, outer hub. I recommend getting the wire and solder that are specifically made for this task. Make sure you clean any flux off of each joint, or you will have corrosion that is difficult to get rid of later on. Gerd Schraner has some interesting things to say about tying and soldering in his book. I weigh 195 lbs and did not find that it made any discernable difference in my ride. As they say, your mileage may vary. A nice diversion for someone who has too much time on their hands (and likes to work with them).

 

[mitosis]

For the same reason you throw salt over your left shoulder.

Ritch

You mean to say you throw salt over your shoulder to make your wheels more rigid? LOL.

 

[neil0502]

And yet ANOTHER opinion. That of Jobst Brandt, author of The Bicycle Wheel.

 

[strummer_fan]

And yet ANOTHER opinion. That of Jobst Brandt, author of The Bicycle Wheel.

Bernard Hinault writes in his bicycle training book that it also helps to keep a broken spoke from interfering with the works by keeping it in place. According to Hinault.... This allows a cyclist to limp home on a broken spoke.

 

[Hypnospin]

according to the owner of (now defunct) wheelsmith in palo alto (&los gatos)
ca., it is a signature of style rather than functional excersise.

Why would you tied and solder spokes on a wheel?

 

[ganderctr]

I was reading on CyclingNews that they do it to keep the wheel truer in the event of a spoke breakage.