Wheel Building Question

[Matt Cahill]

I got some nos rims...a pair of 36 hole Wolber Aspin sew ups (345 grams). I want to build them onto
my used 36 hole campy large flange nuovo record hubs. I want to build the strongest wheels possible
for these rims. Rear wheel will be on a fixed gear (no dishing for freewheel). I weigh 220 lbs and
am dropping weight. I've been riding on a fiamme and and an ava tubular rims for years I don't know
their weight) but the rims are pretty trashed. This will be my first wheel build.

Can I make adequately strong wheels from these rims for my weight ? If not what is the maximum
weight such a wheel would support ?

What spokes should I use ? 2.0/1.8 mm, 1.8/1.6 mm ?

What is the required tension for such a wheel ?

 

[Jobst Brandt]

Matt Cahill writes:

> I got some some rims...a pair of 36 hole Wolber Aspin sew ups (345 grams). I want to build them
> onto my used 36 hole Campy large flange nuovo record hubs. I want to build the strongest wheels
> possible for these rims. Rear wheel will be on a fixed gear (no dishing for freewheel). I weigh
> 220 lbs and am dropping weight. I've been riding on a Fiamme and and an Ava tubular rims for years
> I don't know their weight) but the rims are pretty trashed. This will be my first wheel build.

I hope you have a good set of instructions so this will be one of your better set of wheels.

> Can I make adequately strong wheels from these rims for my weight ? If not what is the maximum
> weight such a wheel would support ?

Sure but make sure you use good spokes, DT or Sapim, and stress relieve them before you are done.

> What spokes should I use ? 2.0/1.8 mm, 1.8/1.6 mm ?

Use the same size spokes that were in the hub before and use swaged ones.

> What is the required tension for such a wheel ?

You'll find that out when you tighten them and stress relieve. Those are not average heavy rims so
you'll have to play it by feel as you build up tension and stress relieve. It sounds like you have
some old stock. I haven't seen an Ava rim in many years.

Jobst Brandt [email protected]

 

[Sheldon Brown]

Matt Cahill wrote:

> I got some nos rims...a pair of 36 hole Wolber Aspin sew ups (345 grams). I want to build them
> onto my used 36 hole campy large flange nuovo record hubs. I want to build the strongest wheels
> possible for these rims. Rear wheel will be on a fixed gear (no dishing for freewheel). I weigh
> 220 lbs and am dropping weight. I've been riding on a fiamme and and an ava tubular rims for years
> I don't know their weight) but the rims are pretty trashed. This will be my first wheel build.
>
> Can I make adequately strong wheels from these rims for my weight ?

Oh, sure. Fixed-gear wheels are WAY stronger than dished derailer-type wheels. I weigh more than you
and commonly ride a 24/28 spoke wheelset using old Campag high flange track hubs, with flimsier rims
than those.

If you do a half-decent wheelbuilding job, those wheels will be bomb-resistant.

Sheldon "Don't Worry" Brown +------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Honestly, I think we should just trust our president in every | decision that he makes and we
| should just support that. | -- Britney Spears, September 4, 2003 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton,
Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts
shipped Worldwide http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

mcahill-<< I got some nos rims...a pair of 36 hole Wolber Aspin sew ups (345 grams). I want to build
them onto my used 36 hole campy large flange nuovo record hubs. I want to build the strongest wheels
possible for these rims. Rear wheel will be on a fixed gear (no dishing for freewheel). I weigh 220
lbs and am dropping weight. >><BR><BR> << Can I make adequately strong wheels from these rims for my
weight ? If not what is the maximum weight such a wheel would support ?

What spokes should I use ? 2.0/1.8 mm, 1.8/1.6 mm ? >><BR><BR> << What is the required tension for
such a wheel >><BR><BR>

Sure you can make it strong. First move axle spacers around so the center to flange, left and right,
is nearly the same, perhaps an extra 4-5mm on the left. Use 14/15 spokes and build carefully getting
to 100 KGF on the right side rear and front. The combo of almost equal tension and shorter spokes
from the hi flange will make a fine wheel. I use Velocity Aeroheads/Phil HF hubs for my fixie and I
am .1 offa ton(+) as well.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Bruni]

Light rims, light spokes. It is possible to reach the limit of the rim (taco) without getting enough
tension on 14/15db spokes. Revolution type(14/17) solve the issue of small wire/large hole. Tom

--
Bruni Bicycles "Where art meets science" brunibicycles.com
410.426.3420 Qui si parla Campagnolo <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> mcahill-<< I got some nos rims...a pair of 36 hole Wolber Aspin sew ups
(345
> grams). I want to build them onto my used 36 hole campy large flange nuovo record hubs. I want to
> build the strongest wheels possible for these rims. Rear wheel will be on a fixed gear (no dishing
> for freewheel). I weigh 220 lbs and am dropping weight. >><BR><BR> << Can I make adequately strong
> wheels from these rims for my weight ? If not what is the maximum weight such a wheel would
> support ?
>
> What spokes should I use ? 2.0/1.8 mm, 1.8/1.6 mm ? >><BR><BR> << What is the required tension for
> such a wheel >><BR><BR>
>
>
> Sure you can make it strong. First move axle spacers around so the center
to
> flange, left and right, is nearly the same, perhaps an extra 4-5mm on the
left.
> Use 14/15 spokes and build carefully getting to 100 KGF on the right side
rear
> and front. The combo of almost equal tension and shorter spokes from the
hi
> flange will make a fine wheel. I use Velocity Aeroheads/Phil HF hubs for
my
> fixie and I am .1 offa ton(+) as well.
>
> Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
> (303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Jim Beam]

> Use the same size spokes that were in the hub before and use swaged ones.

"swaging" [hammering] is just one method of butting spokes. sapim are drawn in a die and are not
hammered. others [wheelsmith?] are ground. yet others are rolled and i believe some are even
chemically eroded.

unless one is referring to a specific manufacturer, i.e. d.t. for "swaged", it is more
technically correct to refer to round section multi-gauge spokes as "butted" because it is
production method agnostic.

jb

 

[Zog The Undenia]

Sheldon Brown wrote:

> Oh, sure. Fixed-gear wheels are WAY stronger than dished derailer-type wheels.

And you don't hit many potholes on a velodrome

 

[Jim Beam]

> Light rims, light spokes. It is possible to reach the limit of the rim (taco) without getting
> enough tension on 14/15db spokes. Revolution type(14/17) solve the issue of small wire/large hole.

spoke tension is determined by rim, not spoke. a 32-hole open pro for example needs to be tensioned
to ~1000N front, ~1100N rear. the gauge of the spoke is irrelevant in this tensioning process.

jb

 

[Jay Beattie]

"jim beam" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > Light rims, light spokes. It is possible to reach the limit of the
rim
> > (taco) without getting enough tension on 14/15db spokes. Revolution type(14/17) solve the issue
> > of small wire/large hole.
>
> spoke tension is determined by rim, not spoke. a 32-hole open pro for example needs to be
> tensioned to ~1000N front, ~1100N rear. the gauge of the spoke is irrelevant in this tensioning
> process.

I think what he is getting at is that a thinner spokes are more elastic (please, Jobst, do not beat
me up for this). So, a thinner spoke will be more resistant to loosening under load at a given
tension than a heavy gauge spoke. Heavier gauge spokes require a higher tension to resist going
slack when loaded. So, "enough" tension for a heavier gauge spokes to avoid going slack may be more
than the rim can stand. Getting "enough" tension with a heavy gauge spoke may collapse or taco a
light rim. I think that was the point. -- Jay Beattie.

 

[Mike S.]

"Zog The Undeniable" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Sheldon Brown wrote:
>
> > Oh, sure. Fixed-gear wheels are WAY stronger than dished derailer-type wheels.
>
> And you don't hit many potholes on a velodrome
>
Depends on which velodrome you're riding... I've heard horror stories about the one in NY

Mike