dabomb Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Hi all,i`m going to respoke my front wheel.Its looking a tad tatty with rusty nipples,and theres also some loose ones with siezed nipples.I have done a push bike wheel years ago without any problems.I`ve got all the new spokes and nipples so i`m ready to go. I just wondered if anyone knows of any websites or web postings that i could look at before i start. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big john Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Have a Sherco then? Big problem with the Spanish bikes is the thinness of the plating especially the nipple, hebnce the reason they corrode and look terrible. Especially if you use an acidic based cleaning solution or just don't dry them off after use with an airline and old towel. Eventually they look crap! Unless you know what you are doing, there is always a risk that you will incorrectly tension the wheel and put it out of true. I would advise that you give your wheel to a wheelbuilder and get it really trued up. I have never been happy with wheels and I once tightened a few spokes and before too long realised that I had pulled the wheel over and altered the offset! Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony283 Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Got to agree with John, Wheels & Welding........ "little knowledge, DANGEROUS!" if you don't know what you are about it can become a real horlicks! However as a rough beginners guide work on the 1:6 principle, start at the valve and then tighten every 6th spoke until you have worked through all 36. Then a tap with the spoke key and see if they all make the same "ding"... adjust as required... don't over tighten. ...... and if it all fails take it to an expert! Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motojojo Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Find someone that does it all the time and pay to have it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jse Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Find someone that does it all the time and pay to have it done. I would tend to agree with that. I've respoked wheels for 40+ years, and there are a lot of little tricks and concerns you would need to keep track of to do a good job. It's a lot easier for an expert to do the job and in the long run, probably a lot less expensive and safer for you. Of course, if it's a skill you want to learn for future use, I'd say give it a try. Expect to spend a LOT of time getting it to come out correctly and patience (lots of it) will be rewarded. If you are doing it just to save money, it will probably not be a bargain in the long run. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabomb Posted January 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Thanks for the replies.I gonna do it anyway,and yes,i am tring to save a few bob,but surely it cant be that difficult,even the experts have to start somewhere.You never know,i might be good at it Got trials to do this weekend and next,then i will have a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Answer the following What is the off set of the wheel? How will you know the correct tension to tighten to? Can you memorise the pattern of the spokes? Are your bearings 100%? What tooling will you use for truing? What do you true first height or width? If you can clearly answer these then have a go but what about a bit of overtime and let an expert do it? All the people above let someone else do it for a very good reason, it is cheaper in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan williams Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 (edited) Thanks for the replies.I gonna do it anyway,and yes,i am trying to save a few bob,but surely it cant be that difficult,even the experts have to start somewhere.You never know,i might be good at it Got trials to do this weekend and next,then i will have a go. That's the spirit! How did any of us learn how to work on bikes but to dive in until we were in up to our ears. The "let a pro do it" attitude is why you can't walk into a bike shop to buy a spark plug without them asking what brand and model you have and saying they can't sell it by plug number. Few people jet carbs or split cases on their own anymore and it's really not that difficult if done carefully. Besides all newly spoked wheels have a tendency to settle in after a few rides and should be tuned again. Look for articles on the web about spoking and truing bicycle wheels as the basic rules apply and bicycle wheels are considerably more finicky. A truing stand helps but truing it on the forks will work too. You can rubberband on some dowels as position indicators for truing. When truing remember it's not all about tightening to pull the rim in the direction you want it to go. You have to loosen the opposite side as well. As long as you don't dramatically torque the rim you can adjust the truing till you're happy with it. Let us know how it comes out. Edited January 26, 2008 by Dan Williams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrybaines Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Couldn't you just replace one at a time? That would at least make things on the pattern and truing side a bit easier? It may be impossible I really don't know but just a thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamahaty250xox Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 dont worry do what i did and replace 1 at a time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterb Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Hello Barry and dabomb, If only it were that simple! We just had a look at replacing a single broken spoke on a Scorpa front wheel (Actually all of the spokes need replacing as they are seized into the nipples) but to get to the spoke needs another one or two spokes removing to be able to remove the broken spoke. I tend to work on most things on my bikes but I do try to steer clear of wheel building, for reasons as noted in previous posts. What Nigel Dabster wrote is all good, if you are going ahead you need to make a sketch of where the rim is placed in relation to the hub - called the offset, and the spoke pattern. Also I'd fit a new rim tape for the front wheel and use a waterproof grease on the nipples when assembling. Buy a decent spoke spanner that really does fit the nipples. To measure the offset, remove the disc, place the wheel down on your flat workbench and measure the distance from the bench top (the datum) and the edge of a particular side of the rim. (Disc side?) Write it down. Or if you are working with the wheel in the forks, note the gap either side of the rim to the fork leg. I think it is easier to work with the wheel on the bench. Find out where in the pattern the longer spokes are - there are usually 2 different lengths for wheels, on a 36 spoke front of later design, the spokes are 254 and 257mm long. I usually sit the wheel in a vise via the axle and make up a measuring "point" (a nail in a block of wood that is fixed in position) to give me a reference marker for measuring the offset and the out of round. Try to determine how the spokes will go in, there will be awkward spokes that have to go in first. When all the spokes are in and you still want to keep going, later in the evening, start tightening little by little and persevere till it's all 100% and the offset is the same as before. Lots of luck, PeterB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.