Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by BalloonBiker on December 17, 2009 at 12:23pm

I'd be interesting in this as well. I recently had to have a wheel rebuilt and I asked about going for a 40 spoke wheel as I do loaded touring. The cost for a correctly sized hub with 40 spokes was prohibitive ($200 for a hub alone)

I ended up reusing my Shimano Deore Hub, getting a velocity Dyad rim and triple butted spokes. So far it's been quite reliable, but I'm not sure how it compares to your current set up.

I'll be interested to see what more knowledgeable folks have to say.

Permalink Reply by Todd Allen on December 17, 2009 at 4:46pm

If you are currently using spokes that are 14 gauge or 14/15 gauge you might try going to 13/14 gauge spokes. Thicker spokes are much stronger. Also, using an asymmetric aka offset drilled rim can also improve wheel strength a little by reducing the dish, allowing for more even spoke tension. Finally a skilled wheel builder will be able to build a wheel that makes the most of whatever parts you select.

Permalink Reply by A.K.A Paul on December 18, 2009 at 12:01pm

Thanks Todd! I'm going to definately look into the spokes and the offset drilled rim. Any little bit will help.

Paul

Todd Allen said:

If you are currently using spokes that are 14 gauge or 14/15 gauge you might try going to 13/14 gauge spokes. Thicker spokes are much stronger. Also, using an asymmetric aka offset drilled rim can also improve wheel strength a little by reducing the dish, allowing for more even spoke tension. Finally a skilled wheel builder will be able to build a wheel that makes the most of whatever parts you select.

Permalink Reply by Duppie on December 18, 2009 at 12:08pm

We do ride a modern road tandem. And our team, when loaded, weighs about 450 lbs. The wheel is a Velocity Dyad with a DT Swiss tandem hub. I believe it is a 36 hole hub. We have not had any problems with it. So 36 holes in and of itself should be fine.
Is it a stock wheel you are riding? If so they can be substandard spokes, cause that is an easy way to save money for a manufacturer. I agree with Todd that it might be worth looking into rebuilding the wheel with bigger, brand-name spokes

Permalink Reply by A.K.A Paul on December 18, 2009 at 5:00pm

It is not a stock wheel. I've rebuilt it and the rim is a double walled Alex rim, Shimano hub, with Chrome DT spokes. At first a few LBS's said that it was the black powder coated spokes that were doing it so I changed them to DT Chrome. But I'm still breaking them. I came across some stuff when researching this that said there is a issue with DT spokes because they bend at a 90 deg angle at the hub and Wheelsmith has a better angle to fit the hole more properly. Whether or not thats true I dont know, but I did read it from a couple of different sources and I know I'm breaking them now so with what ever setup I go with I'm probably going to go with Wheelsmith when I do build it.

Duppie said:

We do ride a modern road tandem. And our team, when loaded, weighs about 450 lbs. The wheel is a Velocity Dyad with a DT Swiss tandem hub. I believe it is a 36 hole hub. We have not had any problems with it. So 36 holes in and of itself should be fine.
Is it a stock wheel you are riding? If so they can be substandard spokes, cause that is an easy way to save money for a manufacturer. I agree with Todd that it might be worth looking into rebuilding the wheel with bigger, brand-name spokes

Permalink Reply by Todd Allen on December 24, 2009 at 4:15pm

I was having trouble with spoke breakage at the J bend with some spokes that had too wide a bend such that the spoke heads weren't seating into the hub. This caused the spokes to flex at the bend and eventually fail. I found that by placing a tiny lockwasher over each spoke before inserting it that this took up the slack in the J bend and stopped the flexing and has prevented any more breakage.

I've also heard that one can 'set' the heads into the hub with a hammer and a punch in cases where they are not quite seating due to spoke angle. I haven't yet tried it myself.