Author Topic: Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?  (Read 6092 times)

Offline Flatland Fanatic

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Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?
« on: September 29, 2012, 04:05:56 AM »
I am thinking of getting an Alienation Deviant Rim for the front and have it radial laced with a low flange front hub like the new KHE Greyhound front hub.  Will it hold up? 

Offline slcflat

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Re: Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2012, 06:49:53 AM »
I have a suzue 36 hub laced to an Alex rim...i have used this on my bike since 2000 with zero flex and no spoke breakage.

Offline Positivity

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Re: Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2012, 07:58:12 AM »
It'll hold fine Jeremy. I'd go with a double butted spoke though.

Offline K.Wong

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Re: Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2012, 10:05:34 AM »
i don't think radial lacing and double butted spokes go together well, especially when heavy sideloads (as in flatlanding) are applied - just think about it:

when the wheel is loaded (weight applied), the spokes actually bludges outwards like this: (); with radial lacing the spokes are unsupported by other spokes except for the opposing 2 spokes which are equally loaded(under idea conditions, but as we all know, most flatlanding do not occur in "idea" conditions).
the use of butted spokes excabate the bluging at the weakest and unsupported areas of the spoke - the center portion. the stresses tend to focus at the juncture where it transit from thick to thin, and varies fom brand to brand in the way the transion area is tapered.
take into consideration where the foot or hand gets caught/ rub against most often in the sport of flatlanding (the center portion of the spokes), and the answer will be apparent to most on the usage of butted spokes in radial lacing with low flange hubs (longer spokes means more flex and longer vunerable length) if they are just willing to use some of their brain matter.

deviant rims are superlight (i've singlewall 36 hole arayas weighting in at 450grams-ish) and are not know for durability (there are reports of nipples pulling through on g-flat for alienation rims) and stability.
the high tension required for radial lacing requires rims and hubs with flanges of a more robust nature. 
 
i've a front wheel that has the following set up: proper magnalite 36 hole male hub to shadow conspiracy 3b spokes to sun big city lites to gsport hex nipples with nylon nipple washers in 3x lacing - the "bounce" is obvious to me, especially when i transit from the 48holes crows foot lacing of one bike to the above mentioned wheel.

Offline Flatland Fanatic

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Re: Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2012, 11:40:23 AM »
Instead of regular spokes, what if I used titanium.  Would that be better?

Offline Flatland Fanatic

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Re: Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2012, 11:41:51 AM »
It'll hold fine Jeremy. I'd go with a double butted spoke though.

Andre?!?

Offline Malo

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Re: Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2012, 01:56:23 PM »
The website is down but you can visit my profile on facebook :
https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Pir.Malo



pir.bmx@gmail.com

Offline Flatland Fanatic

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Re: Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?
« Reply #7 on: September 29, 2012, 04:26:18 PM »
Thanks for posting that link Malo.  Seeing all of those broken parts is really making me reconsider how I am going to spend my money!

Offline out~riding

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Re: Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?
« Reply #8 on: September 29, 2012, 04:47:43 PM »
It will hold up but like anything it all depends on how hard you ride...

Offline Positivity

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Re: Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?
« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2012, 07:11:44 PM »
Yeah its me. I've ALWAYS ridden radial laced wheels with zero problems. I recall Scott Ditchfield at Elevation 2 I guess it was. Scrambling trying to replace 8 snapped Ti spokes. He's a bit of a spastic rider though. So that thinking back on it now is no surprise to have seen. Being that your not doing a lot of extreme carving/spinning tricks like say Matt Wilhelm. Unless your rolling style has switched. That wheel set-up should work fine. I would save the extra cash and skip the Ti treatment though. Having ridden 12g, 14g, double-butted all radial wheels front and back for years. I can't see why that wheel would'nt work for you.

Offline metalbmxer

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Re: Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2012, 08:04:49 PM »
What if u got some gsport nipples and a double-butted spoke for your radial lace to a high quality hub (gsport etc).
Dax (now in LAS VEGAS as of July 2022)

Offline Flatland Fanatic

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Re: Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2012, 08:49:25 PM »
Andre, which front hub do you use?  Also, are you going to Texas Toast/Roundup?!?

Offline K.Wong

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Re: Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?
« Reply #12 on: September 30, 2012, 01:14:43 PM »
i think there's a disclaimer out there in regards to radial lacing and gsport (older gen.) hubs.
the weight difference between the titanium spoke and 14/15g butted spokes are minimal.
do you really need such a light wheel set in the first place of all?
would recommand 15 guague straight spokes + alloy nipples for weight savings; radial lace at own risk.

Offline DaddyCool

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Re: Radial Laced with a low flange front hub?
« Reply #13 on: October 10, 2012, 07:23:35 PM »
Hi,

I have used radial lacing on high and mid flange 48H hubs for about 15 years. I have not had any problems with the hubs. Maybe it is different for low flange hubs and/or 36H.
I disagree with K. Wong in some aspects. Using low price spokes for many years, I have cracked dozens of them, but ALL at the end of the thread inside the spoke nipple. I have never broken a spoke in the middle. The stress in this area is most probably very less compared to the ends, this is the reason why they are made like this: thinner in the middle, thicker at the ends.
As mentioned above, I can not comment on low flange hubs. But the general idea of double butted spokes is very good in my opinion. At Flatlandfuel you can have them in custom length, I can recommend these.
I think the aspect that two spokes support each other with cross lacing is true. I prefer radial because I like the style, it feels stiffer and you have less chance to catch your toes between the spokes because in average they are closer together.
On the other hand three cross lacing is a standard in the whole bicycle industry for years. There must be some reasons...