tied and soldered spokes

[Mick F]

Well done, and I know you're happy with your wheels.

I believe that tied and soldered must be stiffer, even if Josh Brandt doesn't!

[Freddie]

Hi to all the knockers I am almost at 4000 miles now and wheels still run true and for big guys that uses a bike for all uses including commutting the wheels still run true I think the rims will wear out before I get a buckle.
I have spent alot of money on bikes in the past and this has been the best bike by far in terms of reliablity which is my number one concern on an every day bike.
I brought this bike off ebay for £300 un branded although based on a Ridgeback panarama frame with deore kit and mavic wheels except they have been tied and braised.
I have seen many off the peg bikes that cost hundreds of pounds more that are not as good and reliable as this so guess does this beg the question do we get ripped off to some extent by the main cycle suppliers.
I was looking at a thorn but then does it warrent a £2k price tag !!!
I for one will stand by the tied and spokes on my bike as its the only bike I have ever owned where the wheels have remained true to this day as I said 4 years old now and almost 4000 miles.

You are being emotional. I am pleased that you have purchased a bicycle with what seems to be well built wheels (a rarity, to be sure), but just because they have tied and soldered spokes proves nothing about the validity of tied and soldered spokes with regard to a wheel that will stay in true.

Many, many wheels have been built without tied and soldered spokes that have stayed true for many tens of thousand of miles.

Indeed, if anything tied and soldered spokes may worsen the ability of a wheel to stay in true.

Spokes are there, amongst other things, to save the rim from going out of true/receiving damage, they detension somewhat upon an impact to allow a somewhat more elastic rim to deform temporarily rather than take a hit that would leave it permanently damaged, this is the rubbing you see where the spokes cross. If you try to elimate this with tying and soldering, you may infact inhibit the ability of the spoke to detension and save the rim from damage(i.e go out of true).

Hence all this talk of stiffness is rather misguided. Spokes should be tensioned as highly as the rim will accept without buckling (once the tension is too high the rim will displace side to side in a wavy fashion), yet you want the spokes to be reasonably elastic upon an impact to prevent damage to an otherwise fragile rim.

[peter236uk]

Emotional not sure I am quite that bad however people say it makes no difference I think it does and in my case it has.
I agree it could be that the guy built a really craking pair of wheels' I would say from an engineering point of view that it would add strength and will stick by that point It might help absorb some of the shock from the road and spread that across the wheel. I do take the point that if it was that good why do not all manufacturers do it my answer to that could be cost and lack of skill.
I understand it carried out alot on track wheels perhaps something to do with angle of the bike and the forces being sent through the bike not sure.

[Tonyf33]

Interesting thread, I bought a front wheel not that long back (Open pro 32spoke tubular rim/dura ace 7800 hub) that was built for cyclocross originally by I think Harry Rowlands. I'd bought it as I'm quite heavy, pretty powerful in the legs/arms and wanted something light yet bombproof. The soldering was beautiful and the times I rode it it felt stiffer than my open pro/dura ace 7700 clincher wheel (same size, make & pressure of tyre) when I put the power down & over uneven surafaces.
Maybe it's psychological but it felt more assured than any of my other wheels, I only let it go as I'm not into tubs & all my others are clinchers, shame as it was a damn light/strong set up.

[rogerzilla]

Harry Rowlands could probably build a wheel from fuse wire and a hula hoop and it would last Paris-Roubaix.

[Tonyf33]

Harry Rowlands could probably build a wheel from fuse wire and a hula hoop and it would last Paris-Roubaix.

That's good to know because I got a pair of his wheels 2nd hand(almost new) for £45 There not soldered though

[PW]

I agree with Freddie. I've said before that I've had untied wheels where the spoking has lasted 60,000+ miles, 3 pairs of rims and the bearing cups of a set of Campag Tipo hubs. Also if the thing's strong enough for a given use it's automatically stiff enough. I see no point whatever in tying and soldering. If you like the look that's fine but.....