Cycling UK Forum

I purchased a bike some time ago from a guy he had built the bike and at the time had tied and soldered the spokes at the time it was the first bike I have ahd this done to.
Being quite a big guy I have the bike now for around 3 years and use it for everything day rides, tours etc and the wheels still run true.

Why dont they do this for all bikes it would seem to make alot of sence.

You can get the same results from any well built non tied or soldered wheels.

i've read in JB's book that it makes no difference. however, i doubt someone would go to the effort on a wheel that wasn't built correctly in the first place, so it's a decoration, if you wish, on well handbuilt wheels

If you did do it wouldn't it make replacing a broken spoke out on the road a even more of a pain?

All I can say is I am 18 stone plus touring gear sometimes and have the bike for 3 years and done around 3000 miles.
I also think the guy has made a really cool job what prompted me was I was just reading the online mag urban velo there is an article in there about saying it was the finishing touch of good bike mechanics in the past.
All I can say it works fantastic for me.

si thats a good point I guess howver not happend yet in around 3000 miles have a read of the article in urban velo.

All you have is a set of wheels that haven't failed - you can't draw any conclusion from the fact that they're tied and soldered unless you've at the very least had a wheel built with the same components by the same builder without tying and soldering, and that one's failed.

I've had a wheel with black spokes which had trouble staying true and a wheel with silver ones which has been fine. Logically, then, why aren't all wheels built with silver spokes?

I've never seen or heard of soldered spokes before! Sounds quite cool to me. Mind you... like Si says... if one did break while you were out and about, would it be a right pain to fix?

What does it do... make the wheel more rigid? Sounds a bit like a trick a racing team might do, rather than someone like a tourer... but then 3000 miles is a long race!

Your wheels sound ace.

I brought a bike of guy about 3 years ago he was a bike mechanic and had built the bike up he said it added alot of strength to the bike its based on Ridgeback panarama (touring bike) the bike is a proper working bike goes to shops and does commutes and takes me on a few tours. I would suggest he knew what he was on about as the bike has been faultless in all that time.

Suggest you have a look at Urban Velo you can look at the magazine online and its the Jan 2009 the search through you will find it.

If you look up Urban Velo its on page 70 in issue 11 it cant be a bag mag they advertise Brompton in there !!

I had a pair of wheels built for me in 1983 with tied and solder spokes, so far the wheels are true and I have had no problems. Will report back once I have had the opportunity to properly test the wheels !!

I had tied and soldered spokes on my Track bike.
At one time it was the norm for sprinters.

I never broke a spoke................

Isn't this a really old fashioned idea? An old guy stopped by to admire my bike while I was taking a breather in the summer and started telling me about his racing days in the 1930's. He was talking about silk tubs with bamboo rims and tied and soldered spokes. I borrowed a pre-war tandem years ago and this also had the spokes wired and soldered. So I guess those wheels had lasted 50 years or more. Just off to the garage with my soldering iron and some TCW...

I think it must be funny I have never seen it on another bike and the guy said to me that I would not get a problem with my spokes. He had a really nice hetchins with soldered and tied spokes.
And today I reading the article in Urban Velo and it stated that really conscientious bike mechanics used to do this.
And it would seem that it works.

peter236uk wrote:And it would seem that it works.

odd then that no-one does it any more?