"Orange County Rat Chop-Suey" Update 9-12

[onelesspedestrian]

funny spoke story....

apparently I'm 1 spoke short of a wheel.

somehow I bought 35 spokes, even after counting it twice.

back to the store tomorrow for one lousy spoke.

[karfer67]

i have seen bicycle spoke threading machines that thread like a die rather than roll the threads as well. it will be fine although i agree rolling the threads is better. we have a phil wood spoke cutter that cuts the spoke then rolls the threads. cool machine if you know how to use one right.

[FunkyStickman]

Phil Wood spoke machines are awesome, but at $1500 I'm not getting one any time soon.

Finally got the front hub in, picked it up NOS from Rini Enterprises (they specialize in old BMX stuff) for $10 plus shipping. Still waiting on the rear hub and nipples. Pics are coming... man this is cutting it close!

[FunkyStickman]

Built the front wheel today! I measured the spokes I had (from a 24" MTB wheel) and the only way I could make them fit the 26" rim was to radial lace 'em. Well, works for me! I didn't even have to cut and re-thread them, which is great.

[FunkyStickman]

I've started getting nervous waiting for the rear hub to come in, so I decided to start experimenting with alternate wheel lacing patterns. Obviously I won't do all radial spokes, you don't do that on rear wheels. But since I am going to cut and re-thread the spokes anyways, why not see what kind of trouble I can get myself into? I took a spare rim and did some mock-ups to see how hard it would be. Here's some examples, I hope some of you guys haven't seen these, I'd love to see more custom bikes with custom laced wheels!

3-cross Crow's Foot (uses 1/3 radial spokes, and 2/3 spokes in 3-cross lengths)
It makes a very pretty, symmetrical looking wheel.


I wanted to try a 2-cross Crow's Foot, I've heard of it but never seen one. It uses 1/3 radials and 2/3 in a 2-cross length.
Still pretty, but less symmetrical.


This one I saw here, but never have seen one in person. It's a "half-trailing, half-leading" wheel, with all the right side spokes trailing, and all left spokes leading. It looks a lot cooler in person.


And finally, the one I wanted to try the most, a 3-trailing, 3-leading pattern. It uses all 3-cross lengths, just alternates every 3, instead of every other spoke. Very cool looking in person, too.


As of now, I'm leaning towards the 3-cross Crow's Foot, but the 3-lead-3-trail looks really killer, and I've never seen one in person, not even on a photo of a real bike on the internet.

What do you guys think?

[vibr8shun]

I personally like the 3rd one down, but the last one I find so dang interesting I wish I knew how to lace wheels Very coool build!!!

[FunkyStickman]

I personally like the 3rd one down, but the last one I find so dang interesting I wish I knew how to lace wheels Very coool build!!!

Thanks for the compliment! I like all those wheels, but I have to choose one, so I'm gonna go with the first one as it matches the front better.

And building wheels isn't rocket science! It's not as hard as you think. You still have to read up and know what you're doing, but I built that front wheel with an old fork as a truing stand, and I used my thumb as a runout gauge. Read Sheldon Brown's article on wheelbuilding and you can pretty much start from there. If you like the bottom one, you can un-lace an old 36 spoke wheel and re-lace it, it uses the same length spokes.

[stretch]

do the last one! its the coolest!

[Fireproof]

Thanks for the compliment! I like all those wheels, but I have to choose one, so I'm gonna go with the first one as it matches the front better.

Nice job on the wheels (and the entire bike!) Stickman. So, to lace like the first wheel, does that mean that you will need to cut and rethread only twelve spokes?

[FunkyStickman]

Nice job on the wheels (and the entire bike!) Stickman. So, to lace like the first wheel, does that mean that you will need to cut and rethread only twelve spokes?

Thanks! No, since I'm going to a much larger hub (a Sturmey 8-speed drum) I will have to cut all of the spokes, even if I do a standard pattern. Though I will admit I'm torn between the Crow's Foot and the 3-trail-3-lead... they're both very cool looking!

[bikejunkie]

Ive got to be honest.I didnt think much of those bikes ever!But man I think you changed my mind on these.You are building one ****** rat!!! Cant wait for more pics.

[FunkyStickman]

Thank you, bikejunky, and everyone else who has made positive comments, which has been everyone! This is my first bike build in probably 15 years (and I'm 35). I know it's cliche' rat rod, with flat black paint, red wheels and whitewalls... but I just love the look so much!

Just got a call from my house, the rear hub has arrived!!! And I'm stuck here at work!!!

Only need to put it together and cover the seat, and it's mechanically done!

[onelesspedestrian]

man, you are changing a lot of minds on the OCC bikes...

I have built a crow's foot wheel, but I only rode it once before it was stolen. You'll find that the up/down trueness and/or the tension is a bit harder to dial in, being that you have 2 different kinds of spokes. you can't just crank them all the same like a normal wheel, but as long as you've built a few wheels before, you'll tough through it.

They do make for a very stylish wheel though.

I really like the painted alloys on high flange hubs! Here's a similar one of mine in 20":

[FunkyStickman]

man, you are changing a lot of minds on the OCC bikes...

I really like the painted alloys on high flange hubs! Here's a similar one of mine in 20":

Again, thanks! I really did not expect it, but I'm glad it's turning out well. And your bike looks great, it's like a mini version of mine!

Wow! Got home, spent the evening replacing an alternator in our church's van, so I didn't get to start on the rear wheel. But the Sturmey 8-speed hub is HUGE!!! It weighs a good 4 pounds... that poor MTB hub looks puny in comparison, though it's a regular full-sized hub. Did I mention the Sturmey hub is BIG??

Bigger than a 16 oz. coffee mug...


Bigger than a 7-speed rear hub...

[Boris]

Awsome Hub! This thread is great, I'm going to have to have a go at lacing a wheel up you've made it sound so interesting and easy Really excited about seeing the finnished cycle now!

What about those wheels where they twist the spokes around each other? Thoughts on those?