How To Build Dope Wheels

[bicycleguy]

I finaly got around to making a how to how to on making wheels with twisted spokes, I wouldn't recomnend trying to build a wheel like this if you have never built regular wheels before. I started out with a 24" Rigida mountain bike wheel.

Take the wheel apart if you are using an old wheel and clean and polish it while you have it apart.

Start lacing like you building a regular wheel but don't start crossing spokes yet.

The wheel I used had a 3x pattern but I relaced it with a 2x to make sure the spokes would be long enough then just file down the spokes that stick out past the nipple. Take a spoke, put it in the hub like your going to cross and on the 2nd spoke you cross(3rd if your building a 3x wheel) twist it around that spoke once then put it in the correct hole in the rim as if you were building a regular wheel

Continue lacing like this untill you have finished the wheel.

Then just tension and true like a regular wheel.

 

[ratina]

so by lacing it 2x you were able to use the original spokes? i always wondered how sturdy the wheel is when the spokes are laced like that

 

[bicycleguy]

I have put over 60 miles on my tallbike with wheels like these and they are still as true as the day I built them.

 

[hubgearfreak]

so by lacing it 2x you were able to use the original spokes?

i'd like to know that too :mrgreen:

 

[bicycleguy]

Yep, I used the original spokes. Depending on the spoke length you might be able to add a twist without taking out a cross but most likely not, I have only been able to do that once. If you take out a cross the spokes will probably be a little long even with the twist but you can just take a file and file then down.

 

[Pinche]

I remember Dan's Comp would do this if you bought a wheel set from them. I had it done with some Bulleye hub laced to Araya RB17 rims. It was pretty snazzy looking.

 

[welderjosh]

If you want to keep the three cross all you need to do is add 10mm to the spoke length and buy new spokes(handy if you are building new).

 

[FoxInDocs]

Wow! that looks rad!

so, all the bikes i have have two cross spokes (just went and checked), should i just add 10mm to that to get a good length to do this?

 

[bicycleguy]

If you want to keep the wheel a 2x but with a twist just add 10mm to the original spoke length.

 

[texon]

Been looking for info on length of spokes to do a twisted wheel set .Might have a go now . 8) 8) 8) Thanks for the info

 

[mikeeebikey]

More crosses means more flex, less is stiffer, twists are softer than without.
Only bad I ever ran into was snapping cheap spokes, and breaking hubs going to radial patterns.
Twisted patterns are so cool, next try using 3 different lengths, don't remember what pattern that was, like a puzzle to figure out!