Weird Idea for the site: spoke "library"?

[Bicycle808]

I know a lot of you are the types to re-use ancient spokes and hubs, but even that type of home bike mechanic probably has a pile of leftover spokes sitting in the bin. Y'know, not enough to make a whole wheel, but enough where you don't wanna toss 'em b/c they cost like 50cents each, and the shop or online retailer make you buy a bag of 50 or a box of 100. Drives me nuts. I want a few extra spokes per wheelset, in case one breaks, but I'm starting to have too many unused, brand-new spokes of varying lengths lying around.

What I'm proposing is a vague idea, but perhaps a worthy one: why don't RRB users try to stick it to the "man"and offer up spare spokes to other users, user pays shipping and nothing else? The idea being that the user will offer up spokes into the library. I had this idea while driving to Delaware today, and it might've been that gruesome deep-south Jersey air and radiation that did this to me, and I'll admit i haven't thought the logistics thru yet. but say I post something that let's folks know I have, say, fourteen 252mm spokes in straight 14guage, never been used. If there's another 2 users with a dozen each, some guy who needs thirty-six 252mm spokes can get enough for his wheel build on here, for just the price of shipping (times 3)...

I know it ain't a perfect idea, but it's better than paying $25 for a bag of fifty everytime i build a wheel, and having 14 left over....

Anyone got any thoughts on the subject?

-rob

 

[highship]

viewtopic.php?f=53&t=32980&hilit=+spokes

 

[Bicycle808]

http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=32980&hilit=+spokes

That is an awesome thread, and I believe you are some sort of wheel-building superhero, BUT i'm more talking about a way to keep my own spoke inventory down, while helping others. Obviously, i'm not sitting on a mountain of spokes like you are, but i hate to see things go unused....

-rob

 

[Fahrrad]

Sounds like a great Idea. The only down side is that one bad apple that starts "needing" spokes and all he has to pay is shipping. I don't mind helping a brotha out, but I dont want to just had some to a guy that is just to cheap buy his own. I know I am being negative, but you asked what we thought.

Now back to your regulary scheduled thread.

 

[mitchelangelo]

Maybe the library could include spoke length used on different hub and rim combinations? I re-cycle spokes such as lacing a 3 speed hub from a 26x1 3/8 wheel to a 26" cruiser/mtn bike wheel. I recently laced a Shimano 3spd w/ coaster brake hub from an old Ross to my wife's Schwinn Hollywood rim. Replacing an old Mattatuck single spd coaster that wouldn't stop. That pair used the Schwinn spokes as both hubs were almost identical in width and flange dimensions. It could make a cool database/library of spoke lengths. My next project is a Shimano Nexus inter 7 speed to guesstimate spokes.

 

[Bicycle808]

Maybe the library could include spoke length used on different hub and rim combinations? I re-cycle spokes such as lacing a 3 speed hub from a 26x1 3/8 wheel to a 26" cruiser/mtn bike wheel. I recently laced a Shimano 3spd w/ coaster brake hub from an old Ross to my wife's Schwinn Hollywood rim. Replacing an old Mattatuck single spd coaster that wouldn't stop. That pair used the Schwinn spokes as both hubs were almost identical in width and flange dimensions. It could make a cool database/library of spoke lengths. My next project is a Shimano Nexus inter 7 speed to guesstimate spokes.

I always use this spoke calculator http://lenni.info/edd/ but there are others. They have a lot of stock rims and hubs in their database, and most are reasonably accurate, but i usually measure the hub parameters (flange circle, center to L&R flange) by hand, and i tend to use the rim manufacturer's ERD when available. It's not going to be available for schwinn hollywood rims, but for those, you gotta measure yourself. Plug in your measurements, pick your lacing patterns, and it'll spit out the spoke lengths you'll need. I tend to round down to the nearest 2mm, unless it's very close to the upper 2mm increment.

I agree that some folks might take advantage of spoke availability, without ever giving back to the spoke library. And, it'd mean that everyone putting spokes up on here would have to be diligent about updating posts to reflect when some spokes got sent out, lest other ppl request em. Long story short, it's probably just not worth it. But, it seems a shame to waste stuff.

Now, i just gotta pm highship about some nipples. I can never have too many of those

 

[yoothgeye]

Sounds like a great Idea. The only down side is that one bad apple that starts "needing" spokes and all he has to pay is shipping. I don't mind helping a brotha out, but I dont want to just had some to a guy that is just to cheap buy his own. I know I am being negative, but you asked what we thought.

This is also my worry, back when I was into Suzuki Samurais we had a twice yearly event to go trail riding and camping with a meal and raffle. We were a pretty tight knit group and would bring items to sell or give away while there. One year a guy showed up and just took everything he saw for free, once we figured out he was just gathering we hid what we had left and had to keep our free stuff on the down low and talk quietly till we found people that really needed it. Was kind of a crappy situation.

 

[mitchelangelo]

Thanks for the info Bicycle808!

 

[TornadoDave3]

808 Bike.... you and I build wheels the same way. I use an older version of the calculator, and determine my spoke lengths for new wheels that way.

Since I've been rebuilding bikes for a rather long time, I've got a goodly stockpile of old spokes taken from derelict wheels of all sorts. whenever I strip a bike, i tear down the wheels compleltely. I keep the spokes in old metal welding rod cans, bundled by length. I don't think I've actually bought a repair spoke in 10 years. (I do buy spokes for new wheels, though)

It's a methodology I inhereited from my mentor in the Bike world.... a guy who was the Bicycle Guru in SF back in the 60's. He had parts ranging from the 1930's to modern, all salvaged from throw-aways and neatly arranged in bins. Then whenever a new Digger would show up, he'd help them build their own bike from the parts..... and they made some FINE bikes that way.

About hte library idea: it's a good one... and so would a general parts exchange. The only problem I know of comes whe3n someone wants to make a profit via the Parts Exchange's efforts..... that what did in the old digger Bike Shop, if I recall. Folks eventually came to take advantage of it, and didn't want to put back into the exchange. sad, really.