Sapim D-Light spokes

[Miller]

Sapim now do a spoke called D-light which is butted down to 1.65mm. Seems like it might be a nice compromise between the heft of a standard 1.8mm butted spoke and the twistiness of a 1.5mm butted spoke.

Are these D-light spokes available anywhere, has anyone used them?

http://www.sapim.be/spokes/butted/d-light

[bm0p700f]

Yes any sapim stockist (like me) can order but many do not stock like me. To be honest laser's are not that twisty and wind up is not something i experence and i build with them most days,.

[StradaJon]

We stock them and use them for CX and 29er builds typically as they were designed for use with disc systems. In contrast we don't stock Lasers!

[Miller]

So I have built a pair of wheels using D-Light spokes. Here in the UK the only stockist I found was justridingalong.com (my LBS would have got them but only in boxes of 100). The wheels are for my disc road project and consist of Velocity A23 rims with non-machined brake track and Novatec D711SB / D712SB hubs.

The spokes came in about £1 each, are black, and have been easy to build with, not as fragile as Lasers. They weigh about 5.5g each in my selected 292mm length, not including nipple. One peculiarity is that the butted section begins within the threaded end so you can actually screw a nipple right onto the spoke, they don't get blocked. The spoke will be very tolerant of being too long for a particular build therefore. Couple of snaps below.

16 spokes, 87g


Close-up of threaded end:

[bikerjulio]

Two thoughts:

I'm only an amateur wheelbuilder - have had no problems with Lasers at all.

To swage the end right at the threads like those D-Lights, they either have to custom swage each length, or that's a coincidence with the shortest length.

[Miller]

I didn't say I had "problems" with Lasers.

To quote from the Sapim link I posted:
"The short 2mm section of the d-Light reduces weight especially on the threaded side. The 2mm section starts just at the beginning of the thread."

[eric]

the butted section begins within the threaded end s

Wouldn't that put a stress riser (the first thread root) on the smaller diameter part of the spoke, weakening it?

[Miller]

Looking at my second photo that doesn't come across to me as a risk but time will tell.