How to tell if you have cracked frame?

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mattr
Posts: 4671
Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 6:43 pm
Location: The Grim North.

by mattr

Tension should be even on both sides. (But DS should be ~2 times NDS)
If you have some higher than others, might be worth visiting your LBS to get them looked at.

I've had a very worrying ride before now when about a third of the spokes on my rear wheel came loose. Felt like a really flat back tyre, or a loose qr.

Turns out the builder had used the wrong size nipples.
Never did get to find out why, but you could actually wobble the spokes out of the nipples, no idea how he achieved tension either!

That's why I started learning to build my own wheels!

addictR1
Posts: 1878
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:11 am

by addictR1

Mattr: I would love to learn how to build my own wheels too.. Except I don't even know how to true it first. [emoji33]

Wish I can easily learn that taboo art.


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eric
Posts: 2196
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 9:47 pm
Location: Santa Cruz, California, USA
Contact:

by eric

Wheel truing is not hard. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/truing.html
Practice on some crap/backup wheels. The only tool you absolutely need is a good spoke wrench (the one on your multi-tool is for emergencies only). But a truing stand and spoke tensiometer make it easier.

The FS wheels I have gotten have less tension than I prefer. I tension the DS to 110-120kgf and the front to 90. The NDS is whatever it needs to be for the wheel to be true. FS sets the DS to about 100 (on my Park tensiometer), which leaves the NDS too low. When tension is too low the nipples can unscrew, and the spokes will momentarily detension as the wheel rotates, which causes the spoke to flex at the elbow. Eventually it breaks.

addictR1
Posts: 1878
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:11 am

by addictR1

Thanks Eric.. Guess I can practice on my kiddos 12" wheelset first. [emoji106]


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mattr
Posts: 4671
Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 6:43 pm
Location: The Grim North.

by mattr

Just buy a cheap wheel from your local warehouse type place. Halfords in the UK. Practice.

FWIW, my first wheel build lasted until the rim wore through. Only had to true it once IIRC. After a crash.
It took about an hour to get the hang of truing. (Along side serving customers, working the till and generally running a shop.)

It's really not difficult to build a sensible wheel. (Low spoke counts, funny lacing patterns etc count as "not sensible" in this context!)

dmulligan
Posts: 314
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2014 6:16 pm

by dmulligan

Also check out the Professional Guide to Wheel Building book at http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/
He includes plans to making most of you own tools!

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addictR1
Posts: 1878
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:11 am

by addictR1

dmulligan wrote:Also check out the Professional Guide to Wheel Building book at http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/
He includes plans to making most of you own tools!

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awesome! thanks for the link!

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