Wheelworks.co.nz, Handbuilt wheels by Tristan Thomas

36 grams – titanium skewer, carbon handle, aluminium knuckle. Gorgeous.

This week Sapim released a new light-weight spoke they call the SuperSpoke. The SuperSpoke is 20% lighter than the current lightest steel spokes on the market – the DT Swiss Revolution and Aerolite and Sapim Laser and CX-Ray.

How is it so light? By thinning the diameter of the spoke at both the head, the thread, and the middle section they use less materal, and therefore less weight.

Most spokes use a 2.0mm head and most hubs are designed around this measurement. The SuperSpoke uses a 1.8mm head which will be a loose fit in almost all modern hubs. Some light weight hubs might come specially drilled for the smaller SuperSpoke which would be great, but for most hubs this is a real downside.

The center section of the SuperSpoke is 1.4mm in diamter – narrower than the Laser or Revolution which are both 1.5mm. The narrower center section will mean the spokes ‘windup’ more when being built, but this isn’t really a problem for an experienced wheel builder.

The threads of the SuperSpoke are 1.8mm (15 gauge) so will need to use 15 gauge nipples. Some other spokes like the DT Swiss SuperComp and Aero use 15g threads. Other than the weight savings there is no real benefit, but no real downside either (other than harder to find 15g nipples.) A 15g nipple is thicker and therefore theoretically stronger.

It’s very important to note that these spokes are 20% lighter and therefore 20% less-stiff than the already flexy Revolution / Laser / CX-Ray / Aerolite.

Sapim make some durability comparisons which is great except that well-built wheels with components chosen correctly for the application don’t break spokes.

So what is the purpose of these spokes? As I see it they fit well for only one type of wheel: where high spoke count is desired for durability and less susceptibility to accident damage but isn’t required for stiffness. A 32h downhill wheel with a stiff rim is a good example, or a front 32h road training wheel.

Downhill is going through another weightweenie phase at the moment so I expect there will be some demand here, especially with very stiff rims like the carbon fiber Edge Composites.

For most other wheels a reduction in spoke weight isn’t really necessary: If the reduction in lateral stiffness is acceptable then weight can be reduced through the use of fewer spokes. Since aerodynamic drag is tied closely to the number of spokes it makes sense (especially on a road wheel) to go this route. The round-section SuperSpoke will also not be as aerodynamic as the bladed CX-Ray / Aerolite.

It’s great to see some development in spokes and more options are always better! This is a specialist spoke and will have a narrow range of applications but it’s great to see Sapim pushing forward.

The 2011 XTR stuff is starting to trickle in – I’ve got some of the XC stuff here and the Trail is due to arrive tomorrow. This stuff looks fantastic and, knowing Shimano, it will work extremely well. I’m still waiting on cranks and rear derailleurs so a installation- and ride-report will have to wait. Call me if you’re looking to upgrade your groupset.

On with the macro:

Most of the new 10 speed XTR 980 parts arrived this morning…I’m still waiting on 985 pedals and 981 cranks. Here are some quick pics of the weights.

The new shifters are super cool with the light weight barrel adjusters and textured thumb paddle, and the new brakes are the best looking Shimano brake since XTR cantilevers.

I’ll get some close-up pics if there is any interest?

The Japanese-made Morizumi spoke cutting and threading machine is a great tool and one that I couldn’t live without.

I have found that when taking small (less than 1/2mm) cuts that the spoke ends can jam the shear and stop the spring from returning correctly. Luckily the Morizumi is such a well thought-out design that the shear is easy to dismantle and clean.

In the photos you can see the silver steel shear and the small spoke ends which have caused it to jam.

For the weight-weenies and double chainring fans who follow the blog….

XTR M980 low-clamp double-chainring front derailleur and M981 high mount triple ring derailleur. Not as light as XX but at least they’ll fit on the bike without the shocks air-can hitting the clamp at 3/4 travel…

I’ve been running RoadTubeless on my commuter bike for over 18 months now with great results.  When I heard about the new Alpha 340 road rim from Stan’s I pulled a favour from local importer CycleTech to get a pair of early production rims.

The Alpha 340 uses the same Bead Socket Technology (“BSD”) as Stan’s mountain bike rims and is designed to be used with RoadTubeless tyres, but like the mtb version any normal clincher tire and inner tube will work.  RoadTubeless tyres are similar to UST montain bike tires:  they’re airtight and have a very strong bead which resists blowing off the rim.  To run tubeless on a road bike you must use a RoadTubeless tire – unlike on the mountain bike where most standard tires will hold air with some sealant – because of the much higher pressures involved.

The two Alpha 340 rims I received weigh 360g and 363g with 6 decals on each rim…a little more than the claimed 340 grams but still very light.

These rims will be built up to a pair of white DT Swiss 240s hubs as a demo pair for Wheelworks customers so if you’re interested in trying RoadTubeless drop me a line. I’ll update this page with a bit more info about wheel stiffness once the wheels are built but this will be a few days as I’ve got a queue of customer wheels to build first.

Rim width (at the top of the brake track): 20.35mm

Rim depth: 22.40mm

ERD: 593mm (claimed 591mm)

Here is a quick-reference chart for Rolhoff Speed Hub 14 spoke length.

These calcs will work with disc or non-disc hubs – remember that all Rohloffs are 32 hole and to be laced 2x both sides.

If you’re using spokes available in 2mm increments then round up to the next size, ie: if the chart suggests 261mm then round up to 262mm.

I’ve found that DT Swiss nipples work the best for the high exit angle caused by the Rohloffs large flanges and I generally avoid DT Swiss rims as I’ve found the eyelets restrict the rotation of the spoke nipple.

Rohloffs seem a bit intimidating to build at first but once you’ve done a few they’re actually very easy – the symmetrical flanges and large distance between spoke holes makes them easy to lace and the flange spacing builds into a pretty stiff rear wheel.

The Stan’s ZTR hubs have arrived and they look really good.

The front hub weighs 162g, the rear 250g – in total that’s lighter than a pair of DT Swiss 240s 6-bolt hubs for about half the price!

All front hubs are pretty straight forward and there is generally little to go wrong:  two bearings held on an axle.  The rear hub is the important one – a poor quality freehub mechanism spells the death of a rear hub.  The Stan’s design is quite straight forward – there is a large 15mm diameter axle running end-to-end supporting the freehub body and hub shell.  Each endcap is removable and the hub can be disaembled with two 5mm allen keys and one 10mm.  Once the driveside endcap is removed the freehub body pulls straight off the axle.

The freehub is a fairly standard 3-pawl system and each pawl has it’s own spring.  There wasn’t much grease in the freehub, probably so it sounds loud in the showroom, but I’ll add a bit of oil to keep things running smoothly.  The freehub is sealed using a tapered contact seal – I’ve never seen one of these used for this purpose before.

All the parts are replaceable and the Stan’s importer has promised to keep all small parts available which is great news should anything go wrong or get damaged.

The included quick release levers are good quality, reasonable weight, and have a secure, positive feel.

All up I’m impressed.  Durability has yet to be tested in local conditions but guys in the USA have been using these hubs for a while now with no problems.

The KinLin rims are fantastic and becoming quite popular world-wide…despite this there is nowhere I’ve seen which has a comprehensive list of specs and pros / cons of the rims.  Specs are at the top of the page, general pros and cons of these rims are below.  Please ask questions if there is something I have not covered.

For wheelbuilders / industry guys you’re welcome to use this info but please credit the source by linking to this page.

Model name: Kinlin XR-300
Clincher

Average weight: 460g

Drillings: 16, 18, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36

Rim width (at brakepads): 18.5mm

Rim width (internal): 13.7mm

Depth: 30.3mm

ERD: 579mm

Model name: Kinlin XR-270
Clincher

Average weight: 445g

Drillings: 20, 24, 28, 32, 36

Rim width (at brakepads): 19.6mm

Rim width (internal): 13.7mm

Depth: 26.6mm

ERD: 585mm

Model name: Kinlin XR-200
Clincher

Average weight: 388g

Drillings: 20, 24, 28, 32

Rim width (at brakepads): 18.4mm

Rim width (internal): 13.7mm

Depth: 22.3mm

ERD: 595mm

Model name: Kinlin TB-25
Tubular

Average weight: 440g

Drillings: 18, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36

Rim width (at brakepads): 18.8mm
Depth: 25.2mm

ERD: 589mm

Pros:
Excellent stiffness to weight ratio
Extremely durable (even the XR-200)
Available in a wide range of drillings.

Cons:
Pinned joint (although joint seems are quite smooth)
Brake pulse not uncommon
Brake surface perhaps softer than other rims. Brakepad choice is important.
Brake surface is narrower than some rims

Brakepads:
Any brakepad designed for alloy rims will work. I suggest KoolStop Salmon pads as they will leave the brake surface unscathed and offer excellent brake power and modulation in all weather. Brakepad lifespan is still good.