New Kevlar alternative for spokes

[FluffyChicken]

I see there is now a Kevlar alternative to lacing up your wheels, UHMWPE, designed for coating fruits iirc, now used as spokes as a lace.
Rather than an aramid fibre (polyamide) it is polyethylene based.
It's a thermoset plastic and looks to have problem if you go past 80C and it becomes brittle.
Something to think about the way the British summer is going ;-)
(I think they melt around 130C)

Anyone going to give it a try?

I thought it might be poor for chains, branches, pedals hitting it, but a quick search says it has better abrasive resistance than steel.
Strong chemical will probably cause it problems, so stop cleaning you cassettes with Nitric or Sulfuric acids

Anyway, look up Berd PolyLight spokes.

 

[madjh]

Imagine a muddy trail and that spokes or some like this ones of the photo ... what should we do to recover that whitheness? washing machine? Not for me, I don´t whant a wheel set for a season, I´m not a racer.

 

[benjabbi]

These have been about for a few years now. It's certainly intriguing and whilst they are light (saves about 100ish grams over DT Revolutions for 2 wheels worth) and are said to have a nice ride quality, a few things put me off. You have to prepare the hub to get rid of any sharp edges on the spoke hole, which I imagine won't do your hub warranty any favours. The build process takes days, you have to tension and leave them overnight and then again as the fibres stretch and settle into place. The biggest one for me personally, being tight of the wallet, is they are £7 a spoke, that is an expensive pair of wheels!
If you're loaded, someone else is building them and you absolutely have to have the lightest of everything then fair enough.
For everyone else there's nowt wrong with stainless steel.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Oh yes, proper spokes are great and £7 is a bit steep. But then people pay 100s for old shite steel bikes to stick on a wall, or normally sit in bits in the shed with a note saying one day I'll build this

 

[benjabbi]

Oh yes, proper spokes are great and £7 is a bit steep. But hen people pay 100s for old shite Stella bike to stick on a wall, or normally sit in bits in the shed with a note saying one day I'll build this

Very true!
I'd be interested to try a set, to see if there is any noticeable tangible benefits (or disadvantages), just a bit too rich for me in reality.
Maybe in the future I'll come across a set of wheels cheap on Ebay. Trying different things is fun!

 

[Trebz]

Oh yes, proper spokes are great and £7 is a bit steep. But then people pay 100s for old shite steel bikes to stick on a wall, or normally sit in bits in the shed with a note saying one day I'll build this

Are you talking about me ? Hehehhe

 

[FluffyChicken]

Are you talking about me ? Hehehhe

not directly ;-)
And I said 100's, not skip finds

 

[grey-beard]

I've just had a quick look and although it seems very clever and everything, I would've thought that they'd have been lighter than a standard carbon rimmed wheel, but even these Hunt wheels are lighter and considerably cheaper.

HUNT Proven Race XC UD Carbon Spoke 29 MTB Wheelset

Carbon innovation redefined. Our lightest mountain wheels yet. ultra-responsive carbon-bladed spokes and cutting-edge S_RapidEngage 90T 3x2 pawl system. Unleash the speed. 29” | UD Carbon Spoke | 2-degree engagement | 30mm WIDE INT | 1254g The Purpose Beginning with the rims, Proven Carbon Race...

www.huntbikewheels.com

 

[grey-beard]

Hunt do make some amazing wheels for the money.
If I was after a 29er set, these are only 200g heavier than the string spoked things and will save you about £1500 too.

HUNT Race XC MTB 29 Wheelset

Built for the demands of modern technical cross country racing. 29" | 24 Wide Int | 1517g The Purpose Building on everything we learnt with the XC Wide; the Race version takes things even further. Saving nearly 150g whilst not sacrificing any strength, this is the perfect choice for when you're...

www.huntbikewheels.com