Wheel lacing patterns - puzzler!

[BretonDave]

Hi,

Just picked up a bike - wheels are nice Mavic 500's laced to Rigida DP18's - have just noticed rear wheel has different lacing patterns on either side - freewheel side is standard cross but with wired joints - other side has all spokes facing backwards - never seen this before - is there any good reason? The wheels run true with no problems.

 

[Leighcal]

Not sure but I have a rear wheel that came from a giant frame and one side is radial, the other cross pattern. Maybe there's extra strength to be had from doing this, maybe it's just for aesthetic reasons?
Someone with more knowledge will be along soon.

 

[stringfellow1946]

My guess is that who ever built the wheel didn't have the correct length spokes for the non drive side to make it radial. it just looks weird to me.

 

[Midlife]

I'm with Stringfellow on this one.......wrong size spokes for non drive side radial spoking so "winged it"

Shaun

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re:

Radial or two cross yes (these look possibly 2x length?) but that way gives tension strength in acceptation.
It could 'unwind' that side under braking forces on that side and so twisting the wheel but I'm not sure how large that is if the hub can spin freely. Or if tensions quite high it'll be twisting compared the opposing spoke on the other side.

I personally would replace in whatever cross would work with the length.

 

[Jonny69]

From an engineering perspective, the forces going through that wheel are horrible. All of those non drive side spokes are pulling against the drive side ones facing the non drive direction, of which there are half of them, so they have twice as much load going through them than the drive direction ones do. And this is before you even start pedalling or moving. Truly horrible! It's like a partial answer to trying to drive through radial spokes, but all it has done is double the loads on the spokes that hold the wheel in shape.

 

[BretonDave]

Re:

Hi,

It beats me - spokes are the same gauge etc - anyway I will be respoking the offending side asap.

cheers. D.

 

[mattr]

I do radial/2x and 2x/3x combos fairly often. I did an FE run on it and worked out the best combo for even spoke tension...... (sad geek i am) but that radial pattern has cropped up before. Usually trailing on one side, leading on the other.......