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Tie and solder advice
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
Currenyly running Bontrager RL 29er wheelset. Sick of the spokes creaking on the cassette side. I've tried oil and vaseline, which work for a while, until the rain soaked trails wash it away. Is it advisable to tie and solder the spokes, or am I eliminating the flex from the wheel, making it too rigid, leading to damaged spokes etc etc. If tying and soldering is recommended, is it okay to do just one side, in my case the cassette side, the problem side, as on the non drive side there is a gap of approx. 2-3mm between the spokes.
Thanks.
[Mod. moved to MTB Gear]
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Sounds like the lacing pattern is individual with no interference on the NDS spokes....2 cross or 3 cross? Maybe that is allowing enough flex that the DS spokes are flexing more, but I'd plump for it being either undertensioned or being tensioned with twist in the spokes and you are hearing them unload under cyclical stresses.
If my wheels creak or ping I true and tension them.
Still done by some track riders, and some custom wheelbuilders will still do it.
Nothing wrong with it. Supposedly it makes the wheel stiffer for better power transfer.
My new roadie wheels come with a plastic brace that goes between the spokes on the non-drive side (drive side is radial) that supposedly does the same thing.
And yeah there is a slight twist in the spokes. If only I knew how to true and tension, best not tell my wife the bike is possibly going to cost me more money!! Thanks
Thanks for the advice, a mate in work used to do this in his racing days, just wasn't too sure about the extra stresses being off road would put on the wheel.
Emmett, if you are sure the spokes have twist then you can carefully unload the suspect nipples by 1/8 to 1/4 turn.
Grip the spoke just below the nipple with a pair of sensitive fingers, turn the spoke driver/key anti clockwise (looking at the nipple through the rim) until you feel the spoke and nipple turning at a different rate. Stop. Turn the nipple key clockwise 1/2 the amount you turned it anti clockwise.
This will at least help take out the twist in your spokes, and could make for a much quieter wheel. A well tensioned, true and de-stressed wheel should be near silent unless you're pinging it off rocks and reshaping the rim.
Best of luck.
[edit] start at the valve hole and work in one direction. tip. put a red peg on the next spoke to be trued, and a white spoke on the last one you touched. It helps when the phone rings, your wife wants the washing up done NOW, youngster has a boo-boo and the dog knocks over your beer whilst you're concentrating on a wheel build. [/edit]
That's awesome, might give that a go. Doesn't sound too difficult.
Thanks, Emmett.