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Bladed straight pull spokes. The devils own invention. Why, especially on a CX wheel?
I really like them. Easier to monitor and control spoke wind up while building.
Just wish they weren't so expensive.
Pain in the arse when factory built ones need truing a few years down the line.
Why?
buy or make a spoke holder so they don’t twist and you’ll be grand.
They'll twist as much as any other spoke with the advantage that you can actually see it and do something about it.
OK I am willing to be convinced. Can you recommend a spoke holder?
Depends on the spokes. The fat mavic ones won’t fit in a dt Swiss holder.
you can get away with sawing a V into a bit of wood, just to get you by.
Park do one that looks like a dog bone that has 4 sizes and is nice to use.
OK I am willing to be convinced. Can you recommend a spoke holder?
Adjustable spanner
The only concern I had with my Mavic Crossrides was that spare spokes seemed real hard to get hold of?
Never needed any, mind.
Can you recommend a spoke holder?
Take one piece of wood approx 2" x 1" x 1/4", use a hacksaw/woodsaw/bread-knife to cut a slot approx 5mm deep...
I'm with Op on this, it's the combination of straight pull and blades, I have to run my rear wheel with about 5mm offset dishing (the most I can get away with and it still rubs a bit under load) to keep tension in the non drive side spokes as they kept unwinding making them distinctly non aero (the drive side spokes are at a ridiculously high tension as it is !)
I use a very small adjustable spanner as a spoke holder
Never needed any, mind.
I crunched an old Crosstrail once and it just so happened there was a set on ebay that week! Sill got most of them 🙂
Never needed any on the other Mavics.
Can you recommend a spoke holder?
I'm struggling to believe that any tool manufacturer can get away with selling specialist kit to hold a bladed spoke (which is a slightly niche thing in itself)! And people buy them!?
If you're completely shonky a pair of pliers. Slightly more conscientious = pliers + a bit of tape. I use an adjustable spanner. A bit of wood with a slot in it would be the most sympathetic.
But a specialist tool just for this purpose? Do me a favour!
But a specialist tool just for this purpose? Do me a favour!
I have one of these which I picked up for a fiver a while back and it works a treat. Of course, everyone's threshold for hacking tools is different, but for a fiver it's a no-brainer to have a proper tool in the box. I've also since acquired another which came with my Hunt wheels (nice touch, that).
Or, to put it another way, I've spent a lot, lot more on tools that I've used a lot, lot less! 🙂
Never needed any, mind.
I have a Crossride wheel here where the retaining tab has snapped off the hub, the blade is undamaged.