You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Quick one just to check - is the easiest way to assemble the wheel to put the nipple into the squorx driver holding it upside down, then slip the washer over the nipple then put it upside down into the wheel? I’ve got visions of dropping washers into the rim and spending hours fishing them out, which I’d prefer to avoid!
Finally ordered DT competition spokes from Rose today so as soon as they arrive I can build up my new wheelset bit by bit (when I get time here and here). Going to be by far he nicest Components I’ve built with and it’s my 3rd wheelset I’ll have built.
Dt Xm481 / DT competition Spokes / Hope Pro 4 hubs. Gone the whole hog and bought the expensive DT Swiss tubeless tape and valves so it all matches nicely. Current wheelset has the same tapes and valve setup and I’ve done multiple tyre changes without any problem.
I used a spoke with the thread cut off, put nipple plus washer on the spoke then push the spoke right through and let nipple slide down the spoke and get the nipple plus washer 'seated', held the end of the nipple where it poked through the rim, pulled spoke out and put the driver on the other end. Spokes will bend a bit to go in the end of the nipple without pulling it back out the rim.
Ah ok, I hadn’t bought of that option, might try it. I’d have thought the spoke with no threads would be thicker than the threaded bit, but I guess not. If it works like hat I could cut the 2mm bit off the end of the spoke and use the 1.8 MM bit where it butts down. This sounds less likely to end up with washers everywhere than my original idea.
I used the upside down squorx driver holding the nipple and washer over the top technique. The nipples held quite well in the driver so wasn't too bad. Also tried putting the washer over the spoke inside the rim and then nipple on top. Only had one nipple and washer fall into the rim and think that was mainly because it was my first time building a wheel. Was very easy to get them out with a bit of a shake.
I used cx ray spokes and had to take them into hewitts cycles because the threads were damaged on the spokes. ended up replacing 13 spokes!!
Top tip - if you get nipples and/or washers dropped in the rim - spin it fast in the wheel stand and tap the rim so they bounce around. It's amazing how quickly they come out that way (unless the rim has a very concave spoke bed - when all bets are off).
I haven’t had a good look at the rim to check how concave it is - I’m hoping not to drop any in to start with.
On my first wheel build I dropped a couple of nipples in and spend ages trying to fish them out. I was super careful on my 2nd wheel build not to have the same happens again!
Grease sticks the washer to the nipple, I put the nipple in the DT driver and insert it into the rim about parallel to the ground, no issues so for on multiple builds.
I was a bit skeptical about the squorx setup (seemed like a bit of a faff), but they tension up so nicely!
That’s what I like to hear on the tensioning. His is by far the most expensive build I’ve done so far. Prior to this has been wtb sti23/25 with Shimano and rebadged novatech hubs. One set with aci dB spokes, the other with straight gauge halo spokes.