Snapping on the Spoke Ring

Centered Drive Ring

I've often wondered about the centering of the ring before I discovered this forum. What I've found, however, is that after breaking a ring in for about a month, that the ring loosens it's grip around individual 14 guage spokes. I noticed that one time when I engaged my tensoiner, that the ring slid up about an eighth inch or so. I can't help but think this is not a good thing. Another reason that I will soon be in the process of getting 10 guage spokes installed. That should definitely help keep the ring from sliding around.
 
What I've found, however, is that after breaking a ring in for about a month, that the ring loosens it's grip around individual 14 guage spokes. I noticed that one time when I engaged my tensoiner, that the ring slid up about an eighth inch or so.

I had 5 or 6 bikes on the road in 2005 when the first "brokespokering" episode took place, and it did it on MY bike. I made the swap to 12g, called my customers and told them what happened, swapped all those out.

Since then I've always used 12g's, EXCEPT for the one GEBEwheel I bought, which I put on Lowell Whitehead's bike, and he's 275 pounds easily.

Anyway, no broken/bent spokes to report on any bikes since I made the switch early on, and made it my standard equipment.

Now, based on input/feedback from this forum, the YellowSun and Graygeezer bikes purchased in the last two weeks are the first to have punctureproofs and Mr.Tuffies front and rear, replacing slimes/tuffies.

Not only is the $6 difference (puncproof vs slimes) worth it, the fronts on both those bikes feels a bit heavier/sturdier.

btw: BEFORE discovering Mr. Tuffies, I tried using doubleup ducttape as a liner, which abraded a hole in a slime (what a mess). The other day I took off the tire on the Denver wheel (putting it on the blue Avalon) and I had forgot that I had cut the sidewalls off an old tire to use as a liner in that wheel, with punctureproof (not slime) tube. Man I was lucky, that tube was rubbed raw but still fully inflated.

Emphasis added to this thread about triple wrapping the spokeends with electric tape, bulking up the thin rubber gasket. If you are going to all this work to make something reliable, skipping that little step would be the weak link in the chain.
 

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This seemed like a good place to continue this thread. How many times can you take a GEBE spoke ring off and put it back on a different wheel?. Does the process of removing it and reinstalling "wear out" the mount clips.. I have my kit now and trying to decide if I want to install it on a wheel I have laying around and then on a better wheel later.

Walt

Edited AM Sunday. Boy I should proof read.
 
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I don't know how many times you can do that....but...why would you want to? My advice is wait until you get the wheel you want to put it on and do it. It's not hard at all Walt. Sometimes we make more of it than it is. Know what I mean? Get a bike and follow the advice here and get ridin' dude !!
Lars
 
The syringe

I do not understand what you are using the syringe for. Is it something you have installed when riding the bike? If so, are there several more installed, just to keep the ring in one place? Or is it just something you have on there as a ring centering tool? If so, how exactly do you use it? I am missing something here...

Also, the design of the GEBE systems seems like it wouldn't really be able to go on there any way but perfectly centered anyway.
 
Ring centering is what bama uses these syringe spacers for. Anything will do really.

Yes the ring can go on slightly off center. I use a dial indicater taking the reading from the mold parting line just to the inside if the toothed area. A bit of coat hanger for a pointer and a sharp eye together with proper lighting can do the same thing.

A dot of 5 minute epoxy at each spoke/ring interface will do wonders to hold the ring on an absolute center. Only do 5 spokes at a time to prevent runs. Break the spoke surface near the outside of the ring with a 1/4" wide bit of wet or dry to offer good adhesion to the epoxy.

Use atleast thin black zip-ties to tie the spokes at their last cross. I wire tie and solder because I am old fashioned. ;)
 
Syringe

Syringe was very clever.

I used one of these to check centering. (See Picture)
 

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Even though bama centers the ring from the rim...I take exception to that method.
What if the rim is out of true by 1mm? What then?
Use a pointer and true from the axel...the true center of the whole plot. :)
 
runs and epoxy

OldPete, would jb-weld be a good way of fixing the ring? Or would that be too strong? That is generally what I think of when it comes to epoxy.

Also, what do you mean by preventing runs? And would jb weld and wire ties be good for the spokes as well? I can use regular solder like for electronics, but that stuff seems kind of soft, no?
 
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JB Weld takes forever to set-up. 5 minute epoxy will run down the spoke to the rim if all the spokes are done at once.

I use a 60 watt pencil soldering iron and solder with rosin flex to solder the .5mm wire. Just use zip-ties...black ones because they are less likely to decay like clear/milky ones do from UV.
 
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