Wheels Good tips for reinforcing/supporting the wheel *Everyone should do this*

[machiasmort]

Instead of zipties , I used some small diameter brass wire ..two wraps around, pull, twist, cut, file sharp edge...stronger and looks a little better..imo

I've also heard of guy's soldering them after the wire!

 

[craisin]

well seems to me if you were to balance the wheel with whatever you intend to use for the purpose of adding strength to the wheel.

After all an out of balance wheel could generate destuctive forces

 

[cabinfever1977]

I would stick with plastic ties because you might have to adjust your spokes when your wheel gets warped.

 

[Turtle Tedd]

Wire em up..no solder...just clip them off if you have to

 

[happycheapskate]

Build good enough wheels and you don't need zip ties or anything.

If you want a really stiff wheel go with thicker spokes or do a twist spoke pattern. I built those before and they WERE stiffer than a standard wheel. Truing was a little more time consuming though since I had to adjust 2 spoke nipples several holes apart to correct any imbalance or defection. They were durable and nice looking though. BMX bikers have done that for years. Eventually a spoke may fail at the elbow or twist, but any wheel will eventually fail spokes.

 

[craisin]

if your a natural rough guy it good insurance no matter how tough you can make wheels.
I am hoping to find a mag wheel myself

 

[retromike3]

zip tie vs. wrap and soldering

Back in the day we would wrap and solder the spokes on our track bikes. The reason we did was so a broken spoke would not get caught in the chain. They supposedly helped make the wheel stronger but I really could not tell if that was the case. I still have and ride a set of wheels on my track bike that have wrapped and soldered spokes. I know the hubs I built them up with are old, pre-NOAVO RECORD Campy. I haven't had to true them in years. I did ride them on the road but now they just sit and spin on my rollers.

I am not sure that zip ties would have the same effect but who knows? I do know that wrapped and soldered looks cool.

Mike Frye-the bike guy

 

[BeauBoy]

Excellent i would'nt have even thought of doing this, I really have to prep my bike for the motor.
Zip ties it is.

 

[loquin]

Use the black zip ties - The UV in sunlight will kill the white ones a lot faster than black ones.

 

[Stan4d]

Use the black zip ties - The UV in sunlight will kill the white ones a lot faster than black ones.

Good tip, also replace them periodically. They are cheap as far as cost, and it wouldn't hurt to keep fresh ones on.