How to choose knitting needles. Bicycle spokes Bicycle spoke sizes 26

Spokes are an important part of the bike, which allows you to connect the wheel hub to the rim and at the same time center it. In addition, the spokes perform shock-absorbing functions due to their elasticity and work not only in compression, but in tension. Despite the existence of cast disc wheels for a bicycle, spoked bicycle wheels are still preferable precisely because of the damping property. Alloy bicycle wheels are also significantly heavier than spoked wheels. In this article, we will consider what knitting needles are made of, what kind of thread, length and dimensions are. We will also analyze what are the design features of various knitting needles.

Materials and methods for making knitting needles

The most popular knitting needle material is steel. The best knitting needles are made of high-alloy steel. Chrome-plated and galvanized steel spokes are considered cheaper and, accordingly, less reliable. On professional bikes, the spokes can be either aluminum or titanium. These materials help reduce the overall weight of the bike. But keep in mind that titanium spokes can only be installed with bronze nipples, which negates any weight savings.

According to the method of manufacture, the spokes are divided into rolled, drawn and forged. Rolled spokes are the easiest to manufacture and have a constant diameter throughout their length. Drawn spokes have a variable diameter. Most often, drawn knitting needles have a smaller diameter in the center and a larger one at the edges. Since the main load on the spoke acts in the attachment points, the reduced diameter in the center of the spoke does not affect its reliability, but it will reduce the overall weight. In addition, the drawn spokes are more resilient, which improves cushioning properties.

In addition to all of the above spokes, there are also aerodynamic ones with an elliptical and blade-shaped central part. Such knitting needles have higher technical characteristics than all the others.

Spoke design, thread, dimensions and length

The thread on the spoke is of two types - chopped and knurled. The spokes with knurled threads are much stronger, since the junction of the spoke and the rim is the most vulnerable. But such knitting needles are also more expensive because threading is more laborious than cutting. Cheaper bikes and bikes that are not subjected to heavy loads are equipped with threaded spokes. The diameter of the spoke where the thread is knurled is slightly larger than the diameter of the entire spoke.

The size of the needles differ in diameter and length. Both parameters are selected individually for a particular wheel. Most often, knitting needles with a diameter of 1.6 to 2.3 mm are used. And the length of the spoke depends on the diameter of the entire wheel.

The nipples are designed to fasten the spokes to the rim of the bicycle and are mushroom-shaped nuts with slots for a screwdriver and edges for a spoke wrench. For the production of nipples, steel, bronze and aluminum are used. The cheapest and most popular are steel nipples. Bronze is used in conjunction with titanium spokes, and aluminum is designed to reduce the weight of the bike. The only downside aluminum nipples it is the impossibility of using them in aluminum pistons of piston rims. Aluminum parts can react chemically and weld together.

Spoke set and types of spokes for bicycle wheels

The spokes of a bicycle wheel differ in the direction of the spokes relative to the radius of the wheel. The angle between the spoke and the radius can reach up to 90 degrees. The larger the angle, the more crosses are formed in the spokes. In addition, the larger the angle, the less the force acting on the spoke. The smaller the angle, the shorter the spoke, and therefore lighter. Also, spokes located without an angle have the greatest transverse rigidity.

The number of spokes in a bicycle wheel depends on the purpose of the bike. Mountain bikes and road bikes usually have 32 or 36 spokes. Road bikes have 32, 28 or 24 spokes. The maximum number of spokes 40 and even 48 are made on tandems.

In 99% of cases, a wheel consists of a hub (with bearings and an axle), a rim and spokes. When you start pedaling, energy is transferred through the transmission to the hub, spokes and rim, and the wheel spins. Spokes allow you to make the wheel light and durable, and we'll talk about them today.

History

Over 30 years ago, most bicycles had 36 spokes on each wheel. For example, the British standard was 40 spokes at the rear and 32 spokes at the front. Only racing bikes used 32 spokes per wheel. In other countries, bicycles usually had 35 spokes per wheel.

And then someone had an idea: “Let's make wheels with 32 spokes. They will be lighter, we will spend less material, and, consequently, production will become cheaper. Moreover, riders use such wheels, ordinary people will definitely like it!” As a result, the wheels turned out to be lighter, but this did not affect the final price for the buyer. So everyone was in the black (but wheel manufacturers in a little more).

This idea continues to live to this day. Here and there, new wheels appear, in which 28/26/24 or even fewer spokes, and the main argument for their purchase is less weight, with the same strength.

However, in order for the spoke and rim to withstand the increased load in one place, where in a classic wheel the load is distributed between two spokes, they must be made from high quality materials. That's why wheels with fewer spokes aren't as light as they might initially seem.

Features of using wheels with fewer spokes

The loss of one spoke on a classic 36-spoke wheel threatens only with a small eight, which you can even fix without changing the spoke. But if the spokes in the wheel are less than 32, then having lost one spoke, you may not even get to the house. And given that the spokes in these wheels are often very specific, each broken spoke is a real problem.

Therefore, the price of wheels with fewer spokes is sometimes an order of magnitude higher than for classic models with 32 spokes. Whether the won grams are worth it - everyone decides for himself.

Types of spokes and nipples

Bicycle spokes are straight and indirect. Straight knitting needles are very strong but require special bushings. Wheels with fewer than 32 spokes usually use straight spokes, and vice versa.

Knitting needles differ in the method of manufacture:

Rolled spokes;
flat knitting needles;
Pulled spokes.

Rolled spokes- the most common of the three types, due to the fact that they are relatively simple and cheap to manufacture. They are made from a steel rod of a suitable diameter.

flat knitting needles- almost the same as rolled knitting needles, only flat. This adds strength and a bit of aerodynamics.

Drawn knitting needles are the highest quality and most expensive. Stretch (hence the name) from a single piece of steel.

Pay attention to the way the thread is applied to the spoke. Knurled knitting needles are much stronger than threaded knitting needles. We recommend using them. It is easy to distinguish between them, the spokes with knurled threads are thicker at the point of threading.

Nipples commonly used to connect a spoke to a rim. Nipple material - steel, brass or aluminum. Basically, nipples look like a small head that threads onto a spoke, but there are all sorts of variations, up to the most incredible - like the Mavic, with their external threads for screwing into a tubeless rim or Crank Brothers, where nipples attach the spokes to the hub, and not to the rim.

So which needles to choose?

If you have already bought a bike and plan to simply replace a broken spoke, then take the same one, since they are sold individually. If you are just planning to assemble a wheel, then here it is worth considering how the wheels will be spoked, what bushings you have and what kind of rim. We will talk about how to spoke the wheel yourself in the next article.

In the ISO system, the thickness of the spokes is measured in millimeters:

- USA / England 16g - 1.6 mm;
- USA / England 15g - 1.8 mm;
- USA / England 14g - 2.0 mm;
- USA / England 13g - 2.3 mm.

Bicycle spokes come with a circular section along the entire length and with a variable section (swaged (butted)).

Knitting needles with a variable section are produced in five types:

Knitting needles with a thickened part at the end with a head and with a thinner one along the rest of the length up to the thread itself. Rare, used when a stronger wheel with standard rim holes is needed.

double-butted

These needles are thinner in the middle than at the ends. Most common sizes:

- 2.0 / 1.8 / 2.0 (14 / 15g);
- 1.8 / 1.6 / 1.8 (15 / 16g).

Such spokes save weight, and thickened ends give them strength in places of high stress, like regular-section spokes. The thinned part of the spokes gives them elasticity and allows them to elastically stretch in a large range, when compared with cylindrical knitting needles. At the moment the wheel hits a ledge or stone and a sharp increase in load in one place, the most loaded spokes will elongate within such limits as to redistribute this load to neighboring spokes. This prevents the rim from being destroyed in the area around the spoke holes.

Triple-butted

DT Alpine III spokes are at their best when reliability and durability are required, such as in tandems or touring for shipping. They have the advantages of two types of knitting needles - single and double butted. The DT Alpine III has a head size of 2.34 (13g), 1.8 (15g) in the middle and 2.0 (14g) near the thread.

If the spokes have a knurled thread, then the outer diameter of the thread is larger than the diameter of the wire of the spoke, so the holes in the hub flanges must be of such a size that the threaded part also passes into the hole. In order for the wheel structure to be strong, it is important that the diameter of the spoke at the head and the diameter of the hole on the flange match. Single-butted and triple-butted spokes solve this problem. Since these spokes have a larger diameter near the head, there will be no play in the flange.

Aerodynamic or elliptical spokes are a variant of double-butted spokes where the thinner part has an elliptical section. This section makes the spoke more aerodynamic. The most famous spokes are Wheelsmith Aero with a diameter of 1.8 (15g) at the ends, and 2.0x1.6 elliptical in the middle and equivalent to 16g. I like these spokes best, not because they offer an aerodynamic advantage, but because when assembling or adjusting the wheel, they show deformations and torsion, which must be avoided.

Aerodynamic flat spokes have a more pronounced flat profile than elliptical spokes. But, such flat knitting needles cannot be threaded into the holes of a regular sleeve, as they are too wide. It is necessary to make narrow slots in the standard sleeve in the flange. This weakens the flange and voids the warranty.

In the early 90s, many people were addicted to flat Hoshi needles - they did not have a traditional head, but only a curved end. With this design, it was possible to insert the spoke into the flange with the head forward. Such flat spokes could be used with a standard hub. But unfortunately, these spokes often break, I would not recommend using them.

Sheldon Brown

Bicycle wheel spokes must be stainless steel. It is durable and does not corrode. Inexpensive wheels are assembled on chrome or galvanized spokes ...

Now rims are produced by extrusion - semi-molten metal is fed under pressure through a hole with a cross-sectional shape of the rim. The resulting profile is folded into a ring ...

Bicycle rim failures mainly occur due to large mechanical loads applied to it, untimely pulling of the spokes or improper tightening when spokes of the wheel…

In principle, you can use almost any combination of tire and rim that have the same fit. But in terms of practical use...

Bicycle spokes are a structural element of a wheel. Since the invention of the wheel, they have been invariably present in its design. Modern bicycle spokes are usually made from high-alloy or structural steel, aluminum alloy or titanium alloys. There are also parts made of carbon fiber, but they are quite fragile and therefore considered dangerous.

Modern inventors suggest the absence of a spoke element at all, but so far most of these wheel models remain, unfortunately, only concepts.

Purpose

The role of bicycle spokes in wheel design is that they connect the hub to the rim. They provide cushioning to the wheel, while at the same time giving it sufficient rigidity and strength. Due to the fact that bicycle spokes can spring, the load on the rim during bumps and bumps is distributed more evenly around its entire perimeter, which protects this part from breakage.

Bicycle spokes significantly reduce the overall weight of the wheel without reducing its strength properties.

Dimensions

The size of bicycle spokes depends on many parameters. Their length is affected by the size of the sleeve, and the diameter of the rim, and the type of the spoke set itself, as well as the type of spoke that will be used.

If broken parts are being replaced, you can measure the length of the already installed spokes and choose an option equal to them. In this case, determining the required size of bicycle spokes is an extremely simple task.

If you need to assemble the wheels of a bicycle from scratch, it is worth remembering that for this you will need three sets of bicycle spokes: for the front wheel, for the right and for the left side of the rear wheel. On the Internet you can find a large number of various calculators that allow you to accurately calculate the required size of bicycle spokes. In order for it to give the correct result, it is only necessary to mark several measurements in the program:

Which wheel (front / rear / front with a rotor / rear with a rotor);
Bushing width;
Flange diameter;
Rim inner diameter;
Rim wall thickness;
Number of spokes;
The number of crosshairs.

Adjustment

Stretching bicycle spokes is a very delicate and complex business that requires a lot of skill and experience, so it is best to leave this job to professionals. If, nevertheless, it was decided to pull it on your own, then it is necessary to approach this lesson thoroughly and with all the attention.

First of all, a special key will be needed to work. In addition to it, a wheel straightening machine is used, as well as a device for measuring the tension force, however, these devices are no longer mandatory.

In order to adjust bicycle spokes, you must first measure their tension, and then carefully tighten or loosen parts that do not fit into the big picture. It is important to remember that after adjusting one part, it is also necessary to change the tension on the neighboring ones, since the stress of one affects the others.

A very important detail in the adjustment: the tension must be uniform. This will prevent damage to the spokes and deformation of the rim.