Wrote:
On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 23:41:14 +1000, big Pete
wrote:


David L. Johnson Wrote:

You probably have them already, but if not I recommend butte
spokes.
They make a more reliable wheel.


I am a big guy (245 pounds last time I checked) will butted spoke
make
that big of a strength difference in the wheel? I did not buy th
rim
and spokes yet. I am thinking of a Sun double walled rim with eyelets
that I can get for a good price. And the spokes are 14 gaug
stainless
steal (non butted) as stated in the my first post. I will Also try to
make a dish stick. Looks like I am able to make it from th
suggestions
you guys have given me.

Thank you all

Pete

Dear Pete,

Both thick 14 gauge spokes and thin butted spokes with 14
gauge ends and a 15 gauge middle are more than strong enough
to bear the loads--they break at the ends, not in the
middle.

Double-butted spokes keep the ends thick to try to reduce
such breaks.

Their advantage is that, being thinner for most of their
length, they stretch more and therefore are less likely to
lose all tension (a bad thing) as they roll under the hub.

When the rim flattens ever so slightly against the pavement,
the spoke above it loses tension. A thick straight spoke
didn't stretch as far as a thin-center-section spoke, so the
thick spoke loses all tension and rattles, going out of true
and breaking more often and while the thin spoke can
contract that much and still have tension, which makes it
likely to last longer.

Think of them as rubber bands at the same tension, neither
of which is going to snap in the middle, but neither of
which we want to go slack. The thinner rubber band enjoys a
greater range of motion.

Carl Fogel

Dear Carl,

You are going to have to enlighten me a bit more. I think I agree wit
your analogy. OK so the thinner band has a better range of motion. Bu
that would imply that they will ware out faster because of the bigge
range of motion they are going though

--
big Pete