wheelsets with less spokes than holes -- is it good idea?

hello,

is it safe to build a wheel with less spokes than the number of holes in
the hub and rim? what factors except safety should be concerned when
building a wheel like this? what are the allowed combinations using
16/20/24/28 spokes with 32/36 hubs/rims?

I would greatly appreciate your opinion, experience, any links to
articles, photos etc.

thanks,
geos

A shy language revisionist writes:

is it safe to build a wheel with less spokes than the number of
holes in the hub and rim? what factors except safety should be
concerned when building a wheel like this? what are the allowed
combinations using 16/20/24/28 spokes with 32/36 hubs/rims?

I would greatly appreciate your opinion, experience, any links to
articles, photos etc.

Consider using "wheels with fewer" spokes.

Just make sure that the pattern you pick has radial symmetry or you'll
have a hell of a time truing it. Of course you need a deep cross
section rim so that it won't mind bridging gaps where there are no
spokes.

Jobst Brandt

lid wrote:

hello,

is it safe to build a wheel with less spokes than the number of holes in
the hub and rim? what factors except safety should be concerned when
building a wheel like this? what are the allowed combinations using
16/20/24/28 spokes with 32/36 hubs/rims?

I would greatly appreciate your opinion, experience, any links to
articles, photos etc.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/mismatch/index.htm

--
Benjamin Lewis

geos wrote:

hello,

is it safe to build a wheel with less spokes than the number of holes in
the hub and rim? what factors except safety should be concerned when
building a wheel like this? what are the allowed combinations using
16/20/24/28 spokes with 32/36 hubs/rims?

I would greatly appreciate your opinion, experience, any links to
articles, photos etc.

Of course it's not a good idea, but one of the older guys in our club
claims to have time trialled for several seasons (including his PB) on a
pair of 16 spoke wheels built on a 32 spoke hub and rim. The builder
was the local wheelbuilding deity at the time, since retired.

thanks for your comments on this subject! greatly appreciated!

cheers,
geos

wrote:
Just make sure that the pattern you pick has radial symmetry or you'll
have a hell of a time truing it. Of course you need a deep cross
section rim so that it won't mind bridging gaps where there are no
spokes.

thank you. I am a novice in this area and have another question: could
you suggest some radial symetry patterns you are familiar with for
32/36hub, 32/36rim options and fewer spokes? do you think mavic open pro
rim would be good one or a bit too shallow to make such lacing?

mavic open pro:
http://www.lickbike.com/lickimages/2091.gif

thanks,
geos

geos wrote:
thank you. I am a novice in this area and have another question: could
you suggest some radial symetry patterns you are familiar with for
32/36hub, 32/36rim options and fewer spokes? do you think mavic open pro
rim would be good one or a bit too shallow to make such lacing?

The Open Pro is not robust enough to lace with fewer spokes than the
drilling. Use a deep section rim, like perhaps a CXP 33 or Velocity Deep V.

If you're planning to use all 32 or 36 spokes with the Open Pro, it
should work fine for normal road use unless you're a really big guy.

--
Dave
dvt at psu dot edu

dvt wrote:
The Open Pro is not robust enough to lace with fewer spokes than the
drilling. Use a deep section rim, like perhaps a CXP 33 or Velocity Deep V.

If you're planning to use all 32 or 36 spokes with the Open Pro, it
should work fine for normal road use unless you're a really big guy.


thanks for this, dvt.

cheers,
geos