Another wheel day (etc.).
Unlike the front wheel, I started by disassembling the original wheel.
A customer entrusted me with a rear wheel that had an Open Pro rim.
FH-9000 28H, fully laced in a 6-cross pattern,
but the non-drive side was particularly loose
(the image below shows wear marks at the final cross section)
The wheel is completely off-center.
Since the rim is shifted toward the non-drive side,
centering it will only increase the difference in spoke tension between left and right.
The spokes are Sapim Race #14 gauge,
but the front wheel had DT Competition spokes.
The front wheel had short spoke length—so short that none of them
reached the slot in the nipple—
but I didn't photograph that.
That's why I photographed the rear wheel before disassembly.
↑Drive side
↑Non-drive side
The rear wheel, conversely, had spokes that were too long.
Beyond the length issue, there's also suspicion of some cutting corners.
But first. The lockring of the sprocket is way too close
to flush with the hub's end face.
This isn't because the lockring was loose,
but rather because the top gear was installed in the wrong position
relative to the freewheel body's splines.
Normally this wouldn't happen, but since only the top gear has
a spline that doesn't go all the way through—it's a dead end—
and the dimensions are shallow, even if installed wrong, the lockring's threads
will still engage with the freewheel body.
In the image above, depending on the phase, it's obvious that the top gear
isn't properly seated.
I gently removed the lockring.
↑The sprocket's single narrow spline phase is not aligned
with the freewheel body's single narrow spline phase
↑The freewheel body's single narrow phase is not aligned
with the sprocket's single narrow spline phase
Also, you can see aluminum shavings from the lockring that lost to
the titanium threads of the freewheel body.
From the original wheel, I kept only the final-cross left-right pair—4 spokes total—
without loosening the nipples at all.
↑Drive side
↑Non-drive side
They used the same length spokes on both sides—a shortcut, I'm sure.
If absolutely necessary, I could do it that way, but
if I did, I'd use a length where the non-drive side reaches
flush with the nipple slot, and the drive side has just
the slightest thread protrusion beyond the nipple face—
that'd be barely tolerable. Though I don't do it that way myself.
It's built.
28H, black half CX sprint (CX half-cross), 4-cross lace pattern.
I'll wire the spoke ends later.
I wanted to use Competition spokes on the drive side,
but it wasn't possible.
It's not impossible if you really try, but
I actually did a temporary assembly with 14 black Competition spokes, wasting them.
The reason I used half CX sprint isn't because it's 28H.
Rather, I'm relieved it's not 24H.
Tying the spokes on the non-drive side is essential.
I'd do it anyway even if it were built half-competition.
By the way, the hub had accumulated so much dirt that
light cleaning alone wouldn't get it clean. The grime on the flange in the image above
is so stubborn it won't come off even with fingernail scraping.
The reason I gave up on Competition spokes is a "trade secret,"
but I'll explain it to this wheel's customer.
The hints are:
"Not new"
"With a Dura-Ace hub
(not all Shimano hubs, just Dura-Ace hub-specific conditions)"
"If using DT Competition"
—I'm not certain if it's only when all these conditions align, but it's
such a rare phenomenon that you need nearly every condition to match.
↑This is DT Competition.
There's a marking where T pierces a capital D.
↑This is Sapim Race.
No marking on the spoke head, and instead
the SAPIM marking is here.
Both are new.
↑Left is Competition, right is Race, but
the elbow section is longer on the Sapim.
The drive side of this rear wheel might have been buildable with Race spokes.
I even considered the possibility that the original wheel
was assembled with that in mind, but given that the front wheel used
Competition spokes in a 6-cross pattern (with radial spokes on one side,
this issue almost never occurs), and given the sloppy spoke length
and the fact that the builder couldn't even get the wheel center right,
there's zero chance they thought about this detail.
They probably just happened to use Sapim.
Unlike the front wheel, I started by disassembling the original wheel.
A customer entrusted me with a rear wheel that had an Open Pro rim.
FH-9000 28H, fully laced in a 6-cross pattern,
but the non-drive side was particularly loose
(the image below shows wear marks at the final cross section)
The wheel is completely off-center.
Since the rim is shifted toward the non-drive side,
centering it will only increase the difference in spoke tension between left and right.
The spokes are Sapim Race #14 gauge,
but the front wheel had DT Competition spokes.
The front wheel had short spoke length—so short that none of them
reached the slot in the nipple—
but I didn't photograph that.
That's why I photographed the rear wheel before disassembly.
↑Drive side
↑Non-drive side
The rear wheel, conversely, had spokes that were too long.
Beyond the length issue, there's also suspicion of some cutting corners.
But first. The lockring of the sprocket is way too close
to flush with the hub's end face.
This isn't because the lockring was loose,
but rather because the top gear was installed in the wrong position
relative to the freewheel body's splines.
Normally this wouldn't happen, but since only the top gear has
a spline that doesn't go all the way through—it's a dead end—
and the dimensions are shallow, even if installed wrong, the lockring's threads
will still engage with the freewheel body.
In the image above, depending on the phase, it's obvious that the top gear
isn't properly seated.
I gently removed the lockring.
↑The sprocket's single narrow spline phase is not aligned
with the freewheel body's single narrow spline phase
↑The freewheel body's single narrow phase is not aligned
with the sprocket's single narrow spline phase
Also, you can see aluminum shavings from the lockring that lost to
the titanium threads of the freewheel body.
From the original wheel, I kept only the final-cross left-right pair—4 spokes total—
without loosening the nipples at all.
↑Drive side
↑Non-drive side
They used the same length spokes on both sides—a shortcut, I'm sure.
If absolutely necessary, I could do it that way, but
if I did, I'd use a length where the non-drive side reaches
flush with the nipple slot, and the drive side has just
the slightest thread protrusion beyond the nipple face—
that'd be barely tolerable. Though I don't do it that way myself.
It's built.
28H, black half CX sprint (CX half-cross), 4-cross lace pattern.
I'll wire the spoke ends later.
I wanted to use Competition spokes on the drive side,
but it wasn't possible.
It's not impossible if you really try, but
I actually did a temporary assembly with 14 black Competition spokes, wasting them.
The reason I used half CX sprint isn't because it's 28H.
Rather, I'm relieved it's not 24H.
Tying the spokes on the non-drive side is essential.
I'd do it anyway even if it were built half-competition.
By the way, the hub had accumulated so much dirt that
light cleaning alone wouldn't get it clean. The grime on the flange in the image above
is so stubborn it won't come off even with fingernail scraping.
The reason I gave up on Competition spokes is a "trade secret,"
but I'll explain it to this wheel's customer.
The hints are:
"Not new"
"With a Dura-Ace hub
(not all Shimano hubs, just Dura-Ace hub-specific conditions)"
"If using DT Competition"
—I'm not certain if it's only when all these conditions align, but it's
such a rare phenomenon that you need nearly every condition to match.
↑This is DT Competition.
There's a marking where T pierces a capital D.
↑This is Sapim Race.
No marking on the spoke head, and instead
the SAPIM marking is here.
Both are new.
↑Left is Competition, right is Race, but
the elbow section is longer on the Sapim.
The drive side of this rear wheel might have been buildable with Race spokes.
I even considered the possibility that the original wheel
was assembled with that in mind, but given that the front wheel used
Competition spokes in a 6-cross pattern (with radial spokes on one side,
this issue almost never occurs), and given the sloppy spoke length
and the fact that the builder couldn't even get the wheel center right,
there's zero chance they thought about this detail.
They probably just happened to use Sapim.