This is a supplementary post to the previous article.
I'll write about why the SLR1 from the previous article
「couldn't be tensioned excessively」
and 「why the additional tightening for radial truing
isn't well reflected in the rim's inward movement」
But first.
↑This is a budget-line complete wheel from GIANT
The PR2 model.
This also adopts GIANT's proprietary Dynamic Balanced Lacing,
or DBL.
Regarding DBL, the manufacturer's website states verbatim:
「DBL optimizes spoke tension during pedaling,
improving durability and pedaling efficiency.」
Essentially, the concept is that when the wheel deforms from pedaling input,
only the porcupine-direction spokes transmit drive force to the rim,
so on one side of the hub flange, especially on the freewheel side,
high-low flanges or different-diameter lacing is introduced.
DBL comes in two types: DBL based on hub structure
and DBL based on spoke gauge.
This PR2 adopts only hub-based DBL.
Setting aside the reverse-Italian lacing
Two flange holes for J-bend spokes are lined up radially,
and the porcupine-direction spokes pass through
the holes on the large flange side.
According to GIANT's thinking, this improves engagement compared to
a regular hub under the same conditions,
for instance one using only the large flange holes.
By the way, this is a rim brake model
with 2:1 lacing, but the non-freewheel side
uses tangential lacing rather than radial lacing.
The bisector of the crossing angle of the final lacing crosses,
when extended inward toward the wheel,
does not pass through the hub center.
This wheel doesn't vary spoke gauge on one flange,
but when you mix large and small flanges on one flange side like this,
the deformation amount of the spokes differs
depending on each flange diameter,
rather than spoke tension alone.
When this becomes extremely pronounced, loosening can occur
in spokes with larger deformation.
However, as long as both spokes on one flange are the same gauge,
even if one flange is high-low, it's imperceptible
and problems rarely develop.
At the very beginning of wheel building, at extremely low tension,
the deformation difference between large and small flange spokes is pronounced,
but once you tension it sufficiently,
it becomes hard to detect.
Examples of high-low on one flange
with radial lacing are
essentially a one-off personal wheel, but the Nomu Lab Wheel No.1 3-3-7 qualifies.
3-3-7 comes from the prime factorization of 63—
doubling a 32H rim's inner-side holes would make 64H,
but rim holes can't be positioned to match valve hole phase at 32H,
so it's 64 minus 1 equals 63H.
Measuring strictly, the small flange side spokes have lower tension,
but the difference isn't so extreme that only the small flange side loosens.
↑This is a Shimano WH-7701 front wheel,
「Looking at the flange closer to me, the porcupine-direction spokes
emerge from the large flange side—
one-sided high-low with four-fold final lacing repetition」
The positional relationship in the parentheses above
remains unchanged even when the wheel is flipped, unlike JIS lacing.
With one-sided high-low flanges where the two final crossing spokes
come from large and small flanges respectively,
all manufacturers have the porcupine-direction spoke
emerging from the large flange side in common.
Quoting from past posts:
This is a Deda complete wheel rear,
with the two final crossing spokes
coming from large and small flanges respectively,
and the porcupine-direction spoke
emerging from the large flange side.
This is 2:1 lacing at 24H, so the freewheel side is 16H
with 8 flanges,
but even at 2:1 lacing 21H with an odd
number of 7 flanges, this spoke pattern would still work.
This is a Zipp complete wheel rear, where
the two spokes of the final crossing flange
alternate between large-large and small-small.
This is 24H even-sided lacing with 12H per side,
6 flanges, but this spoke pattern
requires an even number of flanges.
This rear alternates between low and high spoke tension
on final crossing, but it doesn't feel rattly
and works normally.
To summarize what I'm getting at:
one-sided high-low flanges on the hub theoretically
or under strict measurement create spoke tension differences,
but they're imperceptible—hardly a major issue.
Therefore, hub DBL is merely cosmetic with no real harm.
I used the term 「real harm」
because spoke DBL actually has real harm.
↑The SLR1 from the previous article.
「D—some Bidiot's Claced」 concept,
DBL, is on the rim.
As mentioned, GIANT claims improved pedaling efficiency
and sprint responsiveness in the original text,
but at least this owner considers it tame,
without overgeneralizing with 「everyone.」
Well, comparing it to something real like Bora is unfair.
On the hub side, there's an extremely mild
high-low flange one-sided as DBL.
Probably without conscious awareness of DBL,
compared to Deda and Zipp with one-sided high-low,
this degree of high-low is essentially
indistinguishable from a regular hub.
At the base of the final lacing crossing, it looks like this.
And the problem with this one is
incorporating different-diameter lacing on one flange—spoke DBL.
In the image above, you can clearly see
the diameter difference in the final crossing spokes.
I've built rear wheels myself with Champion/Revolution
with extreme one-sided different-diameter lacing,
but with Italian lacing and reversed spokes—both sides anti-porcupine
Revolution versus Champion—deformation was much larger in Revolution,
couldn't fine-tune radial truing, and Revolution loosened over time,
making it unusable.
Though I wrote DBL as someone's fool idea earlier,
it's fine to think it up, fine to prototype,
but the judgment that it's saleable is questionable.
Different-diameter one-sided lacing was something
I thought of before GIANT,
but I'm not claiming originality—anyone thinks of this.
If this spoke pattern truly had no issues
with only merits, world wheels would all use it by now.
The problem with this wheel is not just
different-diameter lacing on one flange,
but the specific gauge choice.
This SLR1's lacing method is
2:1 lacing with non-freewheel radial,
freewheel porcupine spokes and
non-freewheel spokes in black Campagnolo straight
2.0-1.8-2.0mm,
freewheel anti-porcupine spokes in
black Revolution straight
2.0-1.5-2.0mm, both sides
butted spokes.
I thought the freewheel Revolution might be
2.0-1.6-2.0mm Compé lace, but
measuring with calipers, the butted section was 1.5mm.
On GIANT's Japanese site, you can reach
past product summary pages, but clicking thumbnails
of individual models like wheels gives 404—
detailed specs of past models are hard to find.
I won't speculate on intent.
In DBL wheels with round spokes,
freewheel is the same as this SLR1,
non-freewheel is black Champion 14-gauge plain,
and I think there was a model where all three direction spokes
on the rear have different gauges, but I couldn't confirm.
The problem is that roughly 65% round spokes
are mixed in at this spoke mass ratio.
What I prioritize most in CX-RAY isn't aero
but that work-hardening seems effective—
at 65% spoke ratio, it won't yield at around 100 kgf,
no waviness occurs.
I've written this many times before.
In the previous article, when I said「couldn't tension excessively」
and「hard to fine-tune radial truing」,
it's because Revolution with 65% spoke ratio butted
is mixed in, and especially the two Revolutions
near the radial truing area
already showed waviness.
Nipple rotation truly didn't reflect
in rim movement.
If absolutely doing spoke DBL with round spokes,
thicker on freewheel and non-freewheel in Champion,
non-freewheel in Compé would tension better.
Fortunately (?) the rim shifted right,
so Compé on non-freewheel side, which won't
cause waviness first, was lucky.
If absolutely wanting to fix this
accepting cost and lead time,
both freewheel sides CX-RAY, abandon spoke DBL,
non-freewheel left-right opposite different-diameter lacing in CX Sprint
would give a firmer rear wheel than now.
You could even lace and true the final crossing on freewheel.
The crossing angle is obtuse Ж-lacing, so
at comparable hub dimensions doing Ξ-lacing,
Lovari's rim brake wheels have more room
for final stretch adjustments.
I didn't go that far this time though.
In summary: hub DBL—one-sided high-low flanges—are
minor elements not affecting overall wheel character,
spoke DBL—one-sided different-diameter lacing—is
a major negative where merits don't outweigh demerits.
I'll write about why the SLR1 from the previous article
「couldn't be tensioned excessively」
and 「why the additional tightening for radial truing
isn't well reflected in the rim's inward movement」
But first.
↑This is a budget-line complete wheel from GIANT
The PR2 model.
This also adopts GIANT's proprietary Dynamic Balanced Lacing,
or DBL.
Regarding DBL, the manufacturer's website states verbatim:
「DBL optimizes spoke tension during pedaling,
improving durability and pedaling efficiency.」
Essentially, the concept is that when the wheel deforms from pedaling input,
only the porcupine-direction spokes transmit drive force to the rim,
so on one side of the hub flange, especially on the freewheel side,
high-low flanges or different-diameter lacing is introduced.
DBL comes in two types: DBL based on hub structure
and DBL based on spoke gauge.
This PR2 adopts only hub-based DBL.
Two flange holes for J-bend spokes are lined up radially,
and the porcupine-direction spokes pass through
the holes on the large flange side.
According to GIANT's thinking, this improves engagement compared to
a regular hub under the same conditions,
for instance one using only the large flange holes.
By the way, this is a rim brake model
with 2:1 lacing, but the non-freewheel side
uses tangential lacing rather than radial lacing.
The bisector of the crossing angle of the final lacing crosses,
when extended inward toward the wheel,
does not pass through the hub center.
This wheel doesn't vary spoke gauge on one flange,
but when you mix large and small flanges on one flange side like this,
the deformation amount of the spokes differs
depending on each flange diameter,
rather than spoke tension alone.
When this becomes extremely pronounced, loosening can occur
in spokes with larger deformation.
However, as long as both spokes on one flange are the same gauge,
even if one flange is high-low, it's imperceptible
and problems rarely develop.
At the very beginning of wheel building, at extremely low tension,
the deformation difference between large and small flange spokes is pronounced,
but once you tension it sufficiently,
it becomes hard to detect.
Examples of high-low on one flange
with radial lacing are
essentially a one-off personal wheel, but the Nomu Lab Wheel No.1 3-3-7 qualifies.
3-3-7 comes from the prime factorization of 63—
doubling a 32H rim's inner-side holes would make 64H,
but rim holes can't be positioned to match valve hole phase at 32H,
so it's 64 minus 1 equals 63H.
Measuring strictly, the small flange side spokes have lower tension,
but the difference isn't so extreme that only the small flange side loosens.
↑This is a Shimano WH-7701 front wheel,
「Looking at the flange closer to me, the porcupine-direction spokes
emerge from the large flange side—
one-sided high-low with four-fold final lacing repetition」
The positional relationship in the parentheses above
remains unchanged even when the wheel is flipped, unlike JIS lacing.
With one-sided high-low flanges where the two final crossing spokes
come from large and small flanges respectively,
all manufacturers have the porcupine-direction spoke
emerging from the large flange side in common.
Quoting from past posts:
This is a Deda complete wheel rear,
with the two final crossing spokes
coming from large and small flanges respectively,
and the porcupine-direction spoke
emerging from the large flange side.
This is 2:1 lacing at 24H, so the freewheel side is 16H
with 8 flanges,
but even at 2:1 lacing 21H with an odd
number of 7 flanges, this spoke pattern would still work.
This is a Zipp complete wheel rear, where
the two spokes of the final crossing flange
alternate between large-large and small-small.
This is 24H even-sided lacing with 12H per side,
6 flanges, but this spoke pattern
requires an even number of flanges.
This rear alternates between low and high spoke tension
on final crossing, but it doesn't feel rattly
and works normally.
To summarize what I'm getting at:
one-sided high-low flanges on the hub theoretically
or under strict measurement create spoke tension differences,
but they're imperceptible—hardly a major issue.
Therefore, hub DBL is merely cosmetic with no real harm.
I used the term 「real harm」
because spoke DBL actually has real harm.
↑The SLR1 from the previous article.
「D—some Bidiot's Claced」 concept,
DBL, is on the rim.
As mentioned, GIANT claims improved pedaling efficiency
and sprint responsiveness in the original text,
but at least this owner considers it tame,
without overgeneralizing with 「everyone.」
Well, comparing it to something real like Bora is unfair.
On the hub side, there's an extremely mild
high-low flange one-sided as DBL.
Probably without conscious awareness of DBL,
compared to Deda and Zipp with one-sided high-low,
this degree of high-low is essentially
indistinguishable from a regular hub.
At the base of the final lacing crossing, it looks like this.
And the problem with this one is
incorporating different-diameter lacing on one flange—spoke DBL.
In the image above, you can clearly see
the diameter difference in the final crossing spokes.
I've built rear wheels myself with Champion/Revolution
with extreme one-sided different-diameter lacing,
but with Italian lacing and reversed spokes—both sides anti-porcupine
Revolution versus Champion—deformation was much larger in Revolution,
couldn't fine-tune radial truing, and Revolution loosened over time,
making it unusable.
Though I wrote DBL as someone's fool idea earlier,
it's fine to think it up, fine to prototype,
but the judgment that it's saleable is questionable.
Different-diameter one-sided lacing was something
I thought of before GIANT,
but I'm not claiming originality—anyone thinks of this.
If this spoke pattern truly had no issues
with only merits, world wheels would all use it by now.
The problem with this wheel is not just
different-diameter lacing on one flange,
but the specific gauge choice.
This SLR1's lacing method is
2:1 lacing with non-freewheel radial,
freewheel porcupine spokes and
non-freewheel spokes in black Campagnolo straight
2.0-1.8-2.0mm,
freewheel anti-porcupine spokes in
black Revolution straight
2.0-1.5-2.0mm, both sides
butted spokes.
I thought the freewheel Revolution might be
2.0-1.6-2.0mm Compé lace, but
measuring with calipers, the butted section was 1.5mm.
On GIANT's Japanese site, you can reach
past product summary pages, but clicking thumbnails
of individual models like wheels gives 404—
detailed specs of past models are hard to find.
I won't speculate on intent.
In DBL wheels with round spokes,
freewheel is the same as this SLR1,
non-freewheel is black Champion 14-gauge plain,
and I think there was a model where all three direction spokes
on the rear have different gauges, but I couldn't confirm.
The problem is that roughly 65% round spokes
are mixed in at this spoke mass ratio.
What I prioritize most in CX-RAY isn't aero
but that work-hardening seems effective—
at 65% spoke ratio, it won't yield at around 100 kgf,
no waviness occurs.
I've written this many times before.
In the previous article, when I said「couldn't tension excessively」
and「hard to fine-tune radial truing」,
it's because Revolution with 65% spoke ratio butted
is mixed in, and especially the two Revolutions
near the radial truing area
already showed waviness.
Nipple rotation truly didn't reflect
in rim movement.
If absolutely doing spoke DBL with round spokes,
thicker on freewheel and non-freewheel in Champion,
non-freewheel in Compé would tension better.
Fortunately (?) the rim shifted right,
so Compé on non-freewheel side, which won't
cause waviness first, was lucky.
If absolutely wanting to fix this
accepting cost and lead time,
both freewheel sides CX-RAY, abandon spoke DBL,
non-freewheel left-right opposite different-diameter lacing in CX Sprint
would give a firmer rear wheel than now.
You could even lace and true the final crossing on freewheel.
The crossing angle is obtuse Ж-lacing, so
at comparable hub dimensions doing Ξ-lacing,
Lovari's rim brake wheels have more room
for final stretch adjustments.
I didn't go that far this time though.
In summary: hub DBL—one-sided high-low flanges—are
minor elements not affecting overall wheel character,
spoke DBL—one-sided different-diameter lacing—is
a major negative where merits don't outweigh demerits.