Is my wheel spoked correctly

[NotSoBigBen]

Haha...maybe I should stick to S.I.R.Maxxis' quote and stick to "Lard Ass" instead. Apologies to those riders with extra ordinary big sit bones then...

 

No worries dude! Go out and enjoy that bike, may you have many safe, fun Km's on it.

[hvh]

i dont like the look of it at all

[Dumpykym]

I did a bit of googling - dangerous, I know - and have seen some pics of 2012 bikes with a radial front wheel, but the 2013 on Merida's site isn't shown with one. Post a pic of the bike if you get a chance.

Thanks Tumbleweed....I can't post a pic just yet, decided not to unwrap it just in case I want to return it. To add to my frustration they supplied me a Small (50) and I ordered a 52 which should be the S/M....... . In fairness to Takealot though I haven't been in touch with them to discuss, only picked up the bike yesterday afternoon.

[Helpmytrap]

This kind of racing is fine for the front wheel, and the non-drive side of the rear wheel.

To show what you mean on the rear wheel.

 

EDIT: although I see it is radially spoked on the drive side. Mavic Ksyrium SL wheel.

Edited June 12, 2013 by Helpmytrap

[Dumpykym]

 

 

Tjoona is cool?

 

Hahahaha! I think you meant to quote Bennie's post!

 

Tumbleweed ....pic posted, obviously not put together as I will probably return to them to swap for the right size

[Johan Bornman]

To show what you mean on the rear wheel.

 

EDIT: although I see it is radially spoked on the drive side.

Yes, it is radially spoked on the one side. However, making a comparison with that hub and the OP's hub is wrong. This hub was designed for radial spoking, the other one not. Also, the method of spoke attachment is completely different.

[Helpmytrap]

Yes, it is radially spoked on the one side. However, making a comparison with that hub and the OP's hub is wrong. This hub was designed for radial spoking, the other one not. Also, the method of spoke attachment is completely different.

Sorry, wasn't comparing. Just showing that one side of the rear wheel is radially spoked.

[Tumbleweed]

Tumbleweed ....pic posted, obviously not put together as I will probably return to them to swap for the right size

 

 

Here's the bike on Merida's site:

 

http://www.merida-bi...s/Race Lite 903

 

Frame looks the same, but the crank looks different:

Edited June 12, 2013 by Tumbleweed

[Dumpykym]

Here's the bike on Merida's site:

 

http://www.merida-bi...s/Race Lite 903

 

Frame looks the same, but the crank looks different:

Yip frame identical, crank is different...I prefer the one thats on it now.

[Dumpykym]

_{General to all:}

 

_{Thanks for the input guys, really appreciated. Went up to Cycle Lab, bike size is a "50" and not the 52 I ordered.Also apparently the Tiagra Hub is ok to do radial spoking on ( I don't know enough about this subject to argue it,maybe for a later thread). So, Ill return the bike and hope that it gets sorted asap. Will post a note when resolved. At least I have my old trusted steed that I can ride in the meantime! Cheers for now.}

[Tumbleweed]

_{General to all:}

 

_{Thanks for the input guys, really appreciated. Went up to Cycle Lab, bike size is a "50" and not the 52 I ordered.Also apparently the Tiagra Hub is ok to do radial spoking on ( I don't know enough about this subject to argue it,maybe for a later thread). So, Ill return the bike and hope that it gets sorted asap. Will post a note when resolved. At least I have my old trusted steed that I can ride in the meantime! Cheers for now.}

 

Awesome news. Hope you get sorted quickly. And post pics of the new bike when you get it.

 

Don't worry about the hubs. As I said previously, Shimano, about a decade ago, refused to warranty radially laced wheels using some of their hubs. Campy and others did the same. This has since changed.

[Johan Bornman]

 

Radial lacing is an less-than ideal way of designing a spoked wheel.

 

It makes for a lighter wheel since the spokes are considerably shorter but its shortcomings quickly negate those. Firstly, a tangentially-spoked wheel has more spokes involved in each de-tensioning event as the bottom spokes loose tension. This is because the spoke crossing the one that's right at the bottom of the wheel, is in another zone and helps take up the slack caused by the load. This ensures that the wheel remains true for longer. A radial-laced wheel requires very high tension to remain true and this leads to other problems - specifically at the hub.

 

Although many wheels are laced radially, the hub ideally has to be designed for that type of spoking. Two things need to be considered: 1) The flange has to be larger and thicker, so that the spoke hole circle can be more inward, leaving more "meat" at the edges to prevent the flange from breaking. This thicker flange also negates any widening of the bearing seat. Most hubs have press-fit bearings that require a certain tolerance. By radially spoking the wheel you're messing with this tolerance. On cartridge bearings this could mean that a failed bearing would seize and turn in the hub, thereby destroying the hub. On cup-and-cone bearings, the cup's effective diameter is increased and the balls now run on a larger circle. Although the cup can cope with that, the cone can't. Usually the balls now edge up to the edge of the cone's polished surface and even into the non-race area of the cone.

 

Chris King hubs come with very specific warnings about this. CK bearings are so small that any change in bearing diameter as a result of a normal (not even radial build), requires the bearings to be re-adjusted.

 

Most cheaper and boutique hubs (not so cheap, most of them), have CNC'd shells. These are not as strong as forged shells and have to be really thick and bulky to cope with radial lacing.

 

 

This particular hub, a DT Swiss hub, was made for radial lacing, yet many of them failed in the field. From the photo you may notice the reduced spoke pitch diameter leaving a lot of metal on the outside perimeter and;, the thickness of the metal compared to other hubs.

 

The cause of this crack was a faulty spoke. However, this doesn't put the blame elsewhere. A good 10% of all spokes have a little ridge behind the head that could introduce a stress riser. On the wrong place on a compromised hub, that is a problem.

 

To the OP. As discussed telephonically, don't worry about the wheel. I doubt it has any sufficient tension to cause a problem and should a problem present, it will happen before the warrantee expires. However, Merida will have to honour that warrantee, since Shimano won't, as is clear from the official Shimano position on radial lacing above,

 

To professional wheelbuilders. Radial lacing is to be avoided. It creates too many come-backs and wheels going out of true. One or two anecdotal examples to the contrary doesn't disprove that it happens. Obviously radial lacing is totally unsuitable for wheels with hub brakes and rear wheels where the hub shell isn't sufficiently large and heavy (like the Mavic one someone else posted) to transmit torque to both sets of spokes.

[Red Zone]

I would think a radially spoked wheel would be stronger as force on the wheel from the hub down to the ground is parallel to the spoke itself.

[Johan Bornman]

I would think a radially spoked wheel would be stronger as force on the wheel from the hub down to the ground is parallel to the spoke itself.

 

If something is strong enough, it is strong enough. A radial spoke wheel, like any other wheel, is strong enough to carry its intended load. However, durability, not strength is the issue. Durability = strength x distance.

[Tumbleweed]

 

HB-4500 is a Tiagra hub.

 

If it is listed as suitable for radial lacing, it voids the second part of point 2, not the warranty.

 

And, the bit about the warranty is neither here nor there. Agents like the importer of Merida will honour component manufacturers' warranties that their bikes are specced with. It's not up to the component manufacturer to do so. You have no recourse, under the CPA, to go after the component company in that kind of instance. In this case, a warranty would have to be honoured as it hasn't been voided by any party.

Edited June 14, 2013 by Tumbleweed

[Dumpykym]

Feedback as promised....Yessssss bike sorted. Cycle Lab really pulled out the stops. Got my bike yesterday, right size and all round just awesome service. as far as the radial lacing goes.....Merida actually supply the wheels laced radially. ( not sure if on all models, perhaps on the Race Lite models) Craig from Cycle Lab walked me through their Merida's on the floor and they are indeed laced radially and that's howmtheynare supplied. Thanks guys for the input.....nice learning curve! Tumbleweed...... Pic as promised.