Easton wheel question for JB

[Veloce]

Bicycling magazine issue: January/February 2007, page 40 refers.

 

"Riding with Brad Hunter, Easton wheelman meets Western cape."

 

Here is an excerpt from the interview with Brad Hunter:

 

"....what makes our wheels good is something you can't see. It's a combination of many factors - materials, bearing technology, lacing patterns, high and equal spoke tension.... Like today, I was at a big bike store doing a demo and I plucked each spoke of an Easton Circuit wheel. They all made the same noise. Then I took another wheel - don't ask which because I won't tell you. All the spokes played a different note. That's bad wheel building."  

 

Didn't you say this was a load of horse crap Johan?

 

I remember a previous thread where you said it is impossible to acheive equal spoke tension throughout the entire radius of the wheel. This jogged my memory to this article which I only managed to find again this morning. I would like to know if this comment made by Brad is a load of horse crap or not.  

Veloce2008-11-16 04:05:45

[Johan Bornman]

It all depends what he means by equal spoke tension. Absolute equality is impossible to attain. Rims are never perfectly round (about 2mm out on average) and they have a heavy plug inside the welded joint.  However, most people cannot detect the difference in tone from the plucked spoke if it is reasonably equal and they consider it perfect.

 

I've plucked Easton wheels (I pluck every single one I get because of their claim) and they're not perfect, for all the right reasons.

 

They engineer and build good wheels, there's no question about it.

 

However, small variations in spoke tension doesn't affect longevity of the wheel. Large variations where one or two spokes are allowed to go slack in the load zone are does affect a wheel adversely.

 

On a back wheel the right hand spokes are in higher tension than the left - don't confuse the issue there.

 

The "other" wheel you plucked was rubbish. If an untrained ear could pick up that it sounds like a piano played by an infant, it is rubbish and shoddily built.

 

Oh, and finally, a spoke with a wheel magnet on always sounds dull and therefore loose. Don't get a fright when you pluck this one, take the magnet off first.

 

Finally, finally, on occasion I allow a wheel to go out with unequal tension. This is when someone damaged the rim just a little bit and you can pull it right. This always result in unequal tension (but none too slack) and it is understandable. Why buy a new rim for a small defect that has no material infuence on the wheel's durability?

 

 

[Johan Bornman]

Oh, and let me let you into the secret of plucking an Easton wheel to make all spokes sound the same. You identify the joint (it is always hidden under the sticker) and you accidentily skip plucking those two adjacent spokes. Then the rest all sound the same.

[mbaymike]

it still makes easton the best