Wheel rant - oh, FFS

Lumen

So my eagerly-awaited handbuilt Mavic Open Pro/Dura Ace wheel came through from Parker International in the UK, ordered to match my existing rear one.

The product description was:

"Hand Built Hand Built Mavic Open Pro Front WheelMavic Open Pro Black/28hl/Shimano Dura Ace 7900 FRONT/DT DB"

and....

The spokes are fecking SILVER. The ones on my rear wheel are BLACK.

Why in gods name would you build up a black rim with silver spokes?

AAAAAAARGH!



@ me

niceonetom

Silver spokes are lighter than black ones.

Does that help?

Lumen

Thanks Tom, I appreciate the thought.

witty username

Lumen wrote: »

So my eagerly-awaited handbuilt Mavic Open Pro/Dura Ace wheel came through from Parker International in the UK, ordered to match my existing rear one.

The product description was:

"Hand Built Hand Built Mavic Open Pro Front WheelMavic Open Pro Black/28hl/Shimano Dura Ace 7900 FRONT/DT DB"

and....

The spokes are fecking SILVER. The ones on my rear wheel are BLACK.

Why in gods name would you build up a black rim with silver spokes?

AAAAAAARGH!



@ me

Hey, quit ragging on my (manky) front wheel! I couldn't get a 28h open pro so i used a cxp33 instead. built the mofo myself.

niceonetom

witty username wrote: »

Hey, quit ragging on my (manky) front wheel! I couldn't get a 28h open pro so i used a cxp33 instead. built the mofo myself.

If you can build 'em you can wash 'em. Just saying .

Chips Lovell

Paint your spokes black. Or sand the back spokes down.

Lumen

el tonto wrote: »

Paint your spokes black. Or sand the back spokes down.

I can't believe you're suggesting that having matching wheels = anal retentive.

Sanding down might be a plan. Painting spokes is too hipsterish (and objectionable on WW grounds).

edit: hmmmm.

Esroh

Lumen wrote: »

edit: hmmmm.

This may work. The engraving supplier on the Keys, Dix's would have this as its used to blacken the letters after plates have been engraved.

DirkVoodoo

Mr. Lumen buys a bike. I was going to photoshop this, but I couldn't be arsed, sorry.

abcdggs

i know what you mean, i just got a set of campy vento's and theres is one silver spoke on front and back and all the rest are black. not sure if there's a reason behind this but it is a bit annoying...

Quigs Snr

Most of the Campy and Fulcrum wheels have a single silver spoke. Was told why but cannot for the life of me remember...

niceonetom

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Most of the Campy and Fulcrum wheels have a single silver spoke. Was told why but cannot for the life of me remember...

Magnet?

abcdggs

oh, i hadn't realised there was a reason for it, would be very interested to find out what that is

Chips Lovell

Lumen wrote: »

I can't believe you're suggesting that having matching wheels = anal retentive.

Takes one to know one.

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Most of the Campy and Fulcrum wheels have a single silver spoke. Was told why but cannot for the life of me remember...

None of mine do. Have Zondas and Khamsins here and used to have Fulcrum 7s

Quigs Snr

Just fished out my Fulcrum 5 training wheels (2007 model) and they have a silver spoke each. So I think its fairly common on the Campag built wheels (at least the non G3 spoked ones), but not on all of them.

I think it was dynamic stability or balancing or something like that vaguely rings a bell because the spokes are opposite the valve holes on the other side of the wheel and are a little thicker. I reckon they are to add weight to counter the weight of the valve to balance the wheel (stick your bike in a stand mounted by the seatpost and spin the back wheel, note the way it kind of bumps up and down a slight bit as it spins... apparenly thats due to the valve causing the wheel to be a tiny bit off balance). Gimmick no doubt (who knows what weight valve you have!) but a nice idea if so.

Lumen

To bookend this one, Parker agreed to take the wheel back if I paid postage, which seems very reasonable. They only do silver spokes on hand-built wheels, black spokes not even an option.

Can't be arsed sending it back as I still need a wheel.

Cycleogical quoted €45 to rebuild the wheel with black DT Competition spokes, so I'll probably just ride it for a while and get whichever wheel fails first rebuilt to match.

Will update from A&E if I manage to get hold of the concentrated acid to blacken the spokes.

blorg

In fairness silver spokes on a black rim is not as rare as you might think, I have that combo on at least one of my wheelsets (as well as black spokes on a grey rim for that matter.) They should probably have been a bit more obvious about it in the description though.