Spoke lengths - do they need to be exact?

AidanR
AidanR Posts: 1,142
edited February 2008 in Workshop
Hi all,

I'm hoping to build up a pair of wheels using DT Revolution spokes, and their spoke calculator has given me spoke lengths of 291mm and 292mm for the left and right side of the front wheel. 291mm technically exist but are a PITA to find. Also, it's hard to get individual spokes and if I have to get a batch of the things I'd rather not get 2 batches of different sizes.

So, does this 1mm make any difference?

The wheels will be running discs, not rim brakes.
Bike lover and part-time cyclist.

Comments

  • synchronicity
    synchronicity Posts: 1,415
    No but I think it's better to go for shorter spokes.

    1 because you don't want the top of the spoke thread poking out from the nipple as it leads to punctures.

    2 because I read just the other day that shorter spokes are less likely to break for some reason (if the nipple doesn't thread all the way down onto the spoke)

    3 because they stretch slightly when they're tensioned.
    vertebr.ae | precision braking & shifting
  • Steve928
    Steve928 Posts: 314
    Round down to the nearest odd or even length available i.e. up to 1.99mm shorter than the exact length calculated is OK.

    As a rule avoid exceeding the exact calculated length, i.e. rounding up, as you are likely to run out of thread - and have to start all over..

    Spoke poking out of the nipple doesn't matter - it'll be well down in the rim box section and covered by rim tape, but you can only get about a mm. to poke out anyway before they bottom out.

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