Sapim CX-Ray Spokes

Velonutter
Velonutter Posts: 2,437
edited October 2013 in Road buying advice
HI All,

I need some straight Sapim CX-Ray Spokes for a set of wheels I am building, Chicken Cycles the Disty for them doesn't stock them but Sapim list them on their web site, but it seems I am having problems ordering them, can anyone put me onto somewhere I can get them?

http://www.sapim.be/spokes/aero/cx-ray

Thanks for any advice.

Comments

  • colinsmith123
    colinsmith123 Posts: 579
    What length? What quantity? What colour? Nipples?
    Live to ski
    Ski to live
  • Velonutter
    Velonutter Posts: 2,437
    colinsmith123 wrote:
    What length? What quantity? What colour? Nipples?

    Hi Colin,

    I'm looking for the following: -

    20 x Front radial 286mm
    20 x Rear drive x2 284mm
    20 x Non drive radial 280mm

    I'm really after CX-Ray bladed in Silver. Polyax Nipples, in Aluminium, but would be happy with Brass if not available.

    I'm using the following: -

    The rims are H Plus Sons Archetype, got some very good reviews, here's the link http://hplusson.com/products/archetype I bought them from Brick Lane Bikes (Cheers Ugo :mrgreen: )

    And here's a link to the Hubs, I bought these at the beginning of the year: - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271186703495

    They look really nice hubs and have standard bearings so easy to replace and aren't too bad on weight either, only problem is that they are straight pull!

    If you can help Colin, then thanks.
  • turnerjohn
    turnerjohn Posts: 1,069
    the only straight pull cx-rays I could find were from a German bike shop Hi-Bike (I thnk !) who sold them single.
    I needed all new spokes for my zipp rear wheel and uk their only avaliable in packs of 6 and would have cost £80ish in this country. German shop inclding postage was about £50 !....and thats without the nipples !
    their superb spokes but I do wonder if their really worth that much !
    I'd go for a standard spoke and save yourself a fortune !
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    straight pull and bladed are made for each other... if you use round spokes they might just turn in the flange and give you no tension... or might seize to the point that you have to cut them
    left the forum March 2023
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    It is a pain that Chickens do not import them but to be fair to Chickens they have enough trouble getting stock of the spokes they keep without adding more. The demand for Sapim spokes is greater than Sapim's production capacity which is why some go out of stock for a while.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • Velonutter
    Velonutter Posts: 2,437
    Thanks Lads, not sure what I can do, Ugo suggested Starbikes in Germany, but they only do the black and are out of stock of one of the sizes.

    My local LBS suggested to switch over to DT Straight spokes, but I'm unsure of them and you have to order 60 at a time :roll: :shock:

    I'm totally bamboozled, so if anyone has other ideas then please let me know.

    Thanks
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    Well, you have just found out why we keep saying "stay away from factory wheels"... as they don't provide spare spokes in adequate numbers and the aftermarket has practically zero availability of straight pull
    left the forum March 2023
  • fluided
    fluided Posts: 114
    Have you tried speaking to this lot stradawheels.co.uk they maybe able to help
  • Cllr Hodgen
    Cllr Hodgen Posts: 495
    Morning, I've seen planet x selling some of these but not sure what dimensions they're stocking... Certainly looked cheap. Perhaps check them out?
  • Velonutter
    Velonutter Posts: 2,437
    @ Ugo, But the thing is that I have spare spokes for most of my Campag factory wheels and have never broken a spoke of had to true any of them. :mrgreen:

    Thanks Lads, I'll have a look at Strada & Planet X, otherwise I can see some new hubs getting bought :shock:
  • Cllr Hodgen
    Cllr Hodgen Posts: 495
    A gazillion options it would seem:

    http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WSS ... _ray_spoke
  • Cllr Hodgen
    Cllr Hodgen Posts: 495
    But none at that size you need... Sorry! :-(
  • turnerjohn
    turnerjohn Posts: 1,069
    these the ones you need and the ones I bought......def not a cheap option tho !

    http://www.hibike.com/shop/product/p8ad26bf8de6a6c928ef92ac8a65e5fd7/s/Sapim-CX-Ray-bladed-spokes-straight-2-0-2-3-0-9mm.html
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    Cllr Hodgen wrote:
    A gazillion options it would seem:

    http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WSS ... _ray_spoke

    YOu have to look at the difference between a J bend spoke and a straight pull one, we are talking of the latter
    left the forum March 2023
  • Cllr Hodgen
    Cllr Hodgen Posts: 495
    To be honest, I didn't look other than I saw planet x, but see now the difference.
  • Velonutter
    Velonutter Posts: 2,437
    turnerjohn wrote:
    these the ones you need and the ones I bought......def not a cheap option tho !

    http://www.hibike.com/shop/product/p8ad26bf8de6a6c928ef92ac8a65e5fd7/s/Sapim-CX-Ray-bladed-spokes-straight-2-0-2-3-0-9mm.html

    Thanks, at least I know that I can get them now, can't believe that I would have to pay over £70 more for a set than I would if they were j-bend :shock:

    I fired off an email to Sapim on Friday, so will see what they say next week before ordering them.

    I appreciate everyone help.
  • Velonutter
    Velonutter Posts: 2,437
    I managed to find some in the UK from Graham Hall Cycles, their advertised price was high, but when I called they did me a much better price and they have them in stock: -

    http://www.247cycleshop.com/shop/articl ... 900.001%26

    I've order some from them now, they seem nice and helpful and do reply to your emails.

    Chicken Cycles the official disty for Sapim in the UK, replied saying "At the moment we don’t bring in the straight pull spokes from Sapim, it’s something we are looking into. But currently I’m afraid we cannot help"

    At least I know where I will be able to get them from in future.

    Thanks for everyone's help.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Chicken Cycles are reknown in the trade for having lousy stock-holding - I wouldn't recommend them for anything, I buy from Europe where prices are more reasonable and delivery in a few days, not whenever...
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • Velonutter
    Velonutter Posts: 2,437
    Monty Dog wrote:
    Chicken Cycles are reknown in the trade for having lousy stock-holding - I wouldn't recommend them for anything, I buy from Europe where prices are more reasonable and delivery in a few days, not whenever...

    I would have done Monty, but the availability was scarce and the prices high, so I kept looking, saved mesen about £50 8)
  • mfin
    mfin Posts: 6,729
    Bloody hell, rocking horse sh1t it seems for something I would have thought myself would have been easy to get hold of. I take it things like the J-Bend ones that would be used on CK R45 hubs would be freely available though?
  • Velonutter
    Velonutter Posts: 2,437
    mfin wrote:
    Bloody hell, rocking horse sh1t it seems for something I would have thought myself would have been easy to get hold of. I take it things like the J-Bend ones that would be used on CK R45 hubs would be freely available though?

    Yep J-Bends are freely available, it's just that the Straight pull are as rare as rocking horse muck :roll:
  • Velonutter
    Velonutter Posts: 2,437
    Oy you lot, no one warned me what an absolute bitch it was to keep the spokes in place when building the wheels, I needed 6 pairs of hand!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: :cry:
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    I am confused as to why you would go to the trouble of hand building wheels yet saddle yourself with all the problems of factory wheelsets.

    Jbend spoke and brass nipples all the way - come on you know this :-)
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    It depends on the hubs design, some are a right pain to build until the spokes are in tension
    left the forum March 2023
  • Velonutter
    Velonutter Posts: 2,437
    Smidsy, I enjoy riding wheels that I have built, I like the challenge of getting them perfectly round and true 8) The Hubs I'm using only use straight pull spokes, there is no option for j-bends.

    @ Ugo, yep I discovered that, it was easier to build the radial side first, then slot the cross drive side in afterwards, haven't built the front yet :shock:
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    Velonutter wrote:
    The Hubs I'm using only use straight pull spokes, there is no option for j-bends.

    I got that bit, just not why you would choose to use them, given all the drawbacks.
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • Velonutter
    Velonutter Posts: 2,437
    smidsy wrote:
    Velonutter wrote:
    The Hubs I'm using only use straight pull spokes, there is no option for j-bends.

    I got that bit, just not why you would choose to use them, given all the drawbacks.

    I bought the hubs a while ago and didn't notice in my naivety that they were straight pull, I bought two sets, one in black and the other in wine red, they look really cool, standard bearings so easy to replace, just didn't realise the associated problems with straight pull spokes, but having built the rear up, I just need to true and then build the front one and they will be perfect for my Winter Colnago 8)
  • racingcondor
    racingcondor Posts: 1,434
    http://www.bikehubstore.com/product-p/zstcxr.htm

    I've always found Starbike and BikeHubStore to be the best sources for spokes.
  • Velonutter
    Velonutter Posts: 2,437
    racingcondor wrote:
    http://www.bikehubstore.com/product-p/zstcxr.htm

    I've always found Starbike and BikeHubStore to be the best sources for spokes.

    Thanks for that, seem daft to manufacture something in Belgium, then ship to the USA to ship back to the UK and be cheaper than it is in the UK :roll:

    Appreciate your help.

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