As some of you know working on wheels can be just fun with the new “systems” out there. Special tools to play with special spokes. I was working on a Campy wheel last night and had the typical twisting of the bladed spoke issues. Now, with the Campy spokes it is a button at the hub (no J bend) and a 5mm nut at the rim with Nylock in it. What I did to prevent spoke twist (and making the blade a wing) was put 1" long tabs of Velox that I could just grab with some flat pliers.
Now, this got me thinking. Is there a tool out there that would be about 4-5" long of Alu (or steel), small handles on two sides 90deg from each other and then a long deep V shaped slot in the shaft? This would be about 15mm in diameter and would surround the bladed area of a spoke and allow one hand to prevent the spoke from twisting as the other hand was able to tighten or loosen the nipple/nut/fixator.
I have one, it is a PITA at best and does not fit well into many wheels. Sorta clunky to use and can damage the surface of spokes that are colored (Campy are black for instance). I also would not use that tool on Alu spokes. It does how ever do a great job grabbing cables that are cut too short for a cable tension tool.
It’s plastic so doesn’t scratch colours and doesn’t require a great deal of dexterity to use.
Find someone who has bought a brand new set of fulcrums and ask them for the tools, or a shop that has sold heaps of Fulcrum probably has plenty of the included tools lying around. Or you could pay for it, but who wants to do that???
Yeah, it was not designed very ergonomically. In fact, if you look closely, it’s simply an older model Park cable stretching wrench (similar to the BT-2) which has been modified. It’s a good idea, just needs some refinement.
Tried that one, it is too wide as it is for the Dural spoke wheels. I was working on Neucleons that have much smaller thickness of the spoke…and I would also like something that is universal to use on my Sapim wheels as well as some other oval spoke wheels I have. I need to call Mjuric.
Tried that one, it is too wide as it is for the Dural spoke wheels. I was working on Neucleons that have much smaller thickness of the spoke…and I would also like something that is universal to use on my Sapim wheels as well as some other oval spoke wheels I have. I need to call Mjuric.
The one I have worked nicely on the Pillar 1422 aero spokes that are the poor mans CX-Ray. The set of wheels it came with was the Fulcrum Racing 3 which are bladed stainless spokes, perhaps there is a different one for the alloy spokes (though I would be surprised if that were the case).
Here are four spokes (taken four minutes ago) all four are for Campy wheels, all four about the same length, none the same thickness. Matter of fact, the Neucleon wheels have three spokes (front and rear) all three are not the same thickness. The rear drive side is thicker, the front spokes thin like the non-drive, but a bit wider and more bladed.
None of this would be a problem if you (or whoever you’re helping) were riding proper wheels instead of prebuilts (admittedly I do like Nucleon/Neutron).
This is just the universes way of telling you to stick to 32H 3X DB on box section with eyelets.
