Factory Built Wheels - Shocking Quality

[Tenacious Sloth]

Now I'm aware that wheels are one of the areas where costs are cut to meet a price point, but the wheels supplied by Cannondale on my CAADX are truly awful!

I don't think there are 2 spokes on the same side of either wheel that are at the same tension. I can just about forgive this as it's what I'd expect from machine-built wheels, but to get the valve in the wrong place? Truly unforgivable.

I will re-lace, stress and true them up evenly when the better weather arrives and I can commute on my Merida.

Incidentally, the wheels that came with my Merida (branded Fulcrum - but suspect the build was outsourced) were tensioned equally badly, and after about 1000 miles a couple of the rear wheel spokes lost all tension during a ride and turned the wheel into a Pringle. But at least the valves were in the right place.

I've since built my own wheels for the Merida with some Archetype hoops and Ultegra hubs and may well do the same for the Cannondale this summer.

Graham

 

[fossyant]

Take it back to the shop if it's new. Re-building a crap wheel will probably end with only slightly better crap.

The only Factory stuff I trust is Mavic

 

[Citius]

but to get the valve in the wrong place?

What do you mean? Where else would the valve be?

 

[Tenacious Sloth]

What do you mean? Where else would the valve be?

When building a wheel in a 3x lacing pattern, you should aim to get the valve between one of the four pairs of parallel spokes as per the front wheel below.

This gives maximum access for attaching the pump.

Not absolutely necessary, but considered good wheel building practice, such as aiming to align the manufacturer logo on the hub with the same gap for maximum visibility.

Graham.

 

[Pale Rider]

What do you mean? Where else would the valve be?

Strictly, in the slightly bigger gap between the two spokes to the left of the valve in the pic.


Edit: Crossed (ho-ho) with the OP's explanation.

 

[Tenacious Sloth]

Take it back to the shop if it's new. Re-building a crap wheel will probably end with only slightly better crap.

The only Factory stuff I trust is Mavic

Used eBay purchase.

 

[outlash]

Whilst I'm aware of Cannondale's not-great wheels (I replaced the wheels on both my 'dales) but it's secondhand, how much abuse have they had by the previous owner(s)?

but to get the valve in the wrong place? Truly unforgivable.

but

Not absolutely necessary, but considered good wheel building practice

Maybe being a little picky?

 

[Pale Rider]

Whilst I'm aware of Cannondale's not-great wheels (I replaced the wheels on both my 'dales) but it's secondhand, how much abuse have they had by the previous owner(s)?



but



Maybe being a little picky?

No big deal of itself, but it indicates a lack of skill and care by the wheelbuilder.

Taken with the other problems with the wheel, two and two has made four.

 

[outlash]

But we've already established they're not great wheels. So the valve hole isn't quite in the right place, it's not 'unforgiveable' as in the OP is it? Given it's a secondhand bike, It's not a huge surprise they're not in great shape.

 

[Tenacious Sloth]

But we've already established they're not great wheels. So the valve hole isn't quite in the right place, it's not 'unforgiveable' as in the OP is it? Given it's a secondhand bike, It's not a huge surprise they're not in great shape.

Just to clarify, the bike is the 2016 model and had been ridden once by the previous owner.

And frankly, it's wheel building 101 to locate the valve correctly, as it's a byproduct of starting your lacing pattern at the right place.

The rest of the bike is top-notch though. So you're correct, I have 'forgiven' them.

It's still shows a lack of QC though.

Graham

 

[Spoked Wheels]

And frankly, it's wheel building 101 to locate the valve correctly, as it's a byproduct of starting your lacing pattern at the right place.

I'd agree with that. If you are going to build a wheel you should do it properly, not most most of it. It might seem cosmetic to some people but for others the valve should be between two parallels spokes.

Someone already said, there's no point rebuilding a poor quality wheel. I'd go along with that. What is the point of stress relieving spokes that have been used for a while?

 

[I like Skol]

What is the point of stress relieving spokes that have been used for a while?

My understanding is that the de-stressing is to remove twist from the spokes that was induced by the nipple turns required to get the spokes tensioned. It has nothing to do with improving the metallurgy of the spokes. The pinging and popping that occurs in the untensioned spokes when pressing on a newly built wheel as the spokes suddenly untwist can be quite 'distressing' the first time you hear it. I now avoid all the noise by turning the nipples a tad too far and then backing off 5-10 degrees during the final tensioning, there by de-stressing the spokes during the build

 

[Tenacious Sloth]

What is the point of stress relieving spokes that have been used for a while?

I notice that several of the in-to-out spoke elbows are lying a fair distance from the hub flange and so would prefer to get them more flush in order to avoid possible unwinding problems in the future.

Graham

 

[Spoked Wheels]

I notice that several of the in-to-out spoke elbows are lying a fair distance from the hub flange and so would prefer to get them more flush in order to avoid possible unwinding problems in the future.

Graham

If metal fatigue has already started then you are just wasting time and effort.

 

[I like Skol]

The best option if rebuilding the wheel is to buy new spokes and then re-using the current hub and rim. I rebuilt the front wheel of my roadbike just for the sake of it as it had a non branded hub compared to the Tiagra kit on the rest of the bikes components. I could have reused the existing unbranded stainless plain gauge spokes but decided if it was worth doing I might as well put some decent known-quality spokes in so plumped for Swiss DT double butted completion spokes as they have never let me down in the past. I have rebuilt wheels using the existing spokes in the past including an emergency rear wheel build on my brothers bike when camping in a tent for the weekend. Luckily for him I just 'happened' to have a spare rear hub in the parts bin packed for that trip. That wheel ran well until the rim wore out.