im making a hub with two washers and a tube welded together and was having trouble making sense of it . thankyou .its fairly simple but also fairly complex good teaching .
Thanks for your informative video. Your descriptions with the images made all the difference. Following your guidance made my third attempt successful and confirmed I had calculated the correct length spokes!
Thank you so much, I have to do this in the next few days but I have a double crossover although I am sure I can figure it out after watching this. Your video was amazing you are a great teacher I can understand everything nice editing as well.
When you put in the first set of spokes on the right hand (drive/sprocket) side of the hub do you put them in the holes that are directly across from the very first non-drive side spokes or do you put them in the next hole over to the right?
The hub flange holes on the right are not directly opposite those on the left, they're in between (but it can be a bit hard to see that). The first spoke on the right side of the hub (the right side "key spoke") will join the rim at the 2nd spoke hole from the valve hole, and start at the hub flange hole slightly on the same side of the left side key spoke. I hope that helps!
@@BruceTeakle Ok I just rewatched that section in the video and I think I get it now, I didn't realize the hub flange holes didn't perfectly line up on either side. Thanks for the help!
Awsome tutorial sir it really opened the door to lacing a wheel for me and your blog is great also. Best tutorial on the Web to teach People how to lace it will help me lace my ebike wheels, thank you.
Source for those brass washers? I notice e-bike companies like Priority (NYC) ship their large-hub rear wheels with a 2X (instead of customary 3X) lacing. Is that due to the constricted spoke length? Does it compromise long-term comfort or durability of the wheel?
Hello Video, sorry about taking so long to reply - family needs. I’m sorry I can’t recommend a source for the brass washers, mine were sent to me from a relative in Germany. Re 2x or 3x spoke crossing: I recommend 1x crossing. The large diameter of the hub means that more crosses than 1 tends to cause too much bend of the spoke at the nipple, causing flexing and eventual breakage. I recently had to re-lace one of my own bikes’ wheels that was 2x lacing a 121mm flange dia hub in a 26” rim. Several spokes had broken at the nipples. I re-laced at 1x lacing.
Hello Aldis, there is a link in the text below the video, taking you to my blog page that gives more info, including a link to download the "spocalc" spreadsheet for calculating spoke lengths.
Hi Bruce! Is it possible to switch the rim 26in 1.75in bicycle wheel with a 1000w motor to a 26in 4in fat tire rim . I want a 1000w 26in fat tire for cheap so, I'm trying to build one from a fat tire mongoose . thanks
This is the first time I saw anyone do this brass washer technique. I had this idea myself when I was having problems with my spokes breaking. I quit having them break after that. I though it would act as a bearing and allow the head to move under load and keep them from flexing the elbow of the spoke. Very interesting to see someone else have the same idea.
Hello John, I think I got this idea from Sheldon Brown (see: www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html#washers). Washers are particularly useful when using 2mm (14g) spokes in hub motors that usually have 3.2mm holes.
Hi Bruce. Three questions. The front hub motor spoke holes' diameter/distance is 121mm, rim (steel) internal diameter 615mm (rim thickness 1.4mm), how many crossing do you suggest? Stainless steel or iron? Is the 2mm spoke nipple's diameter smaller than the one for 2.3mm spoke or are they the same? Just for the sake of clarity, the present wheel has 36 iron 2mm spokes, 3 crossing and hub spoke holes' diameter/distance 65 mm. Many thanks!
Hello Sergio, it works well to use 1 cross, maybe 2 cross. The big diameter of hub motors causes a more acute angle where the spoke meets the rim, so 3 cross is no good, 2 cross can still have problems with cracking the spokes next to the nipples. The nipple tries to stand up square to the rim, the spoke pulls it to an angle and forms a bend in the spoke, the spoke flexes and cracks at the bend. Stainless steel spokes are usually good, but some cheap stainless spokes can become brittle and break in the middle of the spokes. Galvanised steel spokes are good, but sometimes can rust if they live in a damp environment. I have made several wheels with galvanised spokes from old wheels, cut and threaded to a new size. 2.3 mm spokes have fatter nipples than 2.0mm, but not much (I can't measure any just now).
@@BruceTeakle hello and thx! yes, the angle matters the bigger nipple as well. Bafang specify 2.3mm, my rim uses 2mm but with 3 crossing. I guess 2.3 (galvanised steel) with 1 crossing could work. Is there a chance to use 2mm instead of 2.3 (as per Bafang's specification)? I'm not concerned by strength since the motor power is just 250W, but the hole diameter in the motor's hub. Should the spoke comply with 2.3mm requirement so to properly match the hole? is it a problem if the spoke (2mm) fits loosely? The spoke threading tool is about hundred euro, correct? With spoke calculator I got 257mm (1 crossing). All right! thank you
@@sergioaiello7135 We have laced lots of bafang hubs with 2mm spokes, with no problem. That is why I use the little brass washers, to help the 2mm spokes fit in the large hub flange holes. My cargo bike has done 20,000km+ with 2mm galvanised spokes, no problems. It is a problem if the head of the spoke is too loose in the hub flange hole, as this allows flex at the elbow, which causes breaks. I don't know how much a spoke threading machine is now, a little Hozan is good. Every cycling neighbourhood/extended family needs one!
Pulling spokes laced inbound? Disc build?.... Then I can understand. Yes to the use of washers.... Seldom see that mentioned nowadays. Did not get far enough to see the flavor of smoke being used. Suggest the Sapim-strong 13/14 the best choice.
Very informative, nice to view an informative video and explanation from a pro wheel builder that knows how to verbalize the build in off a wheel, Thank You! I think your "Sheldon Brown" deviation is and extremely smart move as the extra stress and tension is needed for e-bikes. Rims have not changed yet our demands on them with e-bikes has yet Sheldon's most informative information I am so pleased to see that you are evoliving this extremely accurate and informative information to full today's needs of the e bike builder. Thanks Again!
I'm very new to ebikes. If you have 10 seconds I have a quick question sir; if someone was running 2 hub motors and their combined max current from the controllers was 60 amps, and you used a battery with 50amp BMS (52v 20ah), what would happen? If you ran WOT you may trip the BMS of the battery and it come back on after a few seconds? Or something worse? Thank you!
Hello Mike, I think there's all sorts of trouble to come from this arrangement! Ebike motor + controller units tend to spend quite a lot of time running at the max amp rate. Every time they start from stationary they will run at full amps until they reach the speed at which current starts to decline. How long this lasts depends on the load. So this imaginary 2-motor arrangement will be exceeding the BMS capacity every start, and perhaps on every hill. There are also long-term consequences to running motors at high currents and voltages. Motors burn their windings, shear shaft keys, mash gears, break dropouts, twist out of torque washers and levers, melt plugs and connectors, and shorten the lives of all the electronic, electrical and mechanical components. That’s why we have come to like ebikes running their components within their designed specs: more time riding, less time in the workshop. You may find some content of interest in an old blog post of mine about overheating ebike motors: bruceteakle.blogspot.com/p/burning-out-bafang-hub-motors.html Good luck with your plans!
Hii and thanks alot for video. Please can you tel me if nipples from 13g spokes will fit in a standard mountain bike rim that have 14g spokes??????????
Hello Steli, it depends. 13g nipples will fit in many rims without modification, but some rims with eyelets in the spoke holes may not fit and can't really be drilled. If no eyelets, you can drill without problems if you need to.
The 13g nipples we use are 3.9mm dia just under the head. Will probably work for 1 cross, but maybe not for 2 cross. If you are using a 250w - 350w motor, 14g spokes should be fine, but it would be best to have washers under the spoke heads in the hub flange holes. I've used 14g spokes on my cargo bike rear wheels with hub motors without any problem.
hello, i bought spokes for double wall rim, is double wall rim not strong much?? i have 13 gauge spokes but i have the rim with 14 gauge spoke holes, if i drill the hole is it effect the rim???
Double wall and single wall rims are both fine. My preference is for wider rims (25mm or more) because they are strong, easier to fit tyres on, especially fatter tyres which are good for bikes, and they work better with rim brakes. I can't see your rim so I can't be sure, but I expect that it will be fine to drill the nipple holes as long as they don't have eyelets (little metal circles which reinforce the nipple holes). I've often drilled out valve holes on rims (to fit shrader valves) but I've never had to drill the nipple holes. That's probably because I usually use 14gauge spokes - I've never had one break even on my cargo bike.
Good answer, yet my question is; with an E-Bike torque and speed are dramatically increased I am not sure why would not recommend the increased strength and safety by using double walled rims and disc brakes on both axles. Isi t a cost factor? My belief is a high performance bike should have at least 16 gauge spokes on double walled rims with disc brakes front and rear (Minimum 160mm rotors). If in the event you are speaking of 250 watt motors or less than possibly one could disregard my recommendation yet I would not recommend it. Our theory is build it to be the best, the fastest and safest. Even though i discovered this post in the E-Bike section it is possible you were no referring to e-bikes, in that case my apology is in order and I request you ignore it. Thank You and Best Regards.
Hello Kingdom, on this BPM hub with Sun Rhyno rim, spoke length was 197mm. However this is different for different hubs or rims. I recommend you read my blog post: bruceteakle.blogspot.com/p/hub-motor-wheelbuilding-for-ebikes.html
Hi, I would like to ask, how you deal with centering the wheel inside the bike frame? In my case (KTM eLycan with bionx hub), the rim have to be rather away from one of the hub's planes. To do that, I tighten only one side spokes, so it pulls the rim to that side. So my question - how you make all spokes equally tension if it requires a rim to be off to nice side (to make it centered in the bike frame). Thanks! Also, after tightening all the spokes to its thread, I noticed that some spokes are much looser than others. Did you find similar problem?
Hello Simonas, you are right: the spokes are different tensions on the 2 sides of a rear wheel. A convention of bicycle design is that a wheel rim is almost always centred between the locknuts. This means that rear wheels (and front wheels with disc hubs) need to be dished: the spokes are shorter on the side with the sprockets (or disc), making the wheel "dished" - flatter on the sprocket side. When you use spocalc (or another spoke length calculator) you calculate the different lengths. The spokes on the flatter side (sprocket side) will have much higher tension than the other side - this is normal. You try to keep the spokes equal tension within each side. This will naturally happen as you make the wheel true and concentric (spinning straight). If you are a perfectionist, you can use a spoke tension meter to test each spoke - I don't but my son does.
@@BruceTeakle Thanks for your replay! Appreciate it. After some search, also your answer - its clear now. It can be visually seen here ruclips.net/video/mb32h4PK_aU/видео.html that the tension of spokes on different sides are different. When I measured spoke length, which came with original wheel, it seems that its all the same. Of course, it could be 2 mm there and there, but I did not notice the visible difference. For now, the wheel looks true, but I would love to check it with tension meter. Could you recommend something? I was looking at ParkTool one, however, I am not sure if my spokes are long enough (its 174 mm) for it.
Are those 250 watt Hub motor casing pretty standard in dimensions? I'm wanting to buy a hub motor off of eBay for $100 will it do a direct replacement on my ebike.. Or do I have to change the spokes to fit my rim?
Hello Rip, all the Bafang/8Fun 250w hubs I use have 121mm flange diameter, and many other motors and Bafang copies are the same or very close. If you have the same spoke count (most Chinese hubs are 36 spoke) and flange diameter, your old spokes should be fine. If not, you'll need to get or cut spokes. Spokes for hub motors are unusual lengths so it's best if you can find someone with a spoke threading machine.
what a great video, i need to replace the un named motor in my ebike wheel for an 8-fun unit if i cant get the part needed (clutch) and this video has given me the courage to do it, its a 20 inch rim how would i find the spoke size?
Hello Bruno, you can use a motor from a 26" rim in a 29" rim. The bike will have a slightly higher (more than 10%) speed, and the motor will overheat at a higher speed too. In other words the bike will be faster on the flat but not so good for climbing hills. How well this works will depend on what country you ride in: should be no problem in flat places but could be a problem with long steep climbs. I have a blog post on how hub motors can overheat: bruceteakle.blogspot.com/p/burning-out-bafang-hub-motors.html
Great demonstration! One question. If you used the same thickness of spokes, but went for a single butted version at the head, do you think the washers would still be necessary? Also, what brand of rim are you using? It looks like a quality rim.
The hub flange holes are made for a 13g spoke, so if the butted spoke is 13g at the head it would be fine. I add washers when I use 14g spokes in hub motors. The Rhyno Lite rims are really good and strong, and a good width for heavy Schwalbe tyres. But I'm not a rim snob. I've done 10s of 1000s of km on single wall rims (especially in front wheels) and they are fine too.
Thanks for the reply. I like the 14ga spokes because they have plenty of flex to them. I think hub motors get a bad reputation for breaking spokes because: 1. These Chinese kits use thicker cheaper spokes with very little flex. 2. Probably the Chinese kits also are not flexed and readjusted properly. I would think that up to 500w single wall is fine, but I would feel better with a double wall using the newer two speed geared hub. Here in USA, we have the two speed hub available in 1000W. Of course you don't have to run it at the full 1000W. A heat sensor has been added to the motor to shut it down before damage occurs to the motor if it starts getting too hot.
What is best rims etc to buy for a 27.5 inch wheels? Want to fit hub motor to that size for my mountain bike. Hope oyu can suggest parts needs (strongest etc)
Hi Tech, I haven't made 27.5", but in general my favourite rims are wide and strong, eyelets are good, and I don't buy expensive rims. I don't know if Sun Ringle Rhyno Lite comes in 27.5", but that's the style I like. If you are using 13g spokes, you may have trouble with eyelets. I suggest try something cheap and available and learn what works for you. Good luck!
Looks like a hell of a lot of work to me after watching your videos (The videos are very good! Great blog to.) So may just keep two bikes, one 27.5 my current mountain bike without motor and another 26inch with motor. Wheel size is only an issue for me as it makes any journey longer when peddling on road (when in non electric mode). I was thinking to thread a 27.5 and then I could use one bike and swap front wheels over when ever I want to go electric. Can't make up my mind! But thanks for your reply so quickly!
Hi Tech, if you can squeeze 2 bikes into your shelter, my inclination would be to go with 2 bikes, and keep each one set up and ready to go. If bikes are providing transport, they need to be quick to get out the door with. And all the plugs, weight and complexity of the electric parts, and getting 2 different wheels to fit into the brakes, don't make for simplicity. In hilly country, ebikes and pushbikes need different gear ratios as well. You've put a lot of work into your videos! Good on you. I'll have to go thru some of the basic electrics ones with my sons.
Many thanks for the sensible advice. I think I will do just that. That way I can still ride out on my 27.5 for most trips and then just use the electric for the occasional long trip. Could I ask you about battery maintenance? I have heard it is not good to leave a lithium ion battery without regular use? The thing is I won't be using the electric that often. What would you suggest? Plus what is the current thoughts on that. What is the reality.
We are daily users of our (several) ebikes, and have a small stack of batteries for them. Having several batteries allows us to take multiple heavy trips in a day and delay recharge until we have solar house power available. So I just recharge asap so the batteries are ready. I have heard that lithium batteries gain longer life by storing at half discharge (don't depend on me for that), but you'd have to plan ahead to do that. Our main battery killer is leaving batteries connected to a load or leaving discharged batteries uncharged for months.
I have a 26 inch rim now and I believe I have the right spokes but when I go to add the cross spokes it becomes near impossible to get even one spoke on
Hi Drift, there are lots of things to get wrong when you're building a wheel. Check the measurements and the spreadsheet, check the patterns: which hub holes, crosses, rim holes. Sometimes the nipples get caught in their rim holes and need to be wiggled into place. I often need to step back from a beginner's wheel and look at the pattern. Review it all and you'll get it right!
@@BruceTeakle will start again tomorrow and hope its right, I used this online spoke calculator ebikes.ca/tools/spoke-calc.html?hub=cust_d230_s30_o0_n36_l170_h3_p40.1&pair=false&rim=cust_dia584_e553_lo2_ro2_w41&lelb=out&relb=out and got 162mm as my measurements for spokes so I ordered 162mm. Its a 26 inch rim with a 1000w front hub. If im still unable to get this up and running after a decent few tries would it be possible to get in closer contact and maybe sending a few photos or videos to find out where im going wrong?
I give up. In Schwinn school, which was an actual thing, when Schwinn was an actual bicycle company in Chicago and had actual dealers, I was taught that the trailing spokes (under tension when you pedal) should come from the outside of the flange. I've built many hundreds of wheels this way. And yes, I'm aware that Sheldon Brown has his reasons for disagreeing - more on that. Then... I watched a wheelbuilder from Grin Technologies (a Vancouver, BC ebike electric technology company) - Their wheelbuilder wasn't alternating at all, all his spokes had the heads inside the flanges and pulled from the outside of the flange. So I looked at my ebike, expecting the alternating spokes I was accustomed to, and no, they all pulled from the same side of the flange - the inside of the flange - opposite of the Grin Technologies wheelbuilder. Hmm. Maybe ebikes just have all the spokes on a single side of the flange for some reason - countersinking for the heads, perhaps? Then I saw this video, and I was back to the alternating spoke patterns I was accustomed to (only Sheldon Brown's "backward" trailing tension spokes on the inside of the flange). So - I looked at a couple of my bikes - My Scott Boulder had the wheels laced the way I was taught. Alternating spokes, with the trailing tension spokes coming off the outside of the flanges. Vindication. I looked at my Giant FCR - and was less vindicated - the cassette side was as I expected, with a 3-cross pattern, trailing tension spokes coming off the outside of the flange - but the left flange was radial spoked!!! Something I had never noticed. So I went to the motherload of cycling Nirvana - my Raleigh DL1, possibly the finest 2-wheeled conveyance ever made. I glanced at the left flange and, indeed, Raleigh had spoked it with the traling tension spokes coming off the outside of the flange - then I looked at the right flange, and it was completely opposite - trailing spokes coming off the inside of the flange, Sheldon Brown style. I have concluded that there may be more than a little dogma at play here, with various camps and factions having their own religious justification, and ultimately, I think the late, great Sheldon Brown might agree; He said, "Note: This is not an important issue! There is a sizable minority of good wheelbuilders who prefer to go the other way around, and good wheels can be built either way." So... really good, clear video with nice tips - even if you built the bloody thing backward ;-)
thanks for your reply, i have another question, please can you tell me the hole diameter of 13 gauge nipple, and what size drill bit i want to use to make holes bigger???
Firstly, we've never had to drill a rim for 13g spokes (my son laces lots of 13g spokes in various rims), so you may not need to drill. Our 13g nipples measure 4.3mm on the shaft, so if you need to drill you may get away with 4.5mm. Tight holes will be a problem if you try to make too many spoke crosses - most hub motors use 1-cross to avoid bending the spokes at the nipple. If you are working on wheels I recommend getting a vernier caliper for measuring.
Single wall rims are fine - I've done 1000s of km on them. I often use good rims from old wheels, and spokes from old wheels, again have done 1000s of km of mountain riding, with heavy loads, including dirt roads without breaking a spoke or rim. Don't be afraid to use good quality, low end bits and pieces. I think the most important thing is to have a go and try things out.
If your are building an e-bike anything less than a double walled rim on the motor driven wheel will crash your success and safety. Due to the high torque and energy I recommend doubled walled rims on the front and rear of your bike. Surely all of us would like to read about your success rather than failures and certainly would rather see your success rather than an another negative statistic on E-bikes or even worse seen your casualty on the evening news. Build Smart, Build Strong Ride Safe, Ride Intelligent!
With beginning wheel building you get used to unlacing and relacing your mistakes! Yes, sometimes I find a rim that has the opposite start to the holes. You make your key spoke either the first or 2nd from the valve hole, so it can be on the correct side. If the key spoke is 2nd from the valve, the first spoke of the 2nd side goes next to the valve.
There are 32 and 36 spoke hub motors (but mostly 36), and there are 32 and 36 spoke rims (and lots of other spoke counts). Get a rim and hub with the same spoke count. You can use a rim from an old wheel of the right diameter - lots of old wheels are 36 spoke.
I have normal cycle. Now query is Can I use same rim for Hubmotor...? If yes can I use same spokes seems like Hubmotor length is 4-5inches but here spokes are little bigger do I need to buy little bit smalle or another size spokes..? If I need to buy probably what is the sizes May fit for Hubmotor rims Kindly reply
Hello Kmurali, you can use your old rim on a hub motor if the rim has the same number of spoke holes as the motor - motors usually have 36 spokes. You can use the same spokes, but only if you can cut them to the right length and roll a new thread on. You need to calculate the right length for that rim and that hub. For more detail read my blog post - link is above under the video.
I expect 5mm would fit, but again: you can't drill a spoke hole with an eyelet. Normally there should be no problem drilling the rim, but I can't promise as I can't see the job. Rims usually have plenty of spare strength: remember the joint in most rims is just pegged together. You may even find it worthwhile to drill the spoke holes while lacing, to angle the holes in line with the spokes.
Hello Sharan, each wheel needs a calculation to find the length of the spokes, often a different length one each side. Read my blog (linked in description above) and/or download the spoke length calculator at www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/spocalc.htm
That depends on how many times you need to start again! I mean that: when you're learning, you need to stop and check periodically and quite often there is a mistake early on that requires a fresh start. If there aren't any mistakes it might take an hour or so.
@@BruceTeakle to answer my question ... with less then desired tools and no true stand and not watching the video right before i started.. first time i was just like yeah every fourth nipple and every second spoke . i restarted half way and redid it making sure my pattern was corect and then i got it and realized when i started that timebi grabbed the rim that had a nipple ripped through and didntbrealize till about 60 spokes later
This is a 26" rim (for an Xtracycle cargo bike) and I'm using 2mm (14gauge) spokes. For my own bikes (like this one) I usually use 2nd hand spokes, often galvanised instead of stainless.
I finished an ebike yesterday, but i found some major problems on it, The problem is while i riding the bike by throttling, some times the display light dims and low battery voltage caution icon is displaying in the display. and than display shutting off. after that if i try to turn it on again it wont work, so i removed the battery from controller and installed it again than works perfectly, it happens always so i want to remove and install battery again and again, so what is this problem, is this problem is in battery or controller?? Please give me a solution.
Hello Ourhsp, I can't be sure but this looks like a problem in the battery, or in battery power connections, which is giving a low voltage to the controller. Low voltage can come from a low voltage supply (like a flat battery) or by losing voltage in bad connections (perhaps corroded) when current is flowing. Hopefully it is a bad electrical connection between the battery cells and the controller. I suggest check and clean all connections from the battery to the controller. If this doesn't help, consider a problem with the battery. Make sure it charges properly. Check the voltage when charging, and after disconnection from the charger. Check voltage of the battery when it is connected and under load, perhaps by running the bike with the electric wheel in the air, giving full throttle and applying the brake to slow the wheel down and increase the load. Of course you will need a multimeter to test voltage (Fluke 101 is very good, not super expensive). Good luck!
the actual problem is while running the bike's electric wheel in the air there is no problem, if i get to the bike and ride in the road the bike stops, this is the problem is, and if there any errors in controller will it happen??
Sometimes there can be a problem in the controller, but this is rare in my experience. The controller will shut down if it receives a low voltage from the battery. This is to protect the battery. The battery also normally has a BMS which will shut it down if the voltage gets too low. I recommend checking the battery supply voltage to the controller. If there is a bad connection this will drop the voltage and cause the controller to shut down.
That's right. A high resistance connection will create a voltage drop, but only when current is flowing. So when the motor is stopped, only a tiny current is feeding the controller and display, and there is only a tiny voltage drop over any bad connection, so the controller will see a good voltage. When the motor draws a big current thru the bad connection, there will be a big voltage drop, so the controller sees a low voltage from the battery and shuts down to protect the battery. This might be what is happening to you.
Hello Drift, do you have the same spoke hole count in your hub and your rim? Sounds a bit like a 36 hole hub (most common hub motor) and and 32 hole rim (most common rim these days).
to calculate spoke length, I use the spocalc spreadsheet, available from Sheldon Browns site: sheldonbrown.com/rinard/spocalc.htm Sheldon Brown has lots of other good advice on the site.
Sheldon Brown's.web site and information is extremely accurate and resourceful (it as been my bike bible for decades) yet please keep in mind it does not include the additional information required to build an extremely fast and high toque e-bike of today's 48volt 1000 watt (plus bikes available today), all of Sheldon.s information is invaluable yet please do some more research if you are building an eclectic bike as disc brakes and double walled rims are highly advised. Certainly Sheldon's information is extremely helpful and import yet please insure you include your build to include the highest safety and durability standards available today. Enjoy your ride, Ride Safe. Drive Intelligent!
I'm sure you're right. Particularly in the USA, it appears that high power, high speed ebikes are common. I can see they may be useful for some people, but I'm not much attracted to them. It is the low power and low speed of bikes that bring many of their great advantages in safety, durability and efficiency. I'm also happy to contribute my own energy thru pedalling. All my videos and blog content refer to bikes that are road legal (or nearly so) in Australia. If you put higher powers thru motors than they have been designed for, you can expect more problems: burnt windings, bent dropouts, sheared keys, damaged gears, etc..
Hi Bruce, How do you get the right measurement for the spokes? I have a 28" rim with normal "Analogue" axle and wanted to buy a motor but do I cut the spokes? buy new ones? What length? (Not sure about hub diameter yet) How would I know. The RMS in NSW wont give me a licence for 100 years because they messed up a medical diagnosis so now want to discredit me so that I am not credible, going as far as killing people interested in my case. My comms are monitored as well (Indian call centers, optus, microsoft) They took down the banks "Financial Crisis" and handed the money out to those who support them and keep quiet about it. Everyone is a sell out you know. it has crippled a lot of systems. Post office, Police, Courts, Communications, aviation....Melbourne Australia was the hub I watched it all happen. Thats why they killing people and preventing anyone from reaching me to see evidence. They keep burying it. I cant work like this...I cant Live like this. riots and drugs divert resources and destabaliise everything, they claiming I am the leader of it but really they stole my identity and image which I never recorded or released, claim I am married to redirect funds and communication and go around like a circus act selling drugs and taking over cities. Music Drugs, media. Everyone thinks its all good fun a who has talent show and clapping along. its quite an ingenius system but they used me to do it when I had nothing to do with it. World turning to shit for it and important things cant get done. I left that scene in the 90's. but they latched on.. Even before then it was Italian networks taking down industries. So they are the people who flamed on the entertainment drugs scene. Then turn people against me because I didnt walk in and accept an off the records payout so they cant link me to that activity. Police were replaced. they were lured into fake meetings and ambushed. drug networks strong and very covert. Music is the advertising for it. "Smoking ads illegal but cocaine and marijuana and extacy is sold like candy through music. No one here helping me get a licence let alone sort out reall big issues preventing me from having a relaationship, a job, a business, children... I am ready to kill people. If I flew a plane into the side of a building it would be justified. its been over 15 years since I found out and longer since it has been happening. Design ideas stolen and taken by these people. Australians having a laugh smoking dope drinking on the dole a bunch of useless deviouts who are probably some of the most vile fucking idiots which I can prove through experience. Shit talking theives decendents of murderous convict drunks.... They recruited China through hong kong using drugs and sex and screwing communications. Hijacking cargo containers and blaming others of which they want to invade like the spanish did to the World Trade Center to take the Arab oil then kill off the troops you send while foreigners took advantage and claimed the poost and communications and all the holes that were left after everyone looking at Saddam with bio weapons like they point the spotlight on someone and claim all the shit in the world is their fault. Like me. I am kind of glad that some of these people are dying due to people invading their homes and wiping records of bank payments and red tape and "Laundering" realestate and government departments. sad thing is those people were none the wiser. Maybe I shoudl just join them killing everyone and kiss the Queens ass like they all do and get pardoned. The Melbourne Queen was elected by Maltese drug music network and claiming all my work as though I was there because I knew them for a couple of years so they think they can throw my life around at the ost of millions of peoples lives and livelyhoods. People jump on board for the fun not knowing the bloood they splashing around. Is liveihood with an I does it matter, these people will turn it into the flaw and reason for robbing me like it was a chemical nuke aimed at them to justify why they wont give me a licence. etc. Meltese are like that. Ever wonder why Malta and Spain never taken down in WW2? They rob both sides and claim they both sides enemy. which is why I dont want to associate with them either. Medical will cover up facts then blame another countrys medical which is why the USA has a lot of abandoned hospitals because theey used drug music crowds in a frenzy to take them down but these people cant build anything they just take it over, Jesus died for them, then pray to buy time until another fly is trapped in their web. Some help would be great but who do you turn to?? So wht length do you cut or buy the spokes?
What size spokes? If you mean spoke gauge, I use 2mm spokes usually, unless I order spokes to the right length from a Chinese hub motor supplier, who often supply 2.3mm spokes to fit their rims. I have found 2mm spokes to be very strong and durable, even for cargo bikes. If you mean spoke length, then I recommend reading my blog post linked above that gives a link to the spocalc spreadsheet that I use to calculate spoke lengths.
im making a hub with two washers and a tube welded together and was having trouble making sense of it . thankyou .its fairly simple but also fairly complex good teaching .
Just came across your video and found it very easy to follow. Thankyou
thanks to you i laced 1000w hub motor from bike that was in car accident . Good job for nice explanation
Thanks, my wheel turned out perfectly fine with the help of your explanation!
Watching your video & I finally figured out where I was going wrong. Thank you for making it so straight forward.
Bruce thanks a lot for making this video,I'm 16 years old and I could easily lace an hub motor for the first time with help of this video
This is one of the Best tutorial on youtube! Thank you very much Bruce!
Thanks for your informative video. Your descriptions with the images made all the difference. Following your guidance made my third attempt successful and confirmed I had calculated the correct length spokes!
My man Bruce helped me so much thank you Bruce
Bruce you are an angel for this knowledge thank you dearly I hope all the best
Thank you so much, I have to do this in the next few days but I have a double crossover although I am sure I can figure it out after watching this. Your video was amazing you are a great teacher I can understand everything nice editing as well.
When you put in the first set of spokes on the right hand (drive/sprocket) side of the hub do you put them in the holes that are directly across from the very first non-drive side spokes or do you put them in the next hole over to the right?
The hub flange holes on the right are not directly opposite those on the left, they're in between (but it can be a bit hard to see that). The first spoke on the right side of the hub (the right side "key spoke") will join the rim at the 2nd spoke hole from the valve hole, and start at the hub flange hole slightly on the same side of the left side key spoke. I hope that helps!
@@BruceTeakle Ok I just rewatched that section in the video and I think I get it now, I didn't realize the hub flange holes didn't perfectly line up on either side. Thanks for the help!
You make it look so easy Bruce! great job.
Awsome tutorial sir it really opened the door to lacing a wheel for me and your blog is great also. Best tutorial on the Web to teach People how to lace it will help me lace my ebike wheels, thank you.
Great video! Very straight forward guidance to what is a daunting operation - great work!
Thanks for u video , but what unmber spoken can be install on rim 28 inch ?
Came for the relaxing voice, stayed for the bicycle knowledge.
Source for those brass washers? I notice e-bike companies like Priority (NYC) ship their large-hub rear wheels with a 2X (instead of customary 3X) lacing. Is that due to the constricted spoke length? Does it compromise long-term comfort or durability of the wheel?
Hello Video, sorry about taking so long to reply - family needs. I’m sorry I can’t recommend a source for the brass washers, mine were sent to me from a relative in Germany. Re 2x or 3x spoke crossing: I recommend 1x crossing. The large diameter of the hub means that more crosses than 1 tends to cause too much bend of the spoke at the nipple, causing flexing and eventual breakage. I recently had to re-lace one of my own bikes’ wheels that was 2x lacing a 121mm flange dia hub in a 26” rim. Several spokes had broken at the nipples. I re-laced at 1x lacing.
Thanks for video. Could you please show how to calculate the length of spokes?
Hello Aldis, there is a link in the text below the video, taking you to my blog page that gives more info, including a link to download the "spocalc" spreadsheet for calculating spoke lengths.
Hi Bruce! Is it possible to switch the rim 26in 1.75in bicycle wheel with a 1000w motor to a 26in 4in fat tire rim . I want a 1000w 26in fat tire for cheap so, I'm trying to build one from a fat tire mongoose . thanks
This is the first time I saw anyone do this brass washer technique. I had this idea myself when I was having problems with my spokes breaking. I quit having them break after that. I though it would act as a bearing and allow the head to move under load and keep them from flexing the elbow of the spoke. Very interesting to see someone else have the same idea.
Hello John, I think I got this idea from Sheldon Brown (see: www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html#washers). Washers are particularly useful when using 2mm (14g) spokes in hub motors that usually have 3.2mm holes.
Great tutorial Bruce thanks for taking the time to put this video together
Thank you so much for posting this video. I found this extremely benificial for my wheel build.
Fantastic job Bruce! Thank you so much for sharing this video, I've never laced a wheel before and you've helped me a ton! :)
So Great followed your advice and made my wheel up according to your video .It worked out perfect,Great advice and so well described ,Thank you.
Thank you, this video really helped me to spoke my motor hub properly.
Hi Bruce. Three questions. The front hub motor spoke holes' diameter/distance is 121mm, rim (steel) internal diameter 615mm (rim thickness 1.4mm), how many crossing do you suggest? Stainless steel or iron? Is the 2mm spoke nipple's diameter smaller than the one for 2.3mm spoke or are they the same? Just for the sake of clarity, the present wheel has 36 iron 2mm spokes, 3 crossing and hub spoke holes' diameter/distance 65 mm. Many thanks!
Hello Sergio, it works well to use 1 cross, maybe 2 cross. The big diameter of hub motors causes a more acute angle where the spoke meets the rim, so 3 cross is no good, 2 cross can still have problems with cracking the spokes next to the nipples. The nipple tries to stand up square to the rim, the spoke pulls it to an angle and forms a bend in the spoke, the spoke flexes and cracks at the bend. Stainless steel spokes are usually good, but some cheap stainless spokes can become brittle and break in the middle of the spokes. Galvanised steel spokes are good, but sometimes can rust if they live in a damp environment. I have made several wheels with galvanised spokes from old wheels, cut and threaded to a new size. 2.3 mm spokes have fatter nipples than 2.0mm, but not much (I can't measure any just now).
@@BruceTeakle hello and thx! yes, the angle matters the bigger nipple as well. Bafang specify 2.3mm, my rim uses 2mm but with 3 crossing. I guess 2.3 (galvanised steel) with 1 crossing could work. Is there a chance to use 2mm instead of 2.3 (as per Bafang's specification)? I'm not concerned by strength since the motor power is just 250W, but the hole diameter in the motor's hub. Should the spoke comply with 2.3mm requirement so to properly match the hole? is it a problem if the spoke (2mm) fits loosely? The spoke threading tool is about hundred euro, correct? With spoke calculator I got 257mm (1 crossing). All right! thank you
@@sergioaiello7135 We have laced lots of bafang hubs with 2mm spokes, with no problem. That is why I use the little brass washers, to help the 2mm spokes fit in the large hub flange holes. My cargo bike has done 20,000km+ with 2mm galvanised spokes, no problems. It is a problem if the head of the spoke is too loose in the hub flange hole, as this allows flex at the elbow, which causes breaks. I don't know how much a spoke threading machine is now, a little Hozan is good. Every cycling neighbourhood/extended family needs one!
Pulling spokes laced inbound? Disc build?.... Then I can understand.
Yes to the use of washers.... Seldom see that mentioned nowadays.
Did not get far enough to see the flavor of smoke being used. Suggest the Sapim-strong 13/14 the best choice.
Very informative, nice to view an informative video and explanation from a pro wheel builder that knows how to verbalize the build in off a wheel, Thank You!
I think your "Sheldon Brown" deviation is and extremely smart move as the extra stress and tension is needed for e-bikes. Rims have not changed yet our demands on them with e-bikes has yet Sheldon's most informative information I am so pleased to see that you are evoliving this extremely accurate and informative information to full today's needs of the e bike builder. Thanks Again!
I'm very new to ebikes. If you have 10 seconds I have a quick question sir; if someone was running 2 hub motors and their combined max current from the controllers was 60 amps, and you used a battery with 50amp BMS (52v 20ah), what would happen? If you ran WOT you may trip the BMS of the battery and it come back on after a few seconds? Or something worse? Thank you!
Hello Mike, I think there's all sorts of trouble to come from this arrangement!
Ebike motor + controller units tend to spend quite a lot of time running at the max amp rate. Every time they start from stationary they will run at full amps until they reach the speed at which current starts to decline. How long this lasts depends on the load. So this imaginary 2-motor arrangement will be exceeding the BMS capacity every start, and perhaps on every hill.
There are also long-term consequences to running motors at high currents and voltages. Motors burn their windings, shear shaft keys, mash gears, break dropouts, twist out of torque washers and levers, melt plugs and connectors, and shorten the lives of all the electronic, electrical and mechanical components. That’s why we have come to like ebikes running their components within their designed specs: more time riding, less time in the workshop.
You may find some content of interest in an old blog post of mine about overheating ebike motors:
bruceteakle.blogspot.com/p/burning-out-bafang-hub-motors.html
Good luck with your plans!
@@BruceTeakle thank you!
With a 26inch rim what size spokes do i use for my ehub ?
Hello Paul, you will need to calculate spoke lengths. This is easy using spocalc, which is linked in the description text above.
Excellent tutorial. Thank you for taking the time to make this video!
I have a.. skinny rim ebikemotor can I swap the motor to a fat rim?
Hello James, I can't see why you couldn't use a fat rim, as long as it has the same spoke count as the hub.
Hii and thanks alot for video.
Please can you tel me if nipples from 13g spokes will fit in a standard mountain bike rim that have 14g spokes??????????
Hello Steli, it depends. 13g nipples will fit in many rims without modification, but some rims with eyelets in the spoke holes may not fit and can't really be drilled. If no eyelets, you can drill without problems if you need to.
Hii and thanks alot.
I want to use a 26 inch double wall rim with eyelets. the holes in rim for nipples are 4.4 mm.
The 13g nipples we use are 3.9mm dia just under the head. Will probably work for 1 cross, but maybe not for 2 cross. If you are using a 250w - 350w motor, 14g spokes should be fine, but it would be best to have washers under the spoke heads in the hub flange holes. I've used 14g spokes on my cargo bike rear wheels with hub motors without any problem.
hello, i bought spokes for double wall rim, is double wall rim not strong much??
i have 13 gauge spokes but i have the rim with 14 gauge spoke holes, if i drill the hole is it effect the rim???
Double wall and single wall rims are both fine. My preference is for wider rims (25mm or more) because they are strong, easier to fit tyres on, especially fatter tyres which are good for bikes, and they work better with rim brakes. I can't see your rim so I can't be sure, but I expect that it will be fine to drill the nipple holes as long as they don't have eyelets (little metal circles which reinforce the nipple holes). I've often drilled out valve holes on rims (to fit shrader valves) but I've never had to drill the nipple holes. That's probably because I usually use 14gauge spokes - I've never had one break even on my cargo bike.
Good answer, yet my question is; with an E-Bike torque and speed are dramatically increased I am not sure why would not recommend the increased strength and safety by using double walled rims and disc brakes on both axles. Isi t a cost factor? My belief is a high performance bike should have at least 16 gauge spokes on double walled rims with disc brakes front and rear (Minimum 160mm rotors).
If in the event you are speaking of 250 watt motors or less than possibly one could disregard my recommendation yet I would not recommend it. Our theory is build it to be the best, the fastest and safest.
Even though i discovered this post in the E-Bike section it is possible you were no referring to e-bikes, in that case my apology is in order and I request you ignore it.
Thank You and Best Regards.
Thanks for this thorough explanation. Very helpful.
what is length of these spokes in this 26" rim , is it 215mm? i know its 8fun motor.
Hello Kingdom, on this BPM hub with Sun Rhyno rim, spoke length was 197mm. However this is different for different hubs or rims. I recommend you read my blog post: bruceteakle.blogspot.com/p/hub-motor-wheelbuilding-for-ebikes.html
@@BruceTeakle and let me get this clear, this rim you used is a 26" rim right? thank mate
@@kingdommusic5456 Yes I stick with 26": lots of rims, tyres and frames available, strong.
Thanks a lot
I've done it by watching it, after 2 times failed though.
Hi, I would like to ask, how you deal with centering the wheel inside the bike frame? In my case (KTM eLycan with bionx hub), the rim have to be rather away from one of the hub's planes. To do that, I tighten only one side spokes, so it pulls the rim to that side. So my question - how you make all spokes equally tension if it requires a rim to be off to nice side (to make it centered in the bike frame).
Thanks!
Also, after tightening all the spokes to its thread, I noticed that some spokes are much looser than others. Did you find similar problem?
Hello Simonas, you are right: the spokes are different tensions on the 2 sides of a rear wheel. A convention of bicycle design is that a wheel rim is almost always centred between the locknuts. This means that rear wheels (and front wheels with disc hubs) need to be dished: the spokes are shorter on the side with the sprockets (or disc), making the wheel "dished" - flatter on the sprocket side. When you use spocalc (or another spoke length calculator) you calculate the different lengths. The spokes on the flatter side (sprocket side) will have much higher tension than the other side - this is normal.
You try to keep the spokes equal tension within each side. This will naturally happen as you make the wheel true and concentric (spinning straight). If you are a perfectionist, you can use a spoke tension meter to test each spoke - I don't but my son does.
@@BruceTeakle Thanks for your replay! Appreciate it. After some search, also your answer - its clear now. It can be visually seen here ruclips.net/video/mb32h4PK_aU/видео.html that the tension of spokes on different sides are different. When I measured spoke length, which came with original wheel, it seems that its all the same. Of course, it could be 2 mm there and there, but I did not notice the visible difference. For now, the wheel looks true, but I would love to check it with tension meter. Could you recommend something? I was looking at ParkTool one, however, I am not sure if my spokes are long enough (its 174 mm) for it.
Hi bruce do you offer a wheeling repair/rebuild service
Hi Richy, I don't, but my son does in Brisbane, Australia, if you live nearby!
Is this suitable for 26inch rim hubmotor has 36holes spokes will handle this weight hubmotor weight is 7kgs
Yes, the rim in the video is 26" with 36 holes.
Are those 250 watt Hub motor casing pretty standard in dimensions? I'm wanting to buy a hub motor off of eBay for $100 will it do a direct replacement on my ebike.. Or do I have to change the spokes to fit my rim?
Hello Rip, all the Bafang/8Fun 250w hubs I use have 121mm flange diameter, and many other motors and Bafang copies are the same or very close. If you have the same spoke count (most Chinese hubs are 36 spoke) and flange diameter, your old spokes should be fine. If not, you'll need to get or cut spokes. Spokes for hub motors are unusual lengths so it's best if you can find someone with a spoke threading machine.
@@BruceTeakle Hi Bruce thanks for the reply. I think I will try and install a new one, that I'm going to order on eBay. Thank you sir!
what a great video, i need to replace the un named motor in my ebike wheel for an 8-fun unit if i cant get the part needed (clutch) and this video has given me the courage to do it, its a 20 inch rim how would i find the spoke size?
Hey man, I have a hub motor on a 26rim, but my bike is 29
Can I change the hub motor to the bigger rim?
Hello Bruno, you can use a motor from a 26" rim in a 29" rim. The bike will have a slightly higher (more than 10%) speed, and the motor will overheat at a higher speed too. In other words the bike will be faster on the flat but not so good for climbing hills. How well this works will depend on what country you ride in: should be no problem in flat places but could be a problem with long steep climbs. I have a blog post on how hub motors can overheat: bruceteakle.blogspot.com/p/burning-out-bafang-hub-motors.html
Good explanation how to adjust the spokes correctly.
Thanks I just bought a Yuba Mundo frame and need to build up the rear wheel with a BMC hub.
Great demonstration!
One question. If you used the same thickness of spokes, but went for a single butted version at the head, do you think the washers would still be necessary? Also, what brand of rim are you using? It looks like a quality rim.
To answer my second Q. Found it below in another comment.
26" Sun Ringle Rhyno Lite (36 holes)
The hub flange holes are made for a 13g spoke, so if the butted spoke is 13g at the head it would be fine. I add washers when I use 14g spokes in hub motors.
The Rhyno Lite rims are really good and strong, and a good width for heavy Schwalbe tyres. But I'm not a rim snob. I've done 10s of 1000s of km on single wall rims (especially in front wheels) and they are fine too.
Thanks for the reply.
I like the 14ga spokes because they have plenty of flex to them.
I think hub motors get a bad reputation for breaking spokes because:
1. These Chinese kits use thicker cheaper spokes with very little flex.
2. Probably the Chinese kits also are not flexed and readjusted properly.
I would think that up to 500w single wall is fine, but I would feel better with a double wall using the newer two speed geared hub. Here in USA, we have the two speed hub available in 1000W. Of course you don't have to run it at the full 1000W. A heat sensor has been added to the motor to shut it down before damage occurs to the motor if it starts getting too hot.
What is best rims etc to buy for a 27.5 inch wheels? Want to fit hub motor to that size for my mountain bike. Hope oyu can suggest parts needs (strongest etc)
Hi Tech, I haven't made 27.5", but in general my favourite rims are wide and strong, eyelets are good, and I don't buy expensive rims. I don't know if Sun Ringle Rhyno Lite comes in 27.5", but that's the style I like. If you are using 13g spokes, you may have trouble with eyelets. I suggest try something cheap and available and learn what works for you. Good luck!
Looks like a hell of a lot of work to me after watching your videos (The videos are very good! Great blog to.) So may just keep two bikes, one 27.5 my current mountain bike without motor and another 26inch with motor. Wheel size is only an issue for me as it makes any journey longer when peddling on road (when in non electric mode). I was thinking to thread a 27.5 and then I could use one bike and swap front wheels over when ever I want to go electric. Can't make up my mind! But thanks for your reply so quickly!
Hi Tech, if you can squeeze 2 bikes into your shelter, my inclination would be to go with 2 bikes, and keep each one set up and ready to go. If bikes are providing transport, they need to be quick to get out the door with. And all the plugs, weight and complexity of the electric parts, and getting 2 different wheels to fit into the brakes, don't make for simplicity. In hilly country, ebikes and pushbikes need different gear ratios as well.
You've put a lot of work into your videos! Good on you. I'll have to go thru some of the basic electrics ones with my sons.
Many thanks for the sensible advice. I think I will do just that. That way I can still ride out on my 27.5 for most trips and then just use the electric for the occasional long trip. Could I ask you about battery maintenance? I have heard it is not good to leave a lithium ion battery without regular use? The thing is I won't be using the electric that often. What would you suggest? Plus what is the current thoughts on that. What is the reality.
We are daily users of our (several) ebikes, and have a small stack of batteries for them. Having several batteries allows us to take multiple heavy trips in a day and delay recharge until we have solar house power available. So I just recharge asap so the batteries are ready. I have heard that lithium batteries gain longer life by storing at half discharge (don't depend on me for that), but you'd have to plan ahead to do that. Our main battery killer is leaving batteries connected to a load or leaving discharged batteries uncharged for months.
I have a 26 inch rim now and I believe I have the right spokes but when I go to add the cross spokes it becomes near impossible to get even one spoke on
Hi Drift, there are lots of things to get wrong when you're building a wheel. Check the measurements and the spreadsheet, check the patterns: which hub holes, crosses, rim holes. Sometimes the nipples get caught in their rim holes and need to be wiggled into place. I often need to step back from a beginner's wheel and look at the pattern. Review it all and you'll get it right!
@@BruceTeakle will start again tomorrow and hope its right, I used this online spoke calculator ebikes.ca/tools/spoke-calc.html?hub=cust_d230_s30_o0_n36_l170_h3_p40.1&pair=false&rim=cust_dia584_e553_lo2_ro2_w41&lelb=out&relb=out and got 162mm as my measurements for spokes so I ordered 162mm.
Its a 26 inch rim with a 1000w front hub. If im still unable to get this up and running after a decent few tries would it be possible to get in closer contact and maybe sending a few photos or videos to find out where im going wrong?
I give up. In Schwinn school, which was an actual thing, when Schwinn was an actual bicycle company in Chicago and had actual dealers, I was taught that the trailing spokes (under tension when you pedal) should come from the outside of the flange. I've built many hundreds of wheels this way.
And yes, I'm aware that Sheldon Brown has his reasons for disagreeing - more on that.
Then... I watched a wheelbuilder from Grin Technologies (a Vancouver, BC ebike electric technology company) - Their wheelbuilder wasn't alternating at all, all his spokes had the heads inside the flanges and pulled from the outside of the flange. So I looked at my ebike, expecting the alternating spokes I was accustomed to, and no, they all pulled from the same side of the flange - the inside of the flange - opposite of the Grin Technologies wheelbuilder.
Hmm. Maybe ebikes just have all the spokes on a single side of the flange for some reason - countersinking for the heads, perhaps?
Then I saw this video, and I was back to the alternating spoke patterns I was accustomed to (only Sheldon Brown's "backward" trailing tension spokes on the inside of the flange).
So - I looked at a couple of my bikes - My Scott Boulder had the wheels laced the way I was taught. Alternating spokes, with the trailing tension spokes coming off the outside of the flanges. Vindication. I looked at my Giant FCR - and was less vindicated - the cassette side was as I expected, with a 3-cross pattern, trailing tension spokes coming off the outside of the flange - but the left flange was radial spoked!!! Something I had never noticed.
So I went to the motherload of cycling Nirvana - my Raleigh DL1, possibly the finest 2-wheeled conveyance ever made. I glanced at the left flange and, indeed, Raleigh had spoked it with the traling tension spokes coming off the outside of the flange - then I looked at the right flange, and it was completely opposite - trailing spokes coming off the inside of the flange, Sheldon Brown style.
I have concluded that there may be more than a little dogma at play here, with various camps and factions having their own religious justification, and ultimately, I think the late, great Sheldon Brown might agree;
He said, "Note: This is not an important issue! There is a sizable minority of good wheelbuilders who prefer to go the other way around, and good wheels can be built either way."
So... really good, clear video with nice tips - even if you built the bloody thing backward ;-)
thanks for your reply, i have another question, please can you tell me the hole diameter of 13 gauge nipple, and what size drill bit i want to use to make holes bigger???
Firstly, we've never had to drill a rim for 13g spokes (my son laces lots of 13g spokes in various rims), so you may not need to drill. Our 13g nipples measure 4.3mm on the shaft, so if you need to drill you may get away with 4.5mm. Tight holes will be a problem if you try to make too many spoke crosses - most hub motors use 1-cross to avoid bending the spokes at the nipple. If you are working on wheels I recommend getting a vernier caliper for measuring.
Is it necessary to use double walled rims, or is single wall strong enough?
Single wall rims are fine - I've done 1000s of km on them. I often use good rims from old wheels, and spokes from old wheels, again have done 1000s of km of mountain riding, with heavy loads, including dirt roads without breaking a spoke or rim. Don't be afraid to use good quality, low end bits and pieces. I think the most important thing is to have a go and try things out.
If your are building an e-bike anything less than a double walled rim on the motor driven wheel will crash your success and safety. Due to the high torque and energy I recommend doubled walled rims on the front and rear of your bike. Surely all of us would like to read about your success rather than failures and certainly would rather see your success rather than an another negative statistic on E-bikes or even worse seen your casualty on the evening news.
Build Smart, Build Strong
Ride Safe, Ride Intelligent!
I tried it but I discovered that my rim is opposite so the first key spoke ends up on the wrong side of the rim, not sure what I can do about it.
With beginning wheel building you get used to unlacing and relacing your mistakes! Yes, sometimes I find a rim that has the opposite start to the holes. You make your key spoke either the first or 2nd from the valve hole, so it can be on the correct side. If the key spoke is 2nd from the valve, the first spoke of the 2nd side goes next to the valve.
@@BruceTeakle Thanks mate, redid it and it worked.
Thanks for video tutorial but what if my wheel rim isfor 32 and not for 36holes?
There are 32 and 36 spoke hub motors (but mostly 36), and there are 32 and 36 spoke rims (and lots of other spoke counts). Get a rim and hub with the same spoke count. You can use a rim from an old wheel of the right diameter - lots of old wheels are 36 spoke.
Professional great job mate
What the size of spoke for this motre in 26 inch Bicycle rim
Salut, comment changer les filles électronique
I found electrical tape works well for lining the rim too.
I have normal cycle. Now query is
Can I use same rim for Hubmotor...?
If yes can I use same spokes seems like Hubmotor length is 4-5inches but here spokes are little bigger do I need to buy little bit smalle or another size spokes..?
If I need to buy probably what is the sizes May fit for Hubmotor rims
Kindly reply
Hello Kmurali, you can use your old rim on a hub motor if the rim has the same number of spoke holes as the motor - motors usually have 36 spokes. You can use the same spokes, but only if you can cut them to the right length and roll a new thread on. You need to calculate the right length for that rim and that hub. For more detail read my blog post - link is above under the video.
thanks so much for making this video. so helpful!
Thank you 🙏 I live in Iraq 🇮🇶
Great, nice video , I learn something new. thank you.
Thank you so much, it helped me a lot.
God bless you.
hello, my 13 size nipple is 4.6 mm, so what size drill bit i want to use, and will drilling the rim damage the rim or not??
I expect 5mm would fit, but again: you can't drill a spoke hole with an eyelet. Normally there should be no problem drilling the rim, but I can't promise as I can't see the job. Rims usually have plenty of spare strength: remember the joint in most rims is just pegged together. You may even find it worthwhile to drill the spoke holes while lacing, to angle the holes in line with the spokes.
what is the size of spokes for 24 inch wheel
Hello Sharan, each wheel needs a calculation to find the length of the spokes, often a different length one each side. Read my blog (linked in description above) and/or download the spoke length calculator at www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/spocalc.htm
how long does that take about ?
That depends on how many times you need to start again! I mean that: when you're learning, you need to stop and check periodically and quite often there is a mistake early on that requires a fresh start. If there aren't any mistakes it might take an hour or so.
@@BruceTeakle to answer my question ... with less then desired tools and no true stand and not watching the video right before i started.. first time i was just like yeah every fourth nipple and every second spoke . i restarted half way and redid it making sure my pattern was corect and then i got it and realized when i started that timebi grabbed the rim that had a nipple ripped through and didntbrealize till about 60 spokes later
what's the size of wheel and spokes used here?
This is a 26" rim (for an Xtracycle cargo bike) and I'm using 2mm (14gauge) spokes. For my own bikes (like this one) I usually use 2nd hand spokes, often galvanised instead of stainless.
@@BruceTeakle well thanks for the reply. what's the length of the spokes?
fantastic work and perfect explains tutorials
Bom dia meu amigo moro em Recife Pernambuco gostaria de fazer isso aqui em Recife você poderia me ensinar
How do I know what spoke to use ??
Hi Dave, in the text describing the video there is a link to my blog page that give more info, including how to calculate and cut spokes.
This video very use ful and detailed. Thank you so much.
I finished an ebike yesterday, but i found some major problems on it, The problem is while i riding the bike by throttling, some times the display light dims and low battery voltage caution icon is displaying in the display. and than display shutting off. after that if i try to turn it on again it wont work, so i removed the battery from controller and installed it again than works perfectly, it happens always so i want to remove and install battery again and again, so what is this problem, is this problem is in battery or controller?? Please give me a solution.
Hello Ourhsp, I can't be sure but this looks like a problem in the battery, or in battery power connections, which is giving a low voltage to the controller. Low voltage can come from a low voltage supply (like a flat battery) or by losing voltage in bad connections (perhaps corroded) when current is flowing. Hopefully it is a bad electrical connection between the battery cells and the controller. I suggest check and clean all connections from the battery to the controller. If this doesn't help, consider a problem with the battery. Make sure it charges properly. Check the voltage when charging, and after disconnection from the charger. Check voltage of the battery when it is connected and under load, perhaps by running the bike with the electric wheel in the air, giving full throttle and applying the brake to slow the wheel down and increase the load.
Of course you will need a multimeter to test voltage (Fluke 101 is very good, not super expensive).
Good luck!
the actual problem is while running the bike's electric wheel in the air there is no problem, if i get to the bike and ride in the road the bike stops, this is the problem is, and if there any errors in controller will it happen??
Sometimes there can be a problem in the controller, but this is rare in my experience. The controller will shut down if it receives a low voltage from the battery. This is to protect the battery. The battery also normally has a BMS which will shut it down if the voltage gets too low. I recommend checking the battery supply voltage to the controller. If there is a bad connection this will drop the voltage and cause the controller to shut down.
voltage drop will happen if there are bad connections between cells or bad connections in BMS?
That's right. A high resistance connection will create a voltage drop, but only when current is flowing. So when the motor is stopped, only a tiny current is feeding the controller and display, and there is only a tiny voltage drop over any bad connection, so the controller will see a good voltage. When the motor draws a big current thru the bad connection, there will be a big voltage drop, so the controller sees a low voltage from the battery and shuts down to protect the battery. This might be what is happening to you.
wich size you useing spok plzzzz 26 rem
Have a look at my blog where I explain how to calculate spoke length: bruceteakle.blogspot.com.au/p/hub-motor-wheelbuilding-for-ebikes.html
When I skip 3 holes each time I end up with 1 spoke that doesnt have a hole to goto
Hello Drift, do you have the same spoke hole count in your hub and your rim? Sounds a bit like a 36 hole hub (most common hub motor) and and 32 hole rim (most common rim these days).
@@BruceTeakle Yeah, realised that and got a 26 inch rim with 36 holes (was trying on a 27.5) so I have to order shorter spokes now, dumb me :)
29 inch tire spoke size sir
What is the size of wheel and spokes?
The rim is a 26" Sun Ringle Rhyno Lite (36 holes), and the spokes are 14 gauge (2mm diameter).
Thank you for respond.
Thank you for the sharing. this is a very good knowledge transfer.
How long have spokes?
to calculate spoke length, I use the spocalc spreadsheet, available from Sheldon Browns site:
sheldonbrown.com/rinard/spocalc.htm
Sheldon Brown has lots of other good advice on the site.
Sheldon Brown's.web site and information is extremely accurate and resourceful (it as been my bike bible for decades) yet please keep in mind it does not include the additional information required to build an extremely fast and high toque e-bike of today's 48volt 1000 watt (plus bikes available today), all of Sheldon.s information is invaluable yet please do some more research if you are building an eclectic bike as disc brakes and double walled rims are highly advised.
Certainly Sheldon's information is extremely helpful and import yet please insure you include your build to include the highest safety and durability standards available today.
Enjoy your ride,
Ride Safe.
Drive Intelligent!
I'm sure you're right. Particularly in the USA, it appears that high power, high speed ebikes are common. I can see they may be useful for some people, but I'm not much attracted to them. It is the low power and low speed of bikes that bring many of their great advantages in safety, durability and efficiency. I'm also happy to contribute my own energy thru pedalling.
All my videos and blog content refer to bikes that are road legal (or nearly so) in Australia. If you put higher powers thru motors than they have been designed for, you can expect more problems: burnt windings, bent dropouts, sheared keys, damaged gears, etc..
This was very informative, thank you.
Thank you! Great video
Nice job!
Size of spoke
Hi Bruce, How do you get the right measurement for the spokes?
I have a 28" rim with normal "Analogue" axle and wanted to buy a motor but do I cut the spokes? buy new ones? What length? (Not sure about hub diameter yet) How would I know.
The RMS in NSW wont give me a licence for 100 years because they messed up a medical diagnosis so now want to discredit me so that I am not credible, going as far as killing people interested in my case.
My comms are monitored as well (Indian call centers, optus, microsoft) They took down the banks "Financial Crisis" and handed the money out to those who support them and keep quiet about it. Everyone is a sell out you know. it has crippled a lot of systems.
Post office, Police, Courts, Communications, aviation....Melbourne Australia was the hub I watched it all happen. Thats why they killing people and preventing anyone from reaching me to see evidence. They keep burying it.
I cant work like this...I cant Live like this. riots and drugs divert resources and destabaliise everything, they claiming I am the leader of it but really they stole my identity and image which I never recorded or released, claim I am married to redirect funds and communication and go around like a circus act selling drugs and taking over cities. Music Drugs, media. Everyone thinks its all good fun a who has talent show and clapping along. its quite an ingenius system but they used me to do it when I had nothing to do with it.
World turning to shit for it and important things cant get done. I left that scene in the 90's. but they latched on.. Even before then it was Italian networks taking down industries. So they are the people who flamed on the entertainment drugs scene.
Then turn people against me because I didnt walk in and accept an off the records payout so they cant link me to that activity.
Police were replaced. they were lured into fake meetings and ambushed.
drug networks strong and very covert. Music is the advertising for it. "Smoking ads illegal but cocaine and marijuana and extacy is sold like candy through music.
No one here helping me get a licence let alone sort out reall big issues preventing me from having a relaationship, a job, a business, children... I am ready to kill people. If I flew a plane into the side of a building it would be justified. its been over 15 years since I found out and longer since it has been happening.
Design ideas stolen and taken by these people. Australians having a laugh smoking dope drinking on the dole a bunch of useless deviouts who are probably some of the most vile fucking idiots which I can prove through experience. Shit talking theives decendents of murderous convict drunks....
They recruited China through hong kong using drugs and sex and screwing communications. Hijacking cargo containers and blaming others of which they want to invade like the spanish did to the World Trade Center to take the Arab oil then kill off the troops you send while foreigners took advantage and claimed the poost and communications and all the holes that were left after everyone looking at Saddam with bio weapons like they point the spotlight on someone and claim all the shit in the world is their fault. Like me. I am kind of glad that some of these people are dying due to people invading their homes and wiping records of bank payments and red tape and "Laundering" realestate and government departments. sad thing is those people were none the wiser.
Maybe I shoudl just join them killing everyone and kiss the Queens ass like they all do and get pardoned.
The Melbourne Queen was elected by Maltese drug music network and claiming all my work as though I was there because I knew them for a couple of years so they think they can throw my life around at the ost of millions of peoples lives and livelyhoods. People jump on board for the fun not knowing the bloood they splashing around.
Is liveihood with an I does it matter, these people will turn it into the flaw and reason for robbing me like it was a chemical nuke aimed at them to justify why they wont give me a licence. etc.
Meltese are like that.
Ever wonder why Malta and Spain never taken down in WW2? They rob both sides and claim they both sides enemy. which is why I dont want to associate with them either.
Medical will cover up facts then blame another countrys medical which is why the USA has a lot of abandoned hospitals because theey used drug music crowds in a frenzy to take them down but these people cant build anything they just take it over, Jesus died for them, then pray to buy time until another fly is trapped in their web.
Some help would be great but who do you turn to??
So wht length do you cut or buy the spokes?
Thank you sir
Thanks brother
Great!
One of you guys should try attaching the nipples in a dual wall rim.
America first ... ?"? Try the Netherlands Dutch e - bikes ....
wrong
Do you know what is spoke size for 27.5
2mm thickness spokes, also called 14gauge would be normal. The length needs to be calculated for every wheel, see the text below the video.
What size spokes are they?
What size spokes? If you mean spoke gauge, I use 2mm spokes usually, unless I order spokes to the right length from a Chinese hub motor supplier, who often supply 2.3mm spokes to fit their rims. I have found 2mm spokes to be very strong and durable, even for cargo bikes. If you mean spoke length, then I recommend reading my blog post linked above that gives a link to the spocalc spreadsheet that I use to calculate spoke lengths.
@@BruceTeakle ok Thanks