Gday there, just wondering if anyone has any experience with the dura-ace HB 7600 high flange hubs, and if they can be laced radially. Shimano dont recommend it because of the higher spoke tensions required may reduce the integrity of the flange and spoke holes.
Are they being conservative, or is this a real issue?
Cheers
I don’t understand why people want radial lacing. I’m sure it saves a few grams but i would have thought that it reduces acceleration and strength of the wheel, thus being ultimately detrimental to performance. I also reckon it looks silly, especially when just the front wheel is done like that. In addition, it reminds me of the way we drew bikes as kids.
do you really want to be seen riding a bike without chain stays or a down tube?
Most hub manufacturers, with a couple of exceptions, include some warning about radial lacing. Do it if you really must but shimano won’t back the hub if a flange fails (assuming you bought it new and are covered by warranty). That said, the only modern hub flange fail I’ve seen fail was one that had been filed badly for bladed spokes.
Radial lacing’s a wank anyway. It’ll save you about 15-30grams max per wheel for a fashion statement with negligible aero advantage (you still have the same number of nipples creating drag at the rim, where it counts most) and compromised strength. A radially laced wheel will never be as strong laterally as a crossed lacing. If you’re a bigger rider or are going to thrash the wheel around town even 2x is doubtful. DON’T EVER lace a rear wheel radially, especially on the drive side.
I’ll offer a dissenting opinion - do it.
The performance argument is bullshit for all but a few select aliens. The strength argument is bullshit unless you’re big and heavy.
For most of us, on most hubs, radial lacing is no problem at all.
I reckon you’ll struggle to many people here who have actually had serious trouble because of radial lacing.
I have some Cosmic wheels with 16h radial front and 20h half radial rear and they take plenty of abuse.
If it’s built by a competent wheelbuilder you’ll be fine.
(OTOH, I wouldn’t radial lace a sherriff star)
A. It looks hot…
B. It looks more pretty when it spins… 
I Second the sheriff star thingo…
What the hell would they know?
This.
Speak for yourself… this is my drawing of a bike (as a kid). Little did i know how close i would come to living my childhood dream?
I’ve seen a lot more broken flanges on Dura-Ace low-flange 8sp hubs than Campag C-Record or Dura-Ace track hubs. There doesn’t seem to be an internet truism along those lines though.
Unless you are racing at a good level (State Champion or better), why do something that may cause problems and gives no advantage? I’d suggest not radially lacing them.
Disclaimer: I do own a radially laced set of track race wheels, 28 hole Zeus hubs and skinny Wolber rims. A friend is still racing on them 15 years later.
Cheers for the opinions guys.
Spud - you are a true artist, i wish i could draw that good
I wish I could predict the future with such startling accuracy 
ymmv. etc
They also suggest on that note: “We stongly advise that you […] carry out daily maintenance of the bicycle wheels.”
Daily!?
lend me your radial wheels for a day :evil:.
Factory wheels like cosmics, ksyriums, Shimano factory wheels etc are a different matter - different rims, different spokes and hub flanges built for radial lacing. I think our OP is talking about lacing a conventional hub to a conventional rim with conventional spokes? Very not the same thing as a cosmic.
Good enough reason.
I’m sure we could both break a radial wheel if we tried
I’ve had a number of radially laced ‘conventional’ wheels and never had a problem.
I just reckon its a bit of a storm in a teacup.
BTW, my Cosmics are the ones with Open Pro rims under the black plastic - that’s a pretty conventional rim
And it has to be the most common reason for radial lacing.
dan laced my last build with a radial front. figure he knows a hell of a lot more than me about wheelbuilding (and pretty much everything else).
There you go, I’m sure that’s a Dura-Ace hub, they just don’t last…
Or you could get all creative n shit
Shotgun not working out the spoke lengths on that one…
I hit a pot hole on my Cannondale(crack and fail) CAAD8 frame about two years ago.
Small hole.
The frame broke before the radially laced front wheel did. I was doing about 45 clicks and I’m 80 odd kegs.
I think radially lacing is strong!
I hit and jumped the curb with my radially laced front wheel and just bent my forks, I think that 3x would be stronger for sure but that if you have a good wheel builder you can still have a strong wheel.
What’s involved in being a “good wheel builder”?
I’ve built two wheels from scratch and rebuilt another (replaced the spokes). All of the wheels have been true for about a year or so now.
Well what’s a shit wheel builder or mechanic?
We could go into the fundamentals of wheelbuilding vertical torsion, dishing, seating the spokes. But wont.
Are you a good wheel builder because you built some wheels?
