BUILD INSTRUCTIONS

Lacing Instructions

Rome wasn't built in a day but your triple should be. These are no more difficult to build than a regular wheel if you follow instructions and don’t do it stoned. Your wheel builder will probably still hate you - although he probably already does for buying on-line. They do take a little bit longer to lace given the spokes need a small bend and a little bit of encouragement to get past the centre flange. Essentially this is going to look like a regular 24 spoke, 2 cross design on the outside flanges and repeated again with 12 spokes 2 cross on the centre flange.

Step 1: Drive side trailing spokes (Always looking from the drive side)

Pick a spoke hole on the drive flange to the left of one of the larger holes. Thread the spoke through from the outside leaving the spoke head facing out – critical (see step 8). This spoke should go immediately to the right of the valve hole; this is important to ensure the valve stem sits in a gap between expanding angles of spokes. To get this wrong is a cardinal sin and will definitely make god unhappy. Repeat with the remaining drive side trailing spokes in every 2nd hole in the flange and every 6th hole around the rim (5 holes between them).

Step 2: Non drive side trailing (Always looking from the drive side)

Notice looking across the flanges, to the left of any drive side trailing spoke there is a 10 deg gap to a centre flange hole, then another 10 deg gap to a non drive flange hole. Using this non drive hole (20deg to the left of a drive side hole) lace the non drive trailing spoke to the 2nd rim hole to the left of its drive partner (1 hole between them). Repeat with the remaining non drive side trailing spokes in every 2nd hole in the flange and every 6th hole around the rim (5 holes between them).

Step 3: Center flange leading (Always looking from the drive side)

Using the centre flange hole between your drive and non drive trailing spokes, lace this forward as a leading spoke. It should be obvious which rim hole it locates but it should fall immediately to the left of a drive side trailing. It makes no difference if the spoke head is in or out but keep them the same. Once again repeat with the remaining centre leading spokes in every 2nd hole in the flange and every 6th hole around the rim.

Step 4: Centre flange trailing (Always looking from the drive side)

If you have made it this far “well done”, shit gets easy from here since not many holes are left. There are 2 rim spoke holes between every trailing and leading pair so feed these in from the opposite direction from your leading and crossing over the 2nd spoke as per a normal 2 cross build.

Step 5: Drive side leading (Always looking from the drive side)

Same as above, but these spokes have to be spoke head in so feed in from the far side – otherwise impossible with the center flange all crossed up. If you missed this instruction way back in step 1, put it down and go get pissed.

Step 6: Non drive side leading (Always looking from the drive side)

Done, nice1. Do yourself a quick favour and run all the spoke nipples up until the threads are hidden and they are all nice and even.
Stand back, admire your talented work while sipping a refreshing beverage.

Truing tips

This is an art and I don’t pretend to be anything but an amateur hence the title. This is a minor tip that does not exclude the many and varied techniques, superstitions and rules for wheel building.
In my experience leave the centre spokes totally limp and true this wheel as you would a regular 24h build until it is perfect. I use a spoke tension meter mainly because I’m inexperienced but like things to be right. Once fully happy, only then progressively wind spoke tension into the centre spokes but leave the final tension a minimum of 10% below the outside spokes. If it’s good, nothing will move.

Spoke length calc’s

There is no easier tool to use than ‘Spocal’ spreadsheet which can be found here; http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/spocalc.htm For spoke length calculation use flange Ø = 69mm and WL = 32 and WR = 32. If you think about, we are building a 24h, 2 cross wheel for the outside spokes using width left and right of 32mm. for the middle flange pretend for a moment there are 2 centre flanges 1mm apart each with 12 spokes. One of these flanges will carry spokes just like a 24h 2 cross except the width left to right between the flanges is like 1mm. If you’re confused send me your ERD (effective rim diameter) and I’ll shot the results back to you.
For example using Dodici's; ERD = 561mm
Outside spokes = 266mm
Center spokes = 264mm