may 2008/16 System EX & IRO on DT Swiss RR + Deep-V
This was the second set of v-section rims that I’ve done this year but these ones were much easier as I was able to get my nipple clamp down into the hole. Both of these were what I would call right-handed rims and I was quite lucky that I noticed that before I had started lacing or I would have had to take the thing apart and start again.
Both of these rims had an ERD of 582mm and the pattern was 3-cross for both front and rear. The spoke length was 281mm in both cases. The spokes were DT Swiss Competition double butted with brass nipples. The front hub was a System EX hub in 32 hole with the DT Swiss RR 1.2 rim and rear was the Velocity Deep-V with an IRO track hub. The rear hub and rim were both red or perhaps a metallic magenta would be a better description of the colour.
So what’s this right-handed rim business? Well, 90% of the rims that I use have the hole to the left of the valve hole when you have the the rim parallel to you, looking down into the holes. So when you put the spokes into the hub holes you are aware of that and do it so that for a 3-cross pattern the valve hole is in a gap i.e. there are no crosses directly below it. Of course the way this is done for what I call a left-handed rim wouldn’t work for a right-handed one.
So what’s the little trick? When you have two opposing heads out spokes going to the right, the one nearest you would be further to the right. That would be for a left-handed rim as described above. I bet you were dying to know that weren’t you.