[MTB maintenance] A New Wheel Build - Sapim Secure Lock Nipples and DT Swiss straight spokes

Sapim secure lock nipples have unique locking mechanism and don't require Spoke Prep, Spoke Freeze or any other thread locking adhesives to keep the spoke from untightening. I have recently built a wheel set using them. They works great in locking the spokes but took me a very long time to finish building the wheels.

[@mrjamieholloway]

When using a spoke length calculator, what lacing pattern should I input for a 24H straight pull hub like the DT Swiss hubs in your video? Thanks the video is very well done. :)

[@MindDesignFactory]

Hi, if you will use the DT Swiss online spoke calculator, then there is no need to specify which lacing pattern is to be used because a straight pull hub has only one lacing pattern. In usual cases, 24H straight hub has a 2x and 28H hub a 3x lacing pattern, I think.

[@stuvademakaroner9607]

Which spoke length calculator did you use?

[@MindDesignFactory]

I usually use DT Swiss online spoke calculator. And I manually measure the ERD of the rims to check if the ERD value printed on the rims are really accurate. DT's spoke calculator has worked just fine for me so far.

[@snappyfish]

do you recommend interlacing straight pull?

[@MindDesignFactory]

I am not an expert wheel builder and actually don't know much about the exact and true mechanics behind various spoke interlacing patterns. My Shimano XTR M988 straight pull factory wheels have 2 cross non-interlaced, but all DT factory straight pull wheels I have ever seen have interlaced. So I interlaced spokes on my build. Personally I feel that 2 cross looks natural with non-interlaced whereas 3 cross looks more natural with interlaced. Also, as a very novice builder, a 3 cross interlaced straight pull wheel LOOKS more stabilised laterally than otherwise. But this is only my unscientific impression. Have a nice weekend!

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Straight pull spokes seem superior to j bend spokes why so few use I'm a MTBeer

[@MindDesignFactory]

I really don't know how much superior the straight pull spokes are. It is usually said that they are better overall compared to J-bend spokes. But maybe it costs much less to manufacture j-ben spoke hubs than straightpull spoke ones. There is one thing that I'm wondering about the way how straight spokes behave when they come beneath the hub while you ride a bike. Unless they are tensioned highly enough, their heads would come off slightly and the wheel would be theoretically unstable a bit. Well, maybe some spoke-gurus would come to rescue and explain explicitly how straight pull spokes are better except the high neck wear tolerance :)