It's natural that a wheel is attached a high value. In that case, aerodynamics and weight are especially attract a great deal of interest which effect upon the high speed performance and the acceleration, hillclimb as continuous acceleration.

As a high speed performance, an important consideration is the aerodynamics. Results of wind tunnel experience under 50km/h was released on a publication. 50km/h is the velocity on professional time trial race. For that region, rim height and spoke count, shape of spoke bring differences.
A front wheel with the classic rim and 32 spokes requires 50 ~ 60 watts as load power for the velocity 50km/h under standard air density though, a recent mostly aero wheel requires 20 ~ 30 watts under same circumstances, which difference would be around 30 watts. Absolutely for the velocity 50km/h.
And the dynamic balance is important, a wrong wheel as that would bring oscillation over around 40km/h which increases rolling resistance and loss of torque.
It's natural to select high accuracy wheels for the time trial race.

However, as today's wheel, classic rim is none. As a hand built wheel, it consists of semi-aero rim 20 ~ 30mm height which load power is around 35 watts for the 50km/h. It differs only 15 watts compared to a highend aero wheel for the 50km/h.
This difference decreases dramatically for lower velocity range. It's several watts for 40km/h as an example.

How important 10 watts difference is?
For the 50km/h, even an earo bike requires 400 ~ 450 watts thrust power, a roadbike with under handle position requires 500+ watts, a roadbike with another position requires 600 watts above, any bike with casual wears requires 700 watts above.
Of course, slight difference would be important for race though. Are there other important factors?

As for hillclimb, aerodynamics is worthless, lightweight is none other than the worth. With that, a classical rim with 28 holes was once hailed, and an idiot physical estimation "wheel weight effects dozen fold" had sympathy.
Recently manufactures publishes the inertia moments of wheels. It's possible to get the equivalent mass due to divide it by a radius of the wheel. Practically, additional weight as equivalent mass is around 50%. i.e. wheel weight saving 100g is worth to weight saving 150g. Diet 1kg has more effective worth, which is not kidding but a truth.


Around here, about the power load, there is a calculator software named "cyclePowerSim" which could simulate the cycling power due to set a rider's body and equipments specifications, various environments.
Especially about wheels, it coulld predict the aerodynamics due to rim-height and spoke counts, which calculates non-linear processing due to results of wind-tunnel measurement of dozens high-end wheels.



What factors the wheel has for its performance?


Already mentioned, for the TT race, the first two factors should be counted.

What's important? as for general road race, that depends on the strategy or athlete type, course condition and so on. That might be same as TT race in case of escaping which is rarely succeeded though.
As for the last sprint, weight and inertia moment, torque efficiency are important. Aerodynamics might not be so worth due to utilize the peloton during cruising, acceleration become to be worth around high speed range.

As for criterium, lateral stiffness is worth too for cornering. A wheel dedicated to aerodynamics is easy to deflect generally which would make the understeer. That's could not be so-called "rear is fast". And, acceleration performance is important as same as the sprint.

Ease of maintenance couldn't be called performance but is worth for touring as an example. If one spoke was broken it's possible to go an area shop, and to exchange it easily. All depend on endurance and ease of maintenance for touring.



As rough directions, manufactures wheels are going to delicate to high speed performance, hand built wheels are not going to delicate to something but have a possibility to get various performances balanced due to compatibility. That changes depending on elements.

Without questions, manufactures aero wheels should be selected for the TT race, hand built wheels should be selected for touring. And, for the criterium, it might be selectable to apply hand built wheels which are lightweight and high stiffness.

As for variations of construction, manufactures wheels might have a wide variety, at least those have unique structures.
That's a result of dedications.

Hand built wheels have variations too.
And, it's possible to construct a wheel which has performances balanced and identified.

There are radial and tangent as structures, and four and six, eight as tangent structure.
Italian structure and JIS are different of spoke direction.

And there are more particular kind of structures.



An aero rim has a rim height which makes longitudinal stiffness. That allows to cull spokes. e.g. count 16 spokes could be constructed for a rim height 30mm above, typically, 12 ~ 16 count spokes for front wheel and 16 ~ 24 count spokes for rear wheel.

As for left picture, it's a wrong example lacked longitudinal stiffness.

A rim has a slight range for spoke angle. Thus, 32H rim as a example, it's impossible to cull spokes one after the other, but possible to cull two after two others. It's a special design to make difference between spoke count of right and left.

However, for the aerodynamics with that, it's better to select manufactures wheels. Of course for vintage roadbike that's right method with a rear hub 126mm overlocknut.



Moranbon is twist spokes structure. It's less of kinky structure than anomalous one though, it has good performance. The twist spokes could not heat by friction which would be loss of power.
That raises overall stiffness, and decreases loss of torque, which could bring performances of acceleration and cornering stability.

However, limited builders could build it. Of course i's impossible to build by an amature.

It become to be difficult to do maintenance, to exchange a spoke.

And, its looking ...



A right picture at top of the page is soldering, which fixed crossing spokes of tangent structure by soldering.
That effects as same as the Moranbon, which brings right traction and stabilized cornering. I don't know which one is better.

The soldering needs skill of soldering same as the Moranbon needs one. But, soldering is far easy and could be done by an amature. Rather, it's better not to order a shop but to do it yourself.
Why? -- considering the quoting price, it's resigned to slipshod work about wraping wires which is most important. Practically, there are lots of wrong soldering with thick wires used and wraped few rolls, which could not be high in intensity, and that would soon come unstuck.

It's better to do soldering by yourself. It's prepared with soldering iron, solder and flux for stainless.

By the way, people have told that the endurance come to decrease due to soldering, which is same about the Moranbon. Unaccountably, people have told that spokes come to be hard to be break.
That seems to be trade-off though. Which one is truth?
My friend said "The soldering makes frame endurance to be wrong does it?"

A part of crossing spokes should be cleaned throughly for right soldering.

I used a tooth brush with neutral detergent.
At first, I had an intention to wash with toothpaste though, I didn't do that cause the toothpaste might be included something wrong.

for a rear wheel only.
As for a front wheel, it might be almost no need to raise stiffness, but a rear wheel has the offset and higher load distribution.

It took about 30 minutes for only washing one wheel.



most important work.

The strength of soldering depends on solder. Wires is not reinforcement material but just a base for shaping solder.
And, it's better to use thin wires which could be tear off by hands.

It should be carefully to wrap a part of crossing spokes with the wires. As a picture, wrapping twelve rolls just like a coil. Both sides of a wire are needed not to tie but just to cut and press into the coil.

It took two hours for sixteen parts of one wheel.

I write once again. Soldering services by shops are almost slopworks. A certain shop released "Cause solder of the soldering come to be fall off partially, that must be soldered again after cluising in days." That's hard to believe. When pigs fly.



It only remains to solder, which would take ten minutes for one wheel.

Of course there is a soldering technic. As with flux, soldering could be done not after heating wires and spokes enough but after heating partially.

After soldering, those should be washed throughly. This washing is important cause the flux is acid property and corrodes spokes. The flux should be removed perfectly.



That's a normal method mentioned above.

Another method doesn't solder spokes but only wires.
With that, the load of friction between spokes does not decrease though, that would increase stiffness of wheel slightly. As a merit, that keeps ease of maintenance.
If the spoke would be broken, it could be exchanged easily.

The traction came to respond fast.
That meant torque loss came to decrease.

Acceleration came to be quick in wide speed range.



As a matter of fact, it's an unexpected effect.
I surprised at stabilized cornering. That's how much cornering became to be stabilized.
Of course, I don't think any bike could be better by soldering though.

so-called "rear is fast"

A viecle is understeer as basic structure. If handled by rear wheel it would be oversteer which might be acceptable in physical sense.
And, a viecle should be set due to load distrubution and others. Any viecle is same as that point.

As for cornering, Both front wheel and rear wheel have slipping angle. In fact tyres are always slipping. That could be put otherwise, the setting determines the slipping angles.

While a rear wheel is deflecting, the wheel raises up and that prevents to slip. As that result, the viecle would be understeer. In high speed range, rear wheel bend to inside which brings understeer too.
The lateral stiffness of a wheel raise up due to soldering, which brings resolution of understeer and stabilized cornering.

I'm glad to get an unexpected effect.



As for a front wheel, the soldering could bring something effect?
It has almost no relation to thrust power. Considering its shape, it might not effect to the cornering.

If indeed it does, it might effect performances of high speed range. e.g. dynamic balance.

I wonder...