💡
4
c/bicycle-mechanics•wendy131wendy131•3mo ago

I just read that a properly tensioned wheel can have over 1000 pounds of force on each spoke. That seems crazy high to me.

4 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
4 Comments
mia700
mia7003mo ago
My last wheel build ended with a spoke pinging off and hitting me in the forehead. Maybe I was aiming for 2000 pounds.
8
phoenix246
phoenix24619d ago
lol 2000 pounds is way too much for a single spoke. Most wheels are built to around 250-300 pounds max tension per spoke, and even that's on the high end for a front wheel. If you actually hit 2000, that spoke would've snapped before you even got close, not just ping off. You'd probably end up with a broken nipple or a rim that looks like a potato chip.
7
jade_jenkins
Wait that can't be right, that's like the weight of a small horse pulling on every single thin wire. My brain just can't picture a bike wheel holding that much force without exploding lol.
2
karen361
karen3613mo ago
Maybe it's not as much force as it sounds like though.
2