Is there any real advantage apart from looking a bit more pimp!?

No. Harder to get spares and harder to work with.

So they are rubbish then?

Normal. Easier to get repaired when you have a spot of bother mid trip. Same reason why all my rims are 32 hole.

SP coz they is bling innit

I’ve never broken a spoke on my MTB wheels, or had an incident of a wheel failing. However, I don’t see why SP spokes are any tougher to carry as spares than any other spoke

They say SP is stronger but when was the last time you broke a spoke at the J?

bigG – Member

However, I don’t see why SP spokes are any tougher to carry as spares than any other spoke

One you have to keep spares of, the other you don’t.

Seen lots of broken spokes, only one not on the “J” bend. So I went for SP, hope ship their wheels with a few spares front and rear too. And they is pimp innit!?

regular J-bend every time

cheaper and slightly lighter (according to Hope’s own information on their 2012 parts poster)

and much easier to source spares for when a spoke is broken in a crash at a trail centre which has a shop with only J-bend spokes in stock

however, Hope told me that the straight pull is recommended for their 29er wheels because the higher tension builds a stiffer wheel, which is not noticeable in the smaller 26″ wheel size

Had normal hope pro hubs before and thought they were great. Got the sp version Jan 2010 in a good deal with stans flow rims, best wheelset I’ve ever owned.

A spoke key has never touched them since new and both are still spot on despite regularly getting hammered. If I had to buy again tomorrow, no question I would pick the sp version again.

Same as above have flow rims with am4 hubs and never gone wrong inc a weeks trip with Doug at basque mtb

But why would you think standard spokes would be any different?

J spokes look prehistoric.

Otherwise – just carry your spare SP spokes with you.

I think SP is a fashion / weight weenie thing.

Still bought them mind! Look way better.

2 pairs of Crest SP’s here, no problems whatsoever

Sp can hold more tension due to the absence of the j bend – the weakest part, so they can be built stronger and stiffer.

Not only that you get some spare spokes when you buy hoops, and lets be honest, how often do you break a spoke.

Well I know I had to have my non sp trued up a couple of times in the same two year period, doing the same riding as the sp versions which have never been touched.

I’m not a mechanical engineer, but I can see the obvious benefits of a sp spoke versus the j bend, and my personal experience has only confirmed that for me.

To each there own, but I’ll be buying sp from now on.

Sp can hold more tension due to the absence of the j bend – the weakest part, so they can be built stronger and stiffer.
Not only that you get some spare spokes when you buy hoops, and lets be honest, how often do you break a spoke.

More tension does not make stiffer.

It’s not about how often you break a spoke, if you break one on a trip to the Alps, you can walk into any shop and get a replacement. Break a SP one, and unless you have your spares with you you’re screwed!

“More tension does not make stiffer”
Someone will come along and say back off all your spokes/nipple tensions to almost nothing and see what happens ..

🙄

As long as there is adequate tension adding more does not make the wheel stiffer. Read Sheldon Brown. Last time I checked you could get adequate tension with a j-bend spoke!

Why all this talk of tension? The rim is the limiting factor in that respect, especially with notubes.