Trying to build a 16″ wheel for my daughter’s bike, but I cant get the 1 cross lacing right.
The hub is symmetrical and the rim doesn’t have offset drilling. So surely the spokes should all be the same length!?

But it doesn’t matter how I lace the spokes (all elbows out, all elbows in, half and half), half the spokes are very tight and half are loose.

Am I missing something?
Thanks

Do you mean all the spokes on one side are loose, or some on each side?

Out of interest, what hub & rim are you using? I suspect I’ll be looking to build disc compatible 16″ wheels in the not to distant future.

I presume since you say the hub is symmetrical it’s a front hub.

From http://www.troubleshooters.com/bicycles/wheelbuilding/

Creepy, this hub, hub and the old rim that came with he bike. Wanted a decent sealed hub, rather than the terrible OEM one.

It’s half the spokes on each side, but the loose ones all pull in the same direction. So when I tried half elbows out/half in, all the elbows out were loose. All elbows in, all the spokes that crossed over were loose ((same as elbows out).
Thanks for the help

Have you laced it incorrectly?

Look at it logically, and the outer spokes will have a little further to travel to the rim than the inners, and the smaller rim diameter, the more pronounced this effect will appear to be (look at it as if it’s a triangle, longest side is the outer spoke, shortest side is the depth of the rim flange). I’ve noticed it on full size rims too,the outer spokes always gaining tension a little earlier than the inners, but it’s minimal in it’s effect. Unless you have a large difference, then I wouldn’t be too concerned (assuming that you’ve started with equal length spokes on each side, obviously).

Thanks, I did think about the triangle effect. But it is quite a difference, the tighter spokes are really tight while the looser ones are very loose. All spokes are same length

My money is on you having laced it incorrectly – the only way for what you’re saying to happen is for the tight spokes on one side to pull in the opposite direction to the tight spokes on the other side. Which suggests that you need to move all the spokes on one side along a couple of holes on the rim. Because presumably you’ve got the offset of the holes on the hub incorrect (you are aware that the spoke holes on one side of the hub aren’t directly opposite the spoke holes on the other side?)

Sounds like you’re two holes out on one side.

Sounds like you are one hole out on one side, or, if all the spokes pointing one direction are on the inside on one side, and the outside on the other, then that might have a strange effect.

How was the original (& how is the front) laced?

Thanks for the help, I’ll replace one side, shifting along one or two holes.

It’s a rear hub, original was radial/0 cross so that doesn’t help