I am on the verge of pressing the button and buying a new set of 29er wheels. Planning on the Hope Pro 2 with Crest rims but noticed that there are straight and standard spoke options.

What is the practical difference between straight pull and standard spokes? Is there a strength benefit or a weight benefit from straight pull or is it just a marketing thing?

supposed to be some weight benefit. I’ve never had problems with breakign spokes/rims so not sure if any additional strength is necessary?

biggest issue for me is findign spares easily if youre in the middle of nowhere (and you’re someone who rides to the middle of nowhere).

Standard. Straight pull are a ball ache to work on and get spares for. Minimal weight and strength advantages too IMO.

Responses thus far are pretty much in line with how I feel. @wwaswas – everywhere is ‘somewhere’ around here. Suffolk isn’t exactly the last of the wilderness area in the UK! 🙂

I’ve 2 sets straight pulls, they are lighter (by a bit) and work – had no problems at all.

You get 2 spare spokes per wheel, and tbh they’re just sat in my tool box along with all the other Hope spokes that I’ve never used.

Not sure Iv’e ever found myself in urgent need of a spoke. If you break a spoke, carry on, and order a few replacements off the interrnet.

Break a load of spokes… chances are your ride is over anyhow.

I’ve got a set of both on Stans crests, and I can feel absolutely no difference between the two while riding…
But the SP’s do look proper pimpy…. 😉

biggest issue for me is findign spares easily if youre in the middle of nowhere (and you’re someone who rides to the middle of nowhere).

-1

If you’re in the middle of nowhere then you’ll struggle to get normal spokes too as there are no shops, the only advantage of J-bend spokes is every shop will have them in stock once your back in civilisation, but DT straight pulls aren’t going to be hard to order. And if you do like to be slf sufficient in the middle of nowhere, blu-tack spare spokes inside your bars.

In theory they’re stronger, but in reality the only spokes I’ve ever snapped have been at the end of the butting or at the nipple, never pulled the end off at the hub.

Straight pull – pimp, lighter
Standard – normal, cheeper

If you look at Sheldon Brown’s wheelbuilding article:

Wheelbuilding by Sheldon Brown

About three quarters down the page there is an article on radial spoking.

Personally I’m of the opinion that you should have several gold plated reasons for any deviance from the 32 spoke, three cross. standard way of building wheels.

straight pull is not ‘radial’ it’s just a different hub design where the spokes don’t have a j-band – will still be 3-cross.

I recently broke a straight pull spoke on my (road) bike. Having struggled to find ANY shop near me (and I’m not exactly in the middle of nowhere) who either stocked or were prepared to order in a replacement, I’m not going to be rushing to buy any wheel set without making sure my LBS has spare spokes. Standard spokes for me

D’oh…my bad. Thanks for the correction wwaswas.

i looked at this – straight pulls look a pig to clean and the hubs weigh more..

in the end I kept my existing Mavic TN719 rims and sapim DB spokes and just changed the hubs from older XT to Nukeproof (need a new rear hub) and the flaneg dims were virtually the same.

The TN719 also converted to tubeless fine as well.

so back to you question, just get J bend – they are sapim spokes so you will be able to get spares anywhere – they you get a few spares with hope hoops anyhow for both variations

…look a pig to clean…

That has be one of the oddest reasons I’ve ver seen not to buy a wheel.

Wheels purchased – standard spoke configuration. Now I just have to wait!

Straight pull = crock

Just a point, most of what I have read and been informed of by “informed” people in the industry is that straight pull have a distinct advantage when used on 29er wheels.

Just a point, most of what I have read and been informed of by “informed” people in the industry is that straight pull have a distinct advantage when used on 29er wheels.

Not being one of the “informed” people you speak of, would you care to share the reason why?