Super Sport spoke length

[sd5782]

I am looking for info on stock front wheel spoke length for a 1973 Super Sport. I was truing and tensioning wheels with some new tools. This bike had an incident in about 1976 and the front Weinmann rim was replaced. I’ve ridden it as repaired since then with no problems.

So, replacing a couple spoke nipples I discovered the spokes are quite short; only 11 5/8”. Another 73 Super Sport I own has spokes of about 11 7/8”. The rim from 76 is another identical looking Weinmann but is a hooked rim. Both bikes have 3 cross 36 double butted galvanized spokes. It would seem that the 11 7/8” spokes would be stock, as these 11 5/8” ones are probably about 6-7 mm short.

It would probably have been better if I never noticed this as it now bugs me. I was young and green at the time of the work on the twisted rim, so I don’t remember mention of new spokes, but know the hometown Schwinn shop did put on a rim. The patina matches now, so I’m not sure if I will do anything, as this bike Isn’t going on any long tours. I have searched a bit to find correct spoke length postings but came up empty. Measuring my other bike, I think it is 11 7/8” or 302mm.

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

I am looking for info on stock front wheel spoke length for a 1973 Super Sport. I was truing and tensioning wheels with some new tools. This bike had an incident in about 1976 and the front Weinmann rim was replaced. I’ve ridden it as repaired since then with no problems.

So, replacing a couple spoke nipples I discovered the spokes are quite short; only 11 5/8”. Another 73 Super Sport I own has spokes of about 11 7/8”. The rim from 76 is another identical looking Weinmann but is a hooked rim. Both bikes have 3 cross 36 double butted galvanized spokes. It would seem that the 11 7/8” spokes would be stock, as these 11 5/8” ones are probably about 6-7 mm short.

It would probably have been better if I never noticed this as it now bugs me. I was young and green at the time of the work on the twisted rim, so I don’t remember mention of new spokes, but know the hometown Schwinn shop did put on a rim. The patina matches now, so I’m not sure if I will do anything, as this bike Isn’t going on any long tours. I have searched a bit to find correct spoke length postings but came up empty. Measuring my other bike, I think it is 11 7/8” or 302mm.

Front, or rear wheel?

If it's a rear wheel, are we talking about the difference in spoke length between the right and left sides?

The dish in the wheel will result in the slight different length. In our shop we often built high end wheels with shorter spokes on the right (flat) side.

The reason for using the shorter right side spokes (on a read wheel) is that we used a drill motor with a spoke nipple bit to pull up the wheel before the truing started. You ended up with a round, almost true wheel before the truing.

Use caution if truing old wheels. On a five-speed wheel it's the right-side spokes that always fatigue first, and break.

John