Well I’m still waiting for the italian Berd’s distributor, so my review about Berd spokes is
delayed. My review for the Italian distributor maybe won’t be so happy (cannot remember how many months have passed)
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Easy to lose a few hours of your life reading that thread about the fibre spokes! It’s fascinating stuff. And then Berd join in the fun too, it’s like a soap opera 
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If anyone is interested in trying to make their own I’d probably be interested in going in to help reach the minimum cord order length.
Seems like people say they were able to order a 100 m minimum. Looks like about 10m gets you 1 wheel, a bit longer for a 36er.
That would be for the same dyneema d20 braid that berd uses for their spokes.
I know you’re planning to post your spoke review alongside other parts later, but it’d probably be good in here too.
Have they just ended up being too long due to stretch/incorrect advice from Berd around the length?
Long enough to try 4 cross?
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The Italian reseller don’t allow me build the wheel by myself so ended up that I paid their wheel builder to give me a wheel laced with only 35 spokes, with already a spare broken spoke and with only one spare new spoke and in the wrong color (asked for black and received white spokes after 5 months). He told me that the hub has too small flanges and too big holes (exceed hub). It doesn’t matter if I sent the exact specs 3 times before have them ordering spokes.
However when I paid I could get my rim and hub back to me. I disassembly everyspoke to find the loop in them (the part fixed to the hub) already a bit damaged on every spoke (the wheelbuilder didn’t file the inside of the hub holes leaving the holes risky about cutting the small ropes in the spoke).
Tested it at 90kgf a spoke came out of the hub hole (2.8 is too big, the hub needs 2.0 holes), tested again at 80kgf and at the fist complete half and rev back 2 loops completly cutted in the hub.
So the test ended with 3 broken spokes and 34 damaged spokes.
If anyone is willing to use Berd: hub spokes’ holes with 2.0 exact diameter; use a large flanges hub; use a simmetric hub, do not trust at all the Italian reseller (I think he reused some white spares he already own and never answer any further question after receiving “untracked” money so I don’t own any proof of his failure)
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That sounds like an absolute nightmare, especially considering the price of the spokes.
Do you think there’s any kind of alternative way that a 2.8mm spoke hole hub could work? All of the unicycle hubs that I can think of are 2.8mm. Could you use a more solid retaining bar than what they supply?
Perhaps you could get hollow brass rivets/eyelets of the right size to put in each hole? That might casually resolve the cutting problem too.
To solve the retaining problem I thought about small stainless steel parts, but that was 1) difficult due to small flanges (opposite spokes were in contact pushing each other spokes while tightening causing a bad rotation) and 2) it will add extra unwanted weight.
I’m still considering about a way to fasten some fishing weight (don’t know the name for those small weight sphere one can add) around the loop to have it locked inside the flanges, but it could again cut those spokes
Those are called “split shot” weights.
Yes, Here is an old LanceB fix. Make a ring out of sheet aluminum or C.R.E.S. Drill a matching hole pattern to your hub, bolt/screw together to the flange (#2-56 screw) have another hole pattern slightly passed the outside of flange at the 2mm diameter you seek. Then you could radius and polish the “spoke hole” if necessary.
I think he meant a lightweight alternative
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Well, a simpler alternative I suppose. Something anyone could consider doing, whatever their quantity of shop tools.
ooops!, Well I will have to think on this, my shop and tool pool is very extensive but you are correct, it must be for everyone who wants to use this system. Easy and quick like rolling the flange in molten plastic putting on a 0.4 mm coating to close up the spoke hole. Even a home brew spot nickle plate in a jar at home to close in the hole. I’ll have to get back to you on this.