Has anyone experimented with tying and soldering their Coker spokes? Five of
us were out on a ride Sunday and stopped at a local high end bike shop for a
minor repair. The guys there were great and not only did the work for free,
but gave us a 6-pack of beer while we hung out in their blessedly
air-conditioned shop. They were interested in our cycles, especially
Bronson’s Creative Gecko machine and my “Super Coker” wheel.
For $28, they will tie each pair of spokes together with wire and solder
them. They say this will increase stiffness which might be a great option
for those without the Super Coker wheel. I know this used to be somewhat
popular with roadies, but don’t know anyone personally who’s done it. They
also measured tension in my wheel (80kg) and Bronson’s (10kg) and they were
impressed with the Super Coker wheel.
Anyone tried this? A couple of the guys here are thinking of having it done.
—Nathan
PS If you’re in the South Bay Area of California (Los Altos specically), go
to Bicycle Outfitter http://www.bicycleoutfitter.com/ for all you cycling
and repair needs! A mighty fine shop.