Spoke Info

Which spokes are in your wheel? Most current 9th Wave wheels use Alpina aero spokes; Ninefold wheels use carbon spokes. Earlier wheels use DT Swiss Aerolite, Revolution or Competition spokes or Pillar Wing spokes. Check the spoke head: DT Swiss spokes are stamped “DT” and Pillar Wing spokes “P”.

Current models: ERD and spokes

The ERD (effective rim diameter) is the number you need to calculate spoke length. It is also printed on every rim near the valve hole and listed on the product page. Models with a different front and rear rim, like the Avalon SL3 and SL5, have two ERDs. Spoke counts are given front / rear.

Calculating spoke length

We do not list spoke lengths, because the right length depends on your combination: the hub (flange diameter and flange distances), the number of spokes (20, 24 or 28), the lacing pattern and the rim height, which is captured in the ERD. Our rims have a rim wall of about 3 mm around the spoke holes, and that is already included in the ERD, so enter the ERD as listed and do not correct for it.

Most of our wheels are built with DT Swiss hubs, so we recommend the DT Swiss spoke calculator first: choose your hub from the drop-down list and enter only the ERD of your 9th Wave rim. For other hubs, the calculators below ask for the flange diameters and flange distances of your hub (from the hub manufacturer’s specifications), the number of spokes and the lacing pattern. Wheel building is craftsmanship and should be done by an experienced mechanic.

Our ART rims are asymmetric: the spoke bed sits off-centre by 2.5 to 3 mm, so if the calculator has a field for rim offset, use 3 mm. On a rear wheel the spoke holes are offset towards the left (disc side), away from the cassette. On a front wheel they are offset towards the right, to make up for the space the brake disc takes on the hub.

• DT Swiss spoke calculator (recommended for DT Swiss hubs)
• SpokeCalc
• Sapim spoke calculator
• Pro Wheel Builder spoke length calculator
• Vlechtservice spaaklengtecalculator (Dutch)

ERD archive: earlier models

These rims are no longer in our range. The ERD values are taken from our previous spoke chart.

Spoke tension

Spoke tension on the opposite side varies with the hub in your wheel and the tension needed to centre the wheel. Use a calibrated tension meter and a dishing tool. The values below apply to the older models. For newer models, such as Avalon SL, SandStone, Anath 423 and Yarrow SL29/SL32, contact us before you build.