You see a 2:1 or triplet lacing on several complete wheelsets from companies like Campagnolo/Fulcrum, Shimano, and even boutique Industry Nine or newcomer Aforce, but it doesn’t really turn up in hubsets on their own. The reason may be that it introduces a few wheel-building complications that need and experienced wheel builder to solve. But the benefit claims better balanced rear spoke tension, and thus a more durable wheel. So people who have been tempted to build their own 2:1 wheels often resort to creatively ignoring half of the non-driveside spoke holes. But now Martindale Cycling Components has a proper solution. Designed by fount of wheel building knowledge Kirk Pacenti, and actually produced by White Industries in the US, the hubs are sure to deliver top performance and the ability to build stronger wheels…
Martindale, who we ran into last year at NAHBS, says the new Trippel hubs by White Industries is the only hubset on the market now designed specifically for triplet-lacing. Since normal non-driveside rear spokes usually have about 45-50% of the tension of their driveside partners, you tend to be more likely to break driveside spokes over time and have more issues with keeping the wheels true. By going to 2:1 lacing, tension becomes more consistent (not exact), resulting in a wheel that usually holds up more over time.
Now it does get tricky building here, especially with offset rims or rims with spoke holes angle to either side to align with the spokes. Neither of those really work with the 2:1 concept, and it is said to be a bit harder to get a 2:1 wheel round and true to start with, with consistent tension. All that means, is that first-time wheel builders should steer clear, but if you are experienced and had been looking to try out triplet lacing, now you have a solidly built set of hubs to work with.
The Trippel hubset includes a standard 20 hole front hub for regular lacing, matched to a 24 hole triplet rear. The Trippel rear gets 2 driveside spoke holes for every 1 non-driveside hole, for a 16:8 lacing. The rear also gets noticeably wider flange spacing to increase the non-driveside spoke bracing angle to make for an even stiffer wheel (one of the purported drawbacks of the 2:1 design.)
The hubs are built with the same internals and titanium freehub body of White Industries’ T11 hubset. But it gets upgraded to their newer 48 tooth drive ring for quicker engagement. The front hub claims a weight of 102g, and rear of 266g. They will sell as a pair from Martindale for $500, and can also be built up into custom complete wheelsets. The hubs are available now in black ano with either Shimano/SRAM, Campagnolo, or SRAM XD bodies, with a disc brake version expected by the end of the year.
