Our passion: top-quality wheels
The best upgrade for your bike is a Luther wheelset!
You won't notice the benefits of a new derailleur, but you will notice those of a Luther wheelset.
Because most wheels on standard bikes contain major flaws and detract from your cycling experience.
You are really shortchanging yourself on your expensive bike with entry-level wheels.
Little attention is paid to those standard wheels because they have to be produced cheaply.
Best to just buy a bike without wheels.
For instance, they almost always use plain spokes (the same diameter along the entire length).
And those are €€€ cheaper.
A spoke thicker than 2.0mm is nearly impossible to tension correctly; this requires a lot of force.
And time, which is why bicycle manufacturers accept lower spoke tension. And automatic wheel building machines also don't want high spoke tension, because then they need more service and maintenance.
Spoke tension is extremely important.
Actually, we are talking about the tensile force on the spoke, but we say spoke tension. We don't use N (Newton), but Kg (Kilogram), which is easier to imagine.
A stainless steel 2.0 – 1.8 – 2.0mm spoke only breaks at a tensile force of more than 200kg.
In theory, 1 spoke can carry the weight of you, your bike and your luggage.
Spokes break because they are subject to alternating forces, so-called fatigue.
The lower the spoke tension, the higher the fatigue.
A properly tensioned spoke suffers less from fatigue.
And this is the great advantage of Luther wheels; all spokes are at the correct tension!
A spoke tension between 90 and 110kg is fine.
Most rims are limited to 120kg, so going much higher is not possible.
With too high spoke tension (>120kg), zigzag deformation of the rim often occurs.
With extremely light rims, this already happens at lower tension.
On many factory wheels, the spoke tension is less than 50kg.
Because they use thick spokes, it feels stiff and the tension seems higher.
A thick spoke breaks sooner than a thin spoke.
Nice thesis, but true, because the thicker the spoke, the lower the tension, the greater the fatigue, the faster the break. You often see this with e-bike/cargo bikes, where spokes snap like matchsticks.
The best is a double-butted spoke.
The thinner middle section can absorb fatigue from flexing perfectly.
If you want to increase the load capacity of a wheel, don't use thicker spokes, but more spokes.
With the correct spoke tension.
And a thick spoke doesn't stretch, giving you less comfort.
We'll come back to this when we discuss carbon spokes.
Often the spoke holes in the hub are too large.
Great for the factory, where a machine can throw the spokes into the hub, but technically ugly.
Often the nipple holes in the rim are not drilled at the correct angle.
Or rather; not drilled at an angle at all. This creates tension just above the thread in the nipple, resulting in a spoke or nipple break.
The spoke length is often incorrect.
Even though this isn't even a price issue.
Rims are often too narrow.
To keep the price down, narrow aluminum rims are used. It looks good in the bike catalog; with narrow rims the bike becomes lighter.
Many standard bikes come with ugly standard rims.
Roughly finished, not true, too narrow, not properly drilled. All to save €€€, away with them!
With a cassette hub and a symmetrical rim, there is up to a 40% difference in spoke tension between left and right.
If the spokes on the right at the cassette are at 100kg, then they're at 60kg on the left. With rim brake wheels it's even worse, there the difference is often greater than 50%. Ouch, the spokes with the lowest tension will break sooner!
This naturally also applies to a front hub with a disc brake.
Only there the difference is somewhat smaller.
That is why you should always use an asymmetrical rim with disc and cassette hubs.
This increases the spoke tension on the left side of the rear wheel and on the right side of the front wheel. The wheel doesn't become stiffer but it does become stronger and more durable.
Why then do many 'renowned' wheel manufacturers still use symmetrical rims?
Difficult during wheel production? Lack of knowledge? More focus on profit?
"I never have problems with symmetrical rims!"
Yes, that is possible; even less good wheels can remain intact. But it can be better!
However, even with asymmetrical rims, a difference in spoke tension of about 25% remains.
A lot better, but still not ideal.
With Luther hubs, the difference is reduced to 0!
The special geometry of the Luther hubs combined with asymmetrical rims gives virtually 100% equal spoke tension left and right!
This means: all spokes are at the correct tension!
The highest possible tensions in both the front and rear wheels.
As a result, Luther wheels have 25% more load capacity!
25% more spoke tension means 25% more load capacity, means 25% stronger.
Luther wheels are more durable!
All spokes at the correct tension, much less fatigue, no more spoke breakage.
Luther wheels are perfectly round.
Because every spoke contributes equally, truing a hop is child's play.
Luther wheels are perfectly straight.
Left and right same spoke tension, same spoke pattern, it doesn't get better than this.
Wheels with a 2:1 spoke pattern also claim equal spoke tension, but they don't have it.
Wheels with a 2:1 spoke pattern are rarely nicely round and straight.
Because the rim is not loaded evenly.
With wheels with a 2:1 spoke pattern, the highest spoke tension is somewhat lower.
Because otherwise the deformation of the rim becomes too visible.
And: Luther wheels stay straight!
Due to the high spoke tension, no slack spokes or loose nipples.
Luther wheels are and remain better centered.
With wheels with unequal spoke tension left and right, the position of the rim changes with increasing tire pressure (rim shifts to the right), but..
With Luther wheels, tire pressure has no influence on the position of the rim.
A Luther wheel is just as laterally stiff as a 'normal' wheel (actually even stiffer).
Let's dive a bit deeper into this!
The type of spokes (thickness, shape) have a marginal influence on the stiffness of a wheel.
A thick spoke makes the wheel slightly stiffer.
The number of spokes has a marginal influence on the stiffness of a wheel.
4 more spokes means slightly more stiffness.
The size of the hub flanges has a very marginal influence on wheel stiffness.
With a larger flange, the wheel becomes slightly stiffer.
Moving the left flange inward or outward has NO influence on wheel stiffness.
After all, the right flange determines the lateral force on the rim and the left flange takes it over. This keeps the wheel centered.
The spoke pattern (2-cross, 3-cross) has a marginal influence on wheel stiffness.
2-cross is slightly stiffer than 3-cross.
Spoke tension has a noticeable influence on wheel stiffness.
And if you notice it, then the spoke tension is dangerously low, the spokes are already loose.
Indirectly, even the frame influences wheel stiffness.
If you can push the wheel against the frame, it could simply be a flexible (floppy) frame.
Indirectly, even the quick release influences wheel stiffness.
It is known that some very thin titanium quick releases allow the wheel to move more in the bike. The wheel then seems 'floppy', but with a good quick release that is resolved.
Fortunately, we now have thru-axles!
The above problem has disappeared with modern bikes.
Tire pressure also influences lateral stiffness.
After all, high tire pressure lowers spoke tension.
Most cyclists will not notice the difference in lateral stiffness with different spokes, more spokes, higher flanges, higher spoke tension, etc.
Most cyclists will notice the difference in lateral stiffness with wider, higher and thus stiffer rims.
They often experience it as a new bike, with much better road holding.
The rim apparently has the most influence on wheel stiffness.
The shape (width and height), material, etc. has a lot of influence.
A laterally floppy rim means a floppy wheel.
You can try all sorts of things, it remains a wheel with little lateral stiffness.
A laterally stiff rim means a stiff wheel.
Even with few, thin spokes you can build a stiff wheel.
Fortunately, rims are getting wider.
Because road holding improves with wider tires, we are using wider rims.
And a wide rim increases lateral stiffness.
The wider, the stiffer.
But the height of the rim also has a lot of influence on the lateral stiffness of the rim.
The higher, the stiffer.
For a rim with an internal width up to 25mm, the ideal height is at least 38mm.
Higher has little to no more influence on lateral stiffness. We are of course talking about carbon rims, aluminum rims at this height become too heavy.
For a rim with an internal width up to 32mm, the ideal height is at least 28mm.
Higher has little to no more influence on lateral stiffness.
A rim brake rim is limited in width.
After all, if it becomes too wide (external width > 25mm), the wheel no longer fits in the brake.
And a low rim brake rim is laterally completely floppy.
Narrow and low is not a good combination.
And yet we've been cycling perfectly fine on these narrow, low rims for over 100 years!
Perhaps we make lateral stiffness more important than it really is? And that's correct,
If you don't cycle too impulsively, the wheel will experience little lateral load.
Cycling is balancing.
Besides lateral load, there is also radial and torsional load on the wheel.
And therefore also the corresponding stiffnesses.
The radial load on the wheel is the greatest load for the wheel.
Rider weight, bike weight with luggage, poor road surface, etc.
Yet the deformation of the rim due to this load is minor and almost imperceptible.
The radial stiffness of a wheel is also influenced by the same factors that influence lateral stiffness.
For example, thicker spokes, more radial stiffness. Only with flange distance it is reversed.
The closer the flanges are to each other, the higher the radial stiffness.
After all, the vertical component of the force becomes larger.
With Luther hubs, the flanges are positioned so that the wheels get the best possible combination of lateral and radial stiffness.
It's difficult to call wheels comfortable.
Tires, saddle, seatpost, frame, fork, etc. have much more influence on comfort.
Due to alternating loads, there is also movement in stiff wheels.
A tiny bit of elasticity. Fortunately, otherwise it would break quickly. And perhaps ride less nicely.
The elasticity of thin, aero spokes and the elasticity of carbon rims is the best combination.
Under alternating load, the spoke 'springs' and the rim gives way.
Carbon spokes don't stretch or flex.
So all movement under alternating load must be absorbed by the rim. How long will that last?
Carbon spokes are already a disaster for wheels.
Every brand has its own spoke, with its own nipple, a special hub and special rim. If something happens to such a wheel, who can help you?
Where carbon spokes are too hard (road comfort), polymer (string) spokes are too flexible.
This causes unnatural deformations of the rim.
Honestly, a steel spoke isn't that crazy, but don't go too thin (<1.65mm).
Those flex too much and twist like crazy when tensioning. So no Revolutions or Lasers for Luther!
If you want light steel spokes, you have to suffer (financially) and choose CX-Sprint or CX-Ray.
These spokes are cold forged extra for more strength and stiffness.
A wheel with aero spokes (CX-Ray/Sprint) can be trued more accurately afterwards.
However, special tools are needed for that.
Straight-pull spokes are just as reliable as J-Bend spokes.
As long as the tension is high enough.
But with most straight-pull hubs, the geometry is less favorable and the wheel becomes weaker.
With the straight-pull rear hub on the right, the distance from the spoke head to the hub center is 18mm, while with J-bend it's 20mm. Small difference, big weakening.
For this reason, Luther hubs use J-bend spokes.
For now, because our engineers are working on it!
Advantages of an aerodynamic rim are heavily exaggerated.
Unless you earn your living cycling. But for the rest of us; we actually need resistance, why else do we cycle?
More important is that your wheels last for years.
And Luther goes to the extreme for that!
And, in case of an impact or other incident, the wheels are fairly easy to repair.
The right aluminum nipples are stronger than brass nipples.
The 7000-series aluminum nipple from Sapim is much harder than a brass nipple. Brass nipples will deform faster.
Through anodization and the right coating, the aluminum nipples in Luther wheels will not corrode.
Luther wheels do not have a 100% crash guarantee.
Or should we make the wheels much more expensive and offer a crash guarantee? Someone who treats their equipment responsibly doesn't need that crash guarantee.
Much of what can go wrong with wheels is not covered by warranty.
Yet Luther will repair it free of charge or at minimal cost.
Tires are a major danger to wheels.
Too high tire pressure is the biggest cause of spoke breakage and cracks in the rim.
Too high tire pressure lowers spoke tension.
Extra fatigue on the spokes. Due to the high spoke tension on both right and left, a Luther wheel suffers less from this.
A wider rim with a wider tire means lower tire pressure.
After all; Pressure x Volume = Constant. So if the volume increases, the pressure must decrease. Get informed!
The fear of hookless rims is unfounded.
Don't believe all the Google stories that copy each other. If you pay attention to the correct tire pressure, you have nothing to fear.