A bicycle rim comprising a circumferential outer portion adapted to receive a tire and a spoke bed. The spoke bed may comprise a pattern of spoke attachment segments at varying tilt angles and spaced by intermediate segments. Each spoke attachment segment may comprise an inner surface, an outer surface and a spoke opening extending from the inner surface to the outer surface. The spoke opening may be sized to accommodate a spoke nipple. The spoke opening may have a central axis angled at a complex angle that is a combination of a respective camber angle and a respective crossing angle. The complex angle may be selected to achieve a respective spoke angle. The outer surface of the spoke attachment segment adjacent to the spoke opening may extend perpendicular to the central axis of the spoke opening.

A method of manufacturing a lightweight wheel with high strength flexible spokes of the present invention, includes providing a rim and hub, and a plurality of lightweight, flexible and resilient spokes between the rim and hub made of fibrous material that causes the spokes to be both lighter in weight and stronger than comparable steel spokes. The wheel includes a nipple within the rim that receives the high strength spoke and allows for flexibility in adapting the spoke to wheels having differing shapes and sizes.

A nipple for spoked wheels includes a head and a rod which are coaxial and through which a through-hole extends, a manoeuvring key in the head and an insert of plastics material which is inserted in the hole in order to engage in a screwing manner with friction with a threaded end of a spoke. The hole comprises a threaded portion which extends in the rod and a portion with an increased diameter which constitutes the seat for receiving the insert, the insert being formed with a tubular sleeve inserted in the seat at the side of the head and being blocked there by means of interference or adhesive bonding.

A wheel component for a wheel of an at least partially muscle-powered two-wheeled vehicle, including a rim provided to be connected with a hub by means of spokes, the rim including a rim base with a plurality of spoke socket sections having one spoke hole each, to which the spokes can be attached by means of spoke nipples. The wheel component includes at least one washer for placement between a spoke socket section and a spoke nipple. The washer includes a through hole extending between a top face and a bottom face. The rim base includes two opposite rim flanks extending obliquely relative to one another. In its bottom face, the washer shows a canted support flank at least in sections. The washer can be supported on the rim flanks by means of its support flank such that only the support flank bears against, and contacts, the rim.

A method for manufacturing self-locking nipples comprising the steps of providing a semi-finished nipple (10) with an enlarged head (5) in comparison with the shank (6), providing at least a first blind hole (11, 11a) in that head, injecting a fluid resin into the hole (11, 11a) and solidifying so as to obtain a corresponding insert (9, 9a), making a second axial hole (7) in the semi-finished product at least partly intersecting the said insert (9, 9a).

A vehicle wheel having a rim, a hub, a plurality of spokes with at least one of the spokes having a first portion connected the rim and a second portion connected to the hub. The rim includes a spoke bed wall with a radially outboard surface and a spoke hole having a radially outboard entrance and perimeter edge. The spoke extends through the spoke hole and is engaged to the spoke bed wall by an overlie engagement at a bearing interface between a bearing surface of the spoke and the radially outboard surface to limit longitudinally inward displacement between the spoke and spoke bed wall. At least a portion of the bearing interface is laterally outwardly spaced from the first perimeter edge by a lateral distance of at least 0.7 millimeters.

A tubeless spoked wheel including a rim and a hub connected with wire spokes includes a rim that has no through-hole and is narrow in the vehicle width direction. A plurality of internal threads are aligned circumferentially in an annular raised portion arranged along the centerline of a rim. A connecting member that is hollow and has an external thread on its outer periphery is screwed into each internal thread. Each connecting member is pre-engaged with a distal end of a spoke in a rotatable manner. Each spoke bends at a position outward from the connecting member, tilts toward a hub, and has its basal end connected to a right or left flange of the hub with a nipple. The spokes are connected to the annular raised portion to narrow the rim in the vehicle width direction. The spokes are rotatably supported on the connecting members.

A wheel with high strength flexible spokes of the present invention, including a rim and hub, and spokes between the rim and hub made of fibrous material that causes the spokes to be both lighter in weight and stronger than comparable steel spokes. The spokes are also flexible and resilient such that they can bend while retaining their integrity and strength. The wheel includes a nipple within the rim that receives the high strength spoke and allows for flexibility in adapting the spoke to wheels having differing shapes and sizes.

A process for manufacturing a spoked bicycle wheel, comprising the steps of providing a rim element having a spoke attachment chamber; providing a spoke attachment assembly for coupling to a respective spoke, inserting the spoke attachment assembly through an opening of the spoke attachment chamber along an insertion direction that is inclined with respect to the rim element and moving the spoke attachment assembly along the insertion direction until a stem of the spoke attachment assembly is at the surface of the spoke attachment chamber; moving the spoke attachment assembly along the surface of the spoke attachment chamber towards a spoke attachment seats; inserting the stem in the spoke attachment seat; and, constraining the spoke attachment assembly in the spoke attachment seat. The steps are repeated to couple a respective spoke attachment assembly to each of the plurality of spoke attachment seats. The invention also relates to a spoked bicycle wheel produced by the above process.

A vehicle wheel including a rim, a hub, and a plurality of spokes extending with a span portion between the rim hub. The rim and/or hub constitutes a bracing element. A connecting element is connected to the bracing element and includes an external surface, an internal cavity. A spoke has a longitudinal axis and an external spoke surface that that overlaps the internal cavity in an overlap region, and a pre-formed lateral spoke surface. The connecting element is crimped to create a crimped joinder with the spoke such that the connector surface is pressed and plastically deformed to displace the internal cavity toward the spoke surface in the overlap region to cause a lateral connector surface to laterally overlap the lateral spoke surface to create an overlie engagement and/or to increase a lateral overlap between a lateral connector surface and the lateral spoke surface in an overlie engagement. The overlie engagement supports spoke tensile load.