Sapim CX RAY Straight Pull Bladed 14|21|14g - 2.2|0.9mm Spokes
The Sapim CX-Ray is the spoke that every other aero spoke gets compared to, and after twenty years it is still the one we build the most high-end wheels with. It starts life as a 2.0mm Sapim Laser and is then cold-forged into a flat 0.9 x 2.2mm blade through the middle, which cuts drag, makes the spoke easy to hold while truing and work-hardens the steel to around 1600 N/mm², the best fatigue strength of any Sapim spoke. At about 272 grams per 64 it is also the lightest bladed spoke you can buy. Made in Belgium.
This page covers the straight-pull Sapim CX RAY Straight Pull Bladed 14|21|14g - 2.2|0.9mm Spokes, the version with no elbow for straight-pull hubs from DT Swiss, Industry Nine, Hope and others. Straight-pull CX-Rays are the standard spoke on most high-end factory wheels, and we build them into custom wheels on the same hubs. We sell CX-Ray spokes only as part of a wheel we build, cut to length; choose your rim, hub and nipples in the configurator and the wheel ships from Georgia laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
Design and construction
A CX-Ray is a double-butted spoke first: 2.0mm at the elbow and the thread, drawn down to the equivalent of 1.5mm in the middle, then forged flat. The blade is narrow enough at 2.2mm to pass through a standard hub flange hole without slotting, which is why the CX-Ray works on almost every hub we sell. The threads are rolled, not cut, so the grain of the steel runs unbroken, and the head and elbow are cold-forged from Sapim's own 18/8 stainless.
How it rides
A wheel on CX-Ray spokes feels lighter than the scale says, because the weight comes off the outside of the wheel where it matters most. There is a little more compliance than a 2.0/1.8 spoke gives, which reads as comfort on rough roads, and no loss of lateral stiffness on a properly built wheel. Cross-wind stability on a deep rim is slightly better with a blade than a round spoke.
We build CX-Rays into road, gravel, cyclocross and cross-country wheels for riders of all sizes; for very heavy riders, low spoke counts or e-bikes the stiffer Sapim CX-Sprint is the right blade.
Specifications
| Gauge | 14/21/14G |
|---|---|
| Profile | Bladed |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Spoke head | Sp-b |
| Finishes | silver, black |
This listing
This is the straight-pull CX-Ray, a 14/21/14g butted section, flat-forged into a blade. A straight-pull spoke has no elbow: it leaves the hub in a straight line and the flange holds the head directly. That removes the bend that J-bend spokes break at, and it keeps the spoke loaded purely in tension. It only fits hubs built for it, and it is not interchangeable with J-bend - so check the hub before ordering, because a straight-pull spoke will not go into a drilled flange at all.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Sapim CX RAY Straight Pull Bladed 14|21|14g - 2.2|0.9mm Spokes is cut to length for your build; the configurator reads the rim's ERD and the hub's straight-pull flange dimensions and works out the length. Straight-pull CX-Rays fit straight-pull hubs only; pick a straight-pull hub such as the DT Swiss 180 or an Industry Nine Hydra SP and the configurator offers them automatically.
We pair straight-pull CX-Ray spokes with Sapim Polyax alloy nipples on light wheels and brass Polyax nipples on carbon rims and everyday wheels.
What goes into a Sapim spoke
Sapim has been drawing spoke wire in Belgium since 1918, and the range is built around one idea: the same wire and the same head, drawn to different middles. A Leader is 2.0 mm all the way through. A Race is 2.0 mm at the ends and 1.8 mm in the middle. A Laser takes the middle down to 1.5 mm. A CX-Ray is a Laser that has then been flat-forged into a blade, which is why it is light and aerodynamic without being a fragile spoke. Every one of them keeps a full-diameter head and thread, because those are the two places a spoke actually fails.
Some years ago a graduate student at Georgia Tech pulled five spokes to failure on a tensile tester, five samples of each, for Snyder Cycles. Snyder has since closed; we asked for permission to use the footage and were given it. It is worth more than a test we could run ourselves, because nobody in it was selling spokes. The averages line up like this: Sapim Race 303.15 kgf, Sapim Leader 299.37 kgf, DT Swiss Champion 289.80 kgf, DT Swiss Competition 276.95 kgf. The two pairs worth reading are the like-for-like ones. Among the plain-gauge 2.0 mm spokes, Sapim Leader averaged about 3% above DT Champion, and its weakest sample still pulled higher than DT's strongest. Among the double-butted spokes, Sapim Race averaged about 9% above DT Competition. Where they broke is as interesting as the number: the Race failed at the J-bend head, which is where a spoke is expected to go, while the Competition failed at the outer butting transition.
Treat it as what it is. One test, five pulls per spoke, measuring yield load on a straight pull in a machine rather than a laced wheel under a rider - and it does not capture fatigue life, which is what actually ends most spokes in service. It is also not new; it predates Snyder closing. But it is a real measurement, on real samples, by someone with nothing to sell, and it is part of why Sapim is what we reach for.
An independent spoke strength test
Manufacturing detail is the maker's own account; any load figures above are measurements, not marketing. Which one goes into your wheel is our call, and we are happy to talk it through.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Sapim makes the CX-Ray in Belgium; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. We cut CX-Ray spokes from the measured ERD of the rim in hand, lace the wheel by hand, hold every blade straight as we bring the tension up with a gauge, stress-relieve it and true it before it ships.
The configurator recommends a spoke gauge and count from your bike type and weight, and only shows spokes that fit the hub you choose.
Spoke length is where most wheel problems start, so we do not trust a catalog ERD. Every rim is measured in the shop before spokes are cut, the hub's flange diameter and center-to-flange are checked against our own database, and the two are run through the same calculator we publish on this site. A spoke that is a millimeter short pulls the nipple threads; a millimeter long pokes through the rim bed. We cut to the half millimeter.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. Sapim Spokes warrants this product against defects in materials and workmanship. The duration, conditions and claim process are set by Sapim Spokes and can change without notice, so ask us and we will confirm the current terms before you buy.
ProWheelBuilder. Wheels we build around this part are covered by our own one-year warranty alongside the maker's. Within the year: broken spokes replaced regardless of cause, and the labor on the wheel - truing, re-tensioning or a complete rebuild - included. A manufacturer-covered rim or hub failure is a claim we make and manage for you; one they will not cover is answered with an eligible replacement at 25% off retail. Shipping each way is yours. Parts you supply yourself fall outside it.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
CX RAY Straight Pull Bladed 14|21|14g - 2.2|0.9mm Spokes questions
Will this straight-pull spoke fit my hub?
Only if the hub was built for straight-pull spokes - the flange holds the head directly and there is no drilled hole for an elbow to sit in. It is not a preference, it is a fit: a straight-pull spoke cannot be made to work in a J-bend flange. Check the hub, or send us the make and model and we will tell you which pattern it takes. The same CX-Ray is listed separately in J-bend.
Is the CX-Ray really faster?
Yes, measurably, at road speeds; the blade cuts drag compared with a round spoke. The bigger everyday benefit is that a bladed spoke is easy to hold while truing, so the wheel is built and stays straighter.
CX-Ray or CX-Sprint?
CX-Ray for most riders and most wheels; CX-Sprint for heavy or powerful riders, low spoke counts, deep rims and e-bikes, where its wider 2.25 x 1.25mm blade adds stiffness.
Does the CX-Ray fit my hub?
The 2.2mm blade passes through a standard 2.3 to 2.6mm flange hole, so it fits nearly every J-bend hub. The configurator only shows compatible spokes for the hub you pick.
Why is the CX-Ray the strongest Sapim spoke?
Cold-forging the blade work-hardens the steel to around 1600 N/mm², which gives it the best fatigue life of any Sapim spoke despite being one of the lightest.
Do I choose the spoke length?
No. The configurator calculates the length from the rim's ERD and the hub's flange geometry; we cut and thread the spokes here.
Which spoke should I pick?
The configurator recommends a spoke from your bike type, rider weight and rim; a stronger spoke is offered when the build calls for it.
Not sure? Text or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 or email info@prowheelbuilder.com — you will be talking to the people who build the wheels.
