Sapim Laser J Bend Double Butted 14|17|14g - 2.0|1.5|2.0mm Spokes
The Sapim Laser is the lightest round spoke we sell and the round equivalent of the CX-Ray: a 2.0mm spoke drawn down to 1.5mm through the middle, cold-forged from Sapim's 18/8 stainless in Belgium. A set of Lasers saves around 90 grams over a set of Sapim Race spokes on the same wheel, and because that weight comes off the rim end of the spoke it is felt more than the number suggests. It is the spoke for light road, gravel and cross-country wheels on riders who are not hard on equipment.
This page covers the J-bend Sapim Laser J Bend Double Butted 14|17|14g - 2.0|1.5|2.0mm Spokes. We do not sell spokes loose. Pick the rim, hub and nipples in the configurator and the spokes are cut to length and built into the wheel here in Georgia.
Design and construction
The Laser is a triple-butted spoke in effect: 2.0mm at the elbow, 1.5mm through the middle, 2.0mm at the thread, which keeps the stress-bearing ends at full size while the middle carries only tension. The 1.5mm middle is what makes it light and also what makes it stretchy; a Laser elongates more under tension than a Race or a CX-Ray, which is good for comfort and for sharing shock between spokes, and which also means it winds up more under the nipple during building. That is a builder's problem, not a rider's, and we hold each spoke as tension rises.
Threads are rolled, the elbow is cold-forged, and lengths run in even millimeters in black or silver. Sapim also makes the Laser in straight-pull.
Sapim makes the Laser in lengths from about 180 to 310mm in even millimeters, J-bend and straight-pull, black or silver, and it takes any standard 14-gauge nipple. Because the middle is 1.5mm the Laser is also the spoke of choice for radial-laced front wheels on light riders, where a little elasticity is welcome.
How it rides
A Laser wheel is noticeably light and a little more comfortable than the same wheel on Race spokes, because the thin middle takes the sharp edge off road buzz. Lateral stiffness is slightly lower, which a light rider will never notice and a heavy rider might. On a road wheel for a rider under about 80kg, or a cross-country wheel for a racer, it is the round spoke we recommend for the lightest build.
For heavier riders, gravel and trail wheels that take hits, or anyone who wants the most durable option, the Sapim Race or D-Light is the better spoke; the CX-Ray gives the Laser's weight with more strength if the budget allows. Many of the lightest factory wheelsets are laced with Lasers or their equivalent, so a custom wheel on them is in good company.
Specifications
| Gauge | 14/17/14G |
|---|---|
| Profile | Double-butted |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Spoke head | Jb14|17|14 |
| Finishes | silver, black |
Which version this is
What this listing covers: the a 14/17/14g butted section Laser in the J-bend pattern. A J-bend spoke has the elbow formed into the head and drops through a drilled flange, which is the older and far more common pattern. It fits almost any hub, replacements can be found in any decent shop anywhere in the world, and the elbow is the part that eventually fails - which is why it is seated properly and the wheel stress-relieved before it leaves us. If your hub has drilled flanges, this is the one you want.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Sapim Laser J Bend Double Butted 14|17|14g - 2.0|1.5|2.0mm Spokes is cut to length for your build; the configurator reads the rim's ERD and the hub's flange dimensions and works out the length. J-bend Lasers fit any standard J-bend hub in the catalog.
We pair Laser spokes with Sapim Polyax alloy nipples on the lightest wheels and brass Polyax nipples on carbon rims; the configurator offers both.
Sapim spokes, and how we choose them
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.
The butted middle is not about saving weight so much as giving the spoke somewhere to stretch. A thinner mid-section elongates more for the same tension, so it holds that tension through pot-holes and hard corners instead of going slack and loosening the nipple. That is why a well-built wheel on Laser or Race spokes often stays true longer than the same wheel built with plain-gauge spokes, and it is why we reach for a butted spoke on almost every build where the rider's weight allows it.
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.
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 Laser in Belgium; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. Thin spokes reward careful building: we cut Lasers from the measured ERD of the rim in hand, hold each spoke against wind-up as we bring tension up with a gauge, stress-relieve the wheel twice 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.
Tension is the last thing we do and the thing we spend longest on. Every wheel comes up in three or four rounds, with a tensiometer reading on every spoke at each round, and is stress-relieved between rounds so the spokes bed into the flange and the nipples seat before the final true. It is why a wheel built here holds tension for years rather than needing a tweak after the first ride.
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. Any wheel we build on this part carries ProWheelBuilder's one-year warranty in addition to the manufacturer's. Broken spokes are replaced for a year whatever the cause, and all wheel-side labor is included - truing, re-tensioning, rebuilding. Where the maker covers a failed rim or hub we handle that claim for you; where they decline, an eligible replacement comes at 25% off current retail. The customer covers shipping in both directions. Components supplied by the customer are not covered.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Laser J Bend Double Butted 14|17|14g - 2.0|1.5|2.0mm Spokes questions
Should I take this in J-bend or straight-pull?
Whichever your hub takes - it is decided by the hub, not by preference. A J-bend spoke drops through a drilled flange and is what the large majority of hubs use, which also makes a replacement easy to find anywhere. If your hub holds the spoke head directly with no drilling, you need the straight-pull Laser, which is a separate listing.
Laser or CX-Ray?
Same weight and butting; the CX-Ray is the Laser forged into a blade, which makes it stronger and more aero at a higher price. If the budget allows, the CX-Ray; if not, the Laser is the round spoke that gets you the same weight.
Is the Laser strong enough for me?
For riders up to about 80kg on road, gravel and cross-country wheels with 28 or more spokes, yes. Heavier riders and hard trail use call for a Race, D-Light or CX-Sprint; the configurator recommends from your weight.
Why do thin spokes wind up?
A 1.5mm middle twists more easily as the nipple turns, so an unheld spoke can be left twisted and later unwind, knocking the wheel out of true. We hold each spoke as we build to prevent it.
Silver or black?
Cosmetic only; both are the same 18/8 stainless steel.
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.
