Spoke Gauge vs Wire Gauge

G. Huang asked:

Quoted message said:

Is there a difference between wire gauge and spoke gauge?

There is a difference in that there are at least a half-dozen different
"gauges" (i.e., systems) for measuring wire and wire products, but the
one used for spokes is the American Steel & Wire (ASW) gauge, also known
as the Washburn & Moen gauge (after its developers).

Quoted message said:

In electric wire for example, AWG12 always means 2mm
(actually 2.05mm).

The American Wire gauge (AWG) is defined in inches, not millimeters, and
AWG12 is defined as 0.0808 inch.

Quoted message said:

When I went to get some spokes at a LBS, the guy told me
2mm is gauge 14. I didn't believe him until he showed me
a DT chart.

14-gauge spokes are 0.0800 inch, which is a little over 2.03mm.

--
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much
to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes,
it has not died out." -- The Daily Telegraph (1877)

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 16:34:52 -0400, "G. Huang"

gang@removethis_bell-labs.com said:

Is there a difference between wire gauge and spoke gauge? In electric
wire for example, AWG12 always means 2mm (actually 2.05mm). When I went
to get some spokes at a LBS, the guy told me 2mm is gauge 14. I didn't
believe him until he showed me a DT chart.
GH

Dear GH,

The bicycle 14 gauge spoke is about 0.08 inches and matches
the S.W.G. standard.

Here are the two wire gauge standards:

http://www.reade.com/Conversion/wire_gauge.html

For wire, 14 gauge is either 0.0800 inches S.W.G. or 0.0641
inches A.W.G.

Carl Fogel

G. Huang said:

Is there a difference between wire gauge and spoke gauge? In electric
wire for example, AWG12 always means 2mm (actually 2.05mm). When I went
to get some spokes at a LBS, the guy told me 2mm is gauge 14. I didn't
believe him until he showed me a DT chart.
GH

Humans devise myriad systems for taxonomically describing
everything. Frame tube used to be sold by British Gauge
(22/24) but now by mm thickness (0.9/0.6).
A spoke may be called 0.080" or 2mm or 14g but it's still
the same spoke.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971