In the world of high-performance cycling, component choices often involve a series of trade-offs. Do you want lightweight or durable? Stiff or compliant? What if you could build a wheel that wasn’t a compromise—a wheel that was not only dramatically lighter but also smoother and more comfortable on the trail?
Enter Berd spokes.
Made from an advanced polymer called Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE), Berd spokes are, quite simply, the lightest bicycle spokes on earth. But their advantages go far beyond the scale. For the competitive XC racer, the rotational weight savings can be the difference between the podium and the pack. For the trail or enduro rider, their incredible vibration-damping properties deliver a uniquely compliant, chatter-absorbing ride feel that enhances traction and reduces fatigue.
This naturally leads to the most common question: are they durable? While it may seem counterintuitive, Berd spokes are incredibly strong and have an impact resistance that often exceeds their steel counterparts. In the event of a crash that would bend a steel spoke and de-tension a wheel, a Berd spoke often flexes and returns to true, keeping you rolling. A rider should have every bit as much confidence in Berd spokes as they do in traditional steel.
But harnessing this revolutionary technology isn't as simple as swapping out steel for polymer. To unlock the true potential of Berd spokes, a builder must commit to a specialized, meticulous process that fundamentally rethinks how a wheel is constructed.
In this article, we're taking you behind the scenes at LoamLabs. We will reveal some of our expert techniques and proprietary technology to show you exactly how we transform these advanced spokes into a perfectly balanced, durable, and high-performance wheelset.
Phase 1: The Foundation of Excellence – Precision Hub Preparation
Before a single spoke can be laced, the foundation of the wheel—the hub—must be perfectly prepared. Unlike a steel spoke with a forged metal head, a flexible Berd spoke requires a perfectly smooth, rounded surface to interface with. Attempting to lace a Berd spoke through the sharp, machined edge of a standard hub flange is a recipe for disaster; under tension, that edge will literally saw through the polymer spoke over time, leading to premature failure.
To create the necessary smooth surface, professional builders use one of two methods. The first is to manually chamfer and polish each individual spoke hole, a skilled process that creates a rounded edge. The second method, which we have adopted at LoamLabs, is to prepare the hub for Berd’s specially designed J-Bend Inserts. We exclusively use the insert method because it provides a level of engineering consistency and reliability that is second to none. We precisely drill each spoke hole to a specific diameter, allowing us to press-fit the inserts and create a perfectly uniform interface every single time. These small metal eyelets not only protect the spoke but also allow the hub to be used with traditional steel spokes in the future if needed.
It’s important to be transparent about this process: modifying a hub in this way will likely void the manufacturer’s warranty. Berd themselves note this in their documentation. We see it as a necessary trade-off for riders seeking the absolute pinnacle of wheel performance, and it’s a critical first step in our process.
Why this matters for the rider: This unseen preparation is the single most important step for ensuring the long-term safety and durability of a Berd wheelset. It’s a meticulous, upfront investment that prevents spoke failure at the hub flange down the line.
Phase 2: The Art of the Build – Lacing with a Modern Material
With the hub perfectly prepped, we move to lacing—the process of weaving the spokes between the hub and rim. However, before the first spoke is ever pulled from the tray, the single most critical step of the entire build has already happened: calculating the exact spoke length. An error of even one millimeter can compromise a build, which is why this calculation must be perfect. Using a professional tool like the LoamLabs Spoke Calculator is the non-negotiable first step to ensure we have the correct components for the job. With the right spokes in hand, the meticulous assembly process can begin.
The process for each spoke is as follows:
- First, a thin Wire Loop Tool is threaded through the eyelet of the Berd spoke.
- The wire loop is then fed through the appropriate spoke hole in the hub flange. As the tool is pulled through, it carefully guides the flexible spoke into place.
- Once the spoke is through, an awl is used to gently open the spoke’s loop, which gets compressed during its journey through the small spoke hole and the wire loop tool is removed.
- The most critical component—the Spoke Holding Rod—is then inserted into the loop. This small rod acts as the anchor, once inserted, the spoke is pulled in the opposite direction as if to remove it from the hub. When tension is applied, the rod is squeezed between the spoke loop and the hub flange, locking it securely in place.
- With all spokes laced to the hub, the next stage is to connect them to the rim. The first few spokes connect easily with no effort, but as the wheel gets laced, the task becomes surprisingly difficult. This is because the flexible Berd spokes must be physically stretched to reach the corresponding holes in the rim. A builder relying on hand strength alone could struggle to pull the spoke taut while simultaneously threading the nipple. To solve this, we use specialized, non-marring tools—some of which are custom-made in our shop, similar to Berd's spoke lacing helper—to grip the spoke securely and provide the leverage needed to connect it to the nipple.
- Finally, a critical detail for the lacing pattern: unlike traditional steel spokes, Berd spokes are not interwoven or interlaced at their final crossing point. The unique polymer material can abrade when rubbed against itself under the high tension of a finished wheel. By allowing the spokes to simply 'float' over one another without direct contact, we eliminate friction, prevent long-term wear, and ensure a more durable and reliable build.
This entire sequence—drilling, pressing inserts, and then individually installing each spoke and rod—is the most time-consuming part of the build. It requires immense patience and precision, and it's where a builder's experience truly comes into play.
Why this matters for the rider: Proper lacing technique, especially the correct and consistent seating of each Spoke Holding Rod, is essential for the wheel to come up to tension evenly and safely. Rushing this stage or using improper tools can lead to an unbalanced and unreliable wheel.
Phase 3: Data-Driven Precision – The LoamLabs Truing & Tensioning Protocol
The single greatest challenge when building with Berd spokes is managing their elasticity. Compared to a steel spoke that might stretch less than a millimeter during a build, a Berd spoke can stretch significantly as it beds in and comes up to final tension. This requires a completely different approach from traditional hand-truing, though it does come with a unique advantage: unlike bladed steel spokes, the flexible polymer material is not prone to torsional wind-up during tensioning.
To achieve a perfect and stable build, we rely on the data-driven precision of the BERD TRUDI system. This is far more than a truing stand; it’s an algorithmic diagnostic tool. The process is a seamless blend of technology and hands-on expertise:
- First, TRUDI records the wheel's dish to establish a baseline.
- Next, a motorized rubber wheel gently spins the rim, allowing the system to take hyper-accurate measurements of any radial (up-and-down) and lateral (side-to-side) runout.
- We then use a digital tensiometer to manually record the tension of every single spoke, feeding that data directly into the software.
- With this complete data set, TRUDI's algorithm instantly calculates the precise number of turns required for each individual nipple to bring the wheel into perfect alignment.
Our internal standard is to achieve a final tension of 110-115 kgf while ensuring the tension of all spokes is balanced within a tight 5-15% deviation—a key metric for a durable, long-lasting wheel. This entire data-driven process is repeated multiple times between sessions in our pneumatic press until the wheel is perfectly stable.
Why this matters for the rider: This data-driven process removes the guesswork inherent in building with highly elastic spokes. It ensures your wheel is not just true, but perfectly dished and balanced with uniform tension, resulting in a stronger, more stable wheel that stays true for longer.
Phase 4: The LoamLabs Advantage – Advanced Pneumatic De-Stressing
This is the step that separates a good Berd build from a great one. As we've mentioned, the primary challenge with Berd spokes is their initial stretch. For a builder without specialized equipment, managing this requires a multi-day process of bringing the wheel up to tension, letting it rest for 24 hours to stretch, re-tensioning and truing, letting it rest again, and only then performing a final true. It’s a slow, laborious process that is absolutely essential for a stable wheel.
At LoamLabs, we have engineered a better way. Our proprietary Pneumatic De-Stressing Press allows us to radically accelerate this process without compromising on quality. By applying hundreds of pounds of controlled force to the wheel, the press systematically seats all the components—from the nipples in the rim bed to the spoke holding rods at the hub—while safely pre-stretching the spokes. This critical step simulates the forces of hard riding in a controlled workshop environment.
The consequence of skipping this step is severe. A Berd wheel that hasn't been properly pre-stretched will lose significant tension and go out of true within hours of being built, let alone ridden. It would be unstable and potentially dangerous. Our pneumatic press compresses a three-day stabilization period into less than 30 minutes, guaranteeing that your wheel is stable and ride-ready from the moment you receive it.
Why this matters for the rider: Our proprietary press ensures your wheel is stable and "ride-ready" from day one. It removes the initial break-in period and provides a level of long-term reliability that is simply not achievable with standard building methods.
Conclusion: The Result is a Ride You Have to Feel to Believe
The final result of this meticulous, multi-stage process is a wheelset that performs as beautifully as it looks. This specific build, featuring Project321 G3 hubs and We Are One Triad rims, weighs in at an incredible 1788 grams. Compared to a traditional build with high-end steel spokes, that represents a weight savings of 137g over Sapim CX-Rays, and a massive 248g (over half a pound!) over standard Sapim Race spokes. And thanks to the inherent UV stability of the UHMWPE material, that performance is built to last.
But the real magic happens on the trail. The first thing riders notice is the quiet, damped ride quality. The polymer spokes filter out high-frequency trail chatter, enhancing traction and dramatically reducing rider fatigue over long distances. The choice of the We Are One carbon rims also plays a huge role in the final ride feel, a topic we explore in-depth in our definitive guide to Carbon vs. Alloy Rims. The result is a wheelset that feels faster, smoother, and more comfortable than anything you've ridden before.
Ultimately, building with Berd spokes is a craft. The technology itself is brilliant, but it's the builder's expertise, investment in specialized tools, and commitment to a precise, data-driven process that truly unlocks its revolutionary performance. Our meticulous process ensures every wheelset is a masterpiece, and it's the foundation of the experience you get when designing your own set in our interactive custom wheel builder.
