bike spokes

[billyboya]

Hi all

I noticed a slight wobble when I was riding my bike the other day, and no I had not been at the whisky lol. so when I checked the back wheel, I noticed it had 2 spokes broken, plus 1 keep turning when i tried to adjust spokes, I have never yet removed my back wheel due to the wires going to motor, and brakes to disconnect etc.

To be honest I have never removed back wheel since i bought the bike never had a puncture in rear Tyre, so guess i am lucky.

the Tyre size is 24 x 175 dont know if thats the wheel size too. is it easy to fit new spokes , if any pictures are required please say and I will upload some.

Would this be too big a job to do myself or is it best to take bike to a shop

 

[billyboya]

Hi all

I noticed a slight wobble when I was riding my bike the other day, and no I had not been at the whisky lol. so when I checked the back wheel, I noticed it had 2 spokes broken, plus 1 keep turning when i tried to adjust spokes, I have never yet removed my back wheel due to the wires going to motor, and brakes to disconnect etc.

To be honest I have never removed back wheel since i bought the bike never had a puncture in rear Tyre, so guess i am lucky.

the Tyre size is 24 x 175 dont know if thats the wheel size too. is it easy to fit new spokes , if any pictures are required please say and I will upload some.

Would this be too big a job to do myself or is it best to take bike to a shop

Can no one help me here

 

[Benjahmin]

Have a look here Billy
http://sheldonbrown.com/wheels.html
I tried trueing a rear wheel, but it ended up at the LBS.

 

[billyboya]

Have a look here Billy
http://sheldonbrown.com/wheels.html
I tried trueing a rear wheel, but it ended up at the LBS.

Hi thanks for replying, I think I am best to let the experts do my wheel spokes, seems very complicated for my old brain. very handy site will bookmark that.

btw whats LBS mean I should imagine its in the dump lol

 

[D8ve]

Local Bike Shop, use it , I get some stuff there so I don't lose it.

 

[Nealh]

Try practising a few times on an old wheel, spoking ang trueing isn't rocket science. I find it to be quite a satisfying task and one I can chill out on.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

You could try replacing the broken spokes. The wheel might well straighten when you put the spokes in and tighten them. Take an old spoke out and measure from the middle of the elbow to the end of the thread. That's the length you need.

No need to remove the wheel. You can remove the tyre while it's still bolted in. Pull the tyre off one side, then lever the rest over the rim where you want to deal with the spokes. Put the new spokes in and then put the tyre back. You might have to bend the spokes double to lace them in and then straighten them in situ.

 

[eHomer]

Hi thanks for replying, I think I am best to let the experts do my wheel spokes, seems very complicated for my old brain. very handy site will bookmark that.

btw whats LBS mean I should imagine its in the dump lol

Fear of the unknown is quite understandable, and wheels are a worrying safety aspect of bikes.

DIY aptitude skills vary widely between individuals, so it's tricky to advise how "easy" some tasks could be.

I've fiddled around with bikes for over 50 years, and was always confident with spoke replacement and minor trueing, but I was never brave enough to build a wheel from scratch, (hub, rim, and a bundle of spokes), until I got advice from this forum a year or two ago.

Even that turned out to be very easy and satisfying, after also carefully studying the diagrams on that excellent Sheldon Brown website already linked by Benjahmin above.

A familiarity with spoke adjustment and wheel truing is a very useful skill for all cyclists, and not just for when they need replacing. Even brand new wheels on mass produced bikes roll much better after being DIY pre-tensioned and trued, which most are not. There are a number of youtube videos explaining the operation.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=spoke+adjustment+pre+tension

 

[billyboya]

You could try replacing the broken spokes. The wheel might well straighten when you put the spokes in and tighten them. Take an old spoke out and measure from the middle of the elbow to the end of the thread. That's the length you need.

No need to remove the wheel. You can remove the tyre while it's still bolted in. Pull the tyre off one side, then lever the rest over the rim where you want to deal with the spokes. Put the new spokes in and then put the tyre back. You might have to bend the spokes double to lace them in and then straighten them in situ.

Thanks all for helping me


It sounds easy enough as like i said it has a slight wobble in wheel, obvious its where the broken 2 spokes are, so probably would straighten ok with 2 new spokes, I was just a bit dubious about messing things up. but there are loads of videos on youtube about tightening spokes I can use the brake blocks as a guide. so say looking at wheel from back of bike, when its upside down, and it seems closer to left brake block as spinning, I mean where its out of true. do I just tighten the 2 spokes on right side of hub, opposite to where its pulling to left to pull it over and also do i have to loosen the spokes on left where its close to brake blokes.

I didn't realize you dont have to remove the wheel

 

[eHomer]

Another tip when trying spoke adjustment for the first time is to use a piece of chalk when finding the "high spots".

It makes it easier to keep track on progress while the adjustments are being made.

It's so easy to forget and turn the spoke nipples the wrong way, which can be disheartening if you have no reference from where you started !

 

[billyboya]

Another tip when trying spoke adjustment for the first time is to use a piece of chalk when finding the "high spots".

It makes it easier to keep track on progress while the adjustments are being made.

It's so easy to forget and turn the spoke nipples the wrong way, which can be disheartening if you have no reference from where you started !

yes I will mark place with chalk
so is it true what I said above as you have not replied regarding that. bit

so say looking at wheel from back of bike, when its upside down, and it seems closer to left brake block as spinning, I mean where its out of true. do I just tighten the 2 spokes on right side of hub, opposite to where its pulling to left to pull it over and also do i have to loosen the spokes on left where its close to brake blokes.

 

[eHomer]

yes I will mark place with chalk
so is it true what I said above as you have not replied regarding that. bit

so say looking at wheel from back of bike, when its upside down, and it seems closer to left brake block as spinning, I mean where its out of true. do I just tighten the 2 spokes on right side of hub, opposite to where its pulling to left to pull it over and also do i have to loosen the spokes on left where its close to brake blokes.

Sorry Billy, I didn't realise the question was aimed at me.
I'll try and answer though,

If you look at the way the spokes are laced to the wheel you'll see that each one alternately pulls the wheel to the left or the right, because at the hub they are fixed to either the left or right hand flange, even though they all pull on the centre line of the rim.

So to move the wheel rim to the right, you need to tighten the nearest spoke that is fixed to the right hand hub flange, and also loosen the nearest one that is fixed to the left hand flange.

So you need to loosen one side and tighten the other, usually by an equal amount, that will move the rim over towards the side that has been tightened. You'll soon see the effect, and whether you need more or at a different point.

The secret is to do it in small amounts, say no more than half a turn of the spoke nipple.

Be careful when you start to notice which way turning the spoke nipple tightens and which way loosens. It's easy to get confused at first, because the nipple screws on to the thread on the spoke, not into the rim.

Don't adjust any of the spokes by a large amount, or you may over or under tension the wheel, or make it out of true "radially" instead.

 

[billyboya]

Sorry Billy, I didn't realise the question was aimed at me.
I'll try and answer though,

If you look at the way the spokes are laced to the wheel you'll see that each one alternately pulls the wheel to the left or the right, because at the hub they are fixed to either the left or right hand flange, even though they all pull on the centre line of the rim.

So to move the wheel rim to the right, you need to tighten the nearest spoke that is fixed to the right hand hub flange, and also loosen the nearest one that is fixed to the left hand flange.

So you need to loosen one side and tighten the other, usually by an equal amount, that will move the rim over towards the side that has been tightened. You'll soon see the effect, and whether you need more or at a different point.

The secret is to do it in small amounts, say no more than half a turn of the spoke nipple.

Be careful when you start to notice which way turning the spoke nipple tightens and which way loosens. It's easy to get confused at first, because the nipple screws on to the thread on the spoke, not into the rim.

Don't adjust any of the spokes by a large amount, or you may over or under tension the wheel, or make it out of true "radially" instead.

Thats excellent many thanks i will do 2 spokes to loosen of left of flange and other 2 op side to tighten. then gradually do 1 spoke left to loosen 1 spoke on op side to tighten.

 

[eHomer]

I googled images and found a diagram that shows it clearer than my explanation.

 

[billyboya]

I googled images and found a diagram that shows it clearer than my explanation.

View attachment 16458

yeah thanks for that very handy diagram, But so far I have not even tried as not been on bike as its been too dam cold and wet, so not even removed old broken spokes or even ordered new ones but will do soon.

 

[billyboya]

I have a bit of a problem. I have removed my broken spokes from my back wheel. there was 3. plus I have now also removed a new one, to measure it. and it seems to be 6 1/2 inches long I think thats approx 165mm but on eBay most of the spokes are much longer. the rear spokes on my electric bike obviously are shorter due to having the big hub. so am i correct in ordering 165mm spokes in length

I also tried to have a go at replacing a spoke, but its very hard to lift up the spoke as it has to be pushed all way in to the bend. then you find its not over lapped how it should be to line up with the spoke nut. is there a certain way, as I found you have to really bend the spoke, which cant be right

 

[Nealh]

You are measuring incorrectly that spoke looks to me more like 160/162mm, measure it right and accurately from inside the J bend to the thread end. Spokes don't have nuts they have nipples. In your case I should think with 160/162mm spokes you only have a 1 cross lacing and as the wheel is already tensioned they will need some careful flexing to get in to position. I expect your spokes are 12g / 2.6mm dia or 10g/3.2mm so carefully measure the spoke dia as well.
To measure accurately rotate and lay your spoke on the tape, place the threaded end on the 100mm line and read the measurement at the j bend don't forget to subtract 100mm for the correct length. If you don't measure correctly and get spokes too long then you will run out of thread and they will remain loose and untensioned.

example on ebay.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wheel-Spoke-and-Nipple-Set-12G-160mm-Long-New-/141708362973?hash=item20fe7a04dd:g:x70AAOxyiRlSa8a4

 

[billyboya]

You are measuring incorrectly that spoke looks to me more like 160/162mm, measure it right and accurately from inside the J bend to the thread end. Spokes don't have nuts they have nipples. In your case I should think with 160/162mm spokes you only have a 1 cross lacing and as the wheel is already tensioned they will need some careful flexing to get in to position. I expect your spokes are 12g / 2.6mm dia or 10g/3.2mm so carefully measure the spoke dia as well.
To measure accurately rotate and lay your spoke on the tape, place the threaded end on the 100mm line and read the measurement at the j bend don't forget to subtract 100mm for the correct length. If you don't measure correctly and get spokes too long then you will run out of thread and they will remain loose and untensioned.

example on ebay.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wheel-Spoke-and-Nipple-Set-12G-160mm-Long-New-/141708362973?hash=item20fe7a04dd:g:x70AAOxyiRlSa8a4

Hi many thanks for your help. Yes you are right they do measure 162mm. So I will order those on eBay. Would I have to replace all of the spokes or just the 3 broken ones. Also what's the best way to line them up right as like I said it's awkward as you have to push spoke all way through the hole before you can lift it up to get to hole in rim. Also it seems you have to bend them to line up. Or is there an easier way

 

[Nealh]

You only need to replace the 3 but worth having some spares for future breakages. As I mentioned the wheel is in tension so you will have to flex the spokes to get them in or remove another first, depends on which spokes are broken and whether they are inner or outer spokes. You will notice each spoke alternates, the spoke laced in through the inside of the hub flange is easier to get in position as they are the usually the last ones to go in.

 

[billyboya]

You only need to replace the 3 but worth having some spares for future breakages. As I mentioned the wheel is in tension so you will have to flex the spokes to get them in or remove another first, depends on which spokes are broken and whether they are inner or outer spokes. You will notice each spoke alternates, the spoke laced in through the inside of the hub flange is easier to get in position as they are the usually the last ones to go in.

OK thanks again. Yes I suppose I will have to remove some near the broken ones to insert new ones. I will go ahead then and order those you mentioned on eBay.