LBS strikes again -- and spokes query

[bode]

Having just passed the 2000-mile mark, I booked my bike into the nearest bike shop to have the brakes serviced. OK, I could have (and subsequently did) sort them out myself, but I thought I'd pay someone else to make all the fiddly little adjustments. I had some misgivings when the guy in the shop said, "Where d'you get that, then? Ain't English is it?", and sucked his teeth when I said no, because virtually all electric bikes are made in China. (Not to mention, which I didn't, a large proportion of non-electric models including most of what he was selling in his shop.)

When I went to collect the bike, I was told that "there's a problem, mate" and he pointed out that one of my rear spokes was adrift, since the bit of the hub motor flange to which it connects had actually broken away. I had not noticed this and have no idea how it happened; going over a particularly large bump? I asked if the wheel was out of true and was told no, but "it could go at any time". I asked if they had at least done the front brake, to which the answer was "I ain't going on that; could be dangerous". So, I asked, can you do nothing to help? "No, mate."

Great service of the kind that many of us have come to expect from our LBS. (This was in Hertfordshire; I must say that I have had better luck on two previous occasions in bike shops in Bath).

Anyway, having got that moan off my chest, my question is if there is anything to be done short of a new motor? I removed the loose spoke since there was nothing to connect it to - can the (20") wheel survive with 35 out of 36 spokes?

Having done that and sorted out the brakes, the bike seems to be running as well as ever; I can't detect any wobble or unevenness. Is something nasty just waiting to happen, or at my lowish speeds should I be able to just carry on?

 

[flecc]

It will almost certainly be ok Roger. A very high proportion of bikes on the road have 32 spoke wheels, some have 24 or even only 16 spokes. The build quality rather than the number of spokes is what really matters, and if your wheel is true after 2000 miles it should continue that way. The tension on the opposing spokes on the opposite side can't be very high since it's stayed true, so best left like that.

For purely cosmetic reasons you could use some metal resin from a tube (DIY store) to build in the hub rim point and position a spoke in place but not under tension, but that's not important of course.

Another approach if the hub flange is fairly substantial is to drill a new spoke hole adjacent and mount the spoke from there, the same length spoke will probably be ok for that, but if not, they are available in 2 mm length steps.
.

 

[jerrysimon]

My Brompton has had two rear spokes broken for the last two weeks and I have been riding it to work every day. Brompton use 13g spokes on their 28h rear rims.

I will sort it out soon but am going to a two gear rear wheel (my Brompton is going on a diet, update to follow) so have not bothered fixing it.

Speaking to a more experienced wheel builder he tells me that actually it may be better using 14g spokes which would enable them to flex and get more tension in them than 13g ones. All my other DIY built 16" rims have 14g spokes and have been fine.

PS I would find another LBS.

Regards

Jerry

 

[bode]

Thank you flecc and Jerry for your reassurance. Good to know, especially in light of the response from the charmer at the LBS when I enquired if he might look at tuning up the remaining spokes on my rear wheel: "Nah! Too tricky to do that; might break more bits off yer hub."

Needless to say, that will indeed be my first and last experience of that shop. Unfortunately the only other close alternative is Halfords(!), but I do spend a lot of time in Bath, and there are a number of decent bike shops there.

 

[peasjam]

You'll just have to resist the urge to bunny hop off the curbs