I do not know what this means or how to answer these.
That's a great find, thank you. I shall place an order now :-D
What's the deal with frequently broken spokes?
- Thread starter technopedler
- Start date
What a poor website design. I've just tried to place an order and after entering my billing and delivery address, the "Continue to the next step" button doesn't work. I've filled in all the mandatory fields and tried two different browsers. I've even tried a few variations of the data in case it's not accepting something (e.g. postcode with space, without space etc). I'm very slowly losing hope.
Just go to a bike shop, spokes can be cut and threaded to length with a simple tool that most decent bike shops should have. It might cost you a few p more per spoke. But you'll be supporting the industry and get some one real to speak to about the wheel build.
I only have one local bike shop in my area. He's a nice guy and has done plenty of work on my bike until now but he's an independent guy and is not able to do this for me. He's happy to fit spokes that I supply but this requires that I have the right spokes to begin with.
He's a bike shop and can't order spokes?? He's not a very good bike shop then.
Feels like a bit of a cheapshot. I don't know his reasons but I've been really happy with his service he's done. He's a nice guy though.
Anyway, I did a bit more digging out found a specialist cycle shop in central London that can rebuild cycle wheels. I didn't think of this as it would have been difficult to get my cycle in but then it occured to me I can just take off the back wheel and carry it on the tube. Anyway, this is what I've done so I've asked them to fit the most robust spokes that can be fitted. Should get the wheel back tomorrow but my next cycle commute won't be until the new year so will be a while before I confirm if it's worked out or not.
Anyway, thanks everyone for all the help.
Its not a cheap shot... its a fair shot. Bike shops should be able to order spokes from a host of suppliers. If they can't it'll be for a number of reasons, non of them positive.
D
Deleted member 4366
Guest
That has a different meaning to different people. It could be that the bike shop has no experience of using motor-wheels like yours, so he could jump to the wrong conclusions. Did you ask if he knows about the problems with these sort of wheels?
It reminds me a bit of those videos they used to show about communication when they sent you on those management training courses. The one I'm thinking of is where the works canteen manager, fresh from the creative cooking course, decides to change the menu to exotic food, but the workers don't like it, so the boss calls her in and says, "the workers are unhappy, you need to pull your socks up" without explaining why the workers are unhappy, so she puts on even more exotic food.
Last edited by a moderator:
spokes break because they are loose, they break usually at the head. They get to that state because they have less tension than their neighbours so they get loosened much more easily than those that have been tightened more. When they are loosened and before they break, they inflict damage to the rim because loose spokes don't take any weight from the rim, ending up twisting your rim, accelerating their own demise.
There is really no need to change all your spokes because one or two are broken. Just deal with the problem quickly so it does not spread any further. Replace the broken spoke and true your wheel again. If you have never trued your wheels, then spend the next 5 minutes reading this guide:
https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/wheel-and-rim-truing
There is really no need to change all your spokes because one or two are broken. Just deal with the problem quickly so it does not spread any further. Replace the broken spoke and true your wheel again. If you have never trued your wheels, then spend the next 5 minutes reading this guide:
https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/wheel-and-rim-truing
Woosh,
You know only too well that truing a wheel is a dark art and the novice initiate has to spend years in a secret cavern learning the spells before being let loose on a real wheel.
You know only too well that truing a wheel is a dark art and the novice initiate has to spend years in a secret cavern learning the spells before being let loose on a real wheel.
I feel I conveyed enough detail to the cycle wheel building shop. They fitted DT Swiss Alpine spokes 14G straight gauge. Due to the short spoke length (176mm) it needed cutting and a double butted or single butted spoke wasn't really usable. I rode the bike today but will take a few weeks or a couple of months to be sure that the robustness is better. In the meantime, I'll be checking the spokes after each ride.
Most spokes which break do so because of fatigue and that is a result of not being properly tensioned. The spokes may have been brought up to the correct tension when the wheel was built but unless the spokes have been de-stressed when this was done inevitably some may loosen and in time break from fatigue and usually at the bend.
The choice of single-butted spokes versus DB spokes is really not the main issue here. DG spokes...given that they allow more flex than the SB variety IMHO and in the opinion of most builders are preferable but SB spokes on the drive-side and DB on the non-drive side of rear wheels with dish are often the correct choice. What is the most important factor is not the type of spokes but the correct build....but that the spokes are of an even tension and correctly de-stressed. Even the most modern wheel-building machines cannot de-stress the spokes despite them being able to build an absolutely true wheel.
A good wheel-builder is the answer but many...if not most bike shops cannot provide an adequate service in this regard. Not every mechanic can build/re-build wheels and it is a time-consuming process and doesn't pay so a bike shop may be content merely to replace the spoke and re-true.
The choice of single-butted spokes versus DB spokes is really not the main issue here. DG spokes...given that they allow more flex than the SB variety IMHO and in the opinion of most builders are preferable but SB spokes on the drive-side and DB on the non-drive side of rear wheels with dish are often the correct choice. What is the most important factor is not the type of spokes but the correct build....but that the spokes are of an even tension and correctly de-stressed. Even the most modern wheel-building machines cannot de-stress the spokes despite them being able to build an absolutely true wheel.
A good wheel-builder is the answer but many...if not most bike shops cannot provide an adequate service in this regard. Not every mechanic can build/re-build wheels and it is a time-consuming process and doesn't pay so a bike shop may be content merely to replace the spoke and re-true.
Ginkgo who I have cited frequently as a source for correct length Sapim spokes builds wheels for trikes and vélomobiles. They have a wheel building service which delivers wheels only after they have been de-stressed for obvious reasons.
The first time I rode my trike was the first time I have heard spokes working hard for their living. Your head is mere centimetres from the wheel and every corner you hear them coming under tension. This is the reason I passed on using the Mxus 26" wheel that I have in stock because, despite it behaving well for over 3600 km, I didn't trust it to withstand the extra forces of a trike rear end. You don't want to have to push a trike with broken spokes home, trust me...
The first time I rode my trike was the first time I have heard spokes working hard for their living. Your head is mere centimetres from the wheel and every corner you hear them coming under tension. This is the reason I passed on using the Mxus 26" wheel that I have in stock because, despite it behaving well for over 3600 km, I didn't trust it to withstand the extra forces of a trike rear end. You don't want to have to push a trike with broken spokes home, trust me...
I kept on getting loose spokes on my rear hub, quite alarming wheel flex at one point, local bike shop wouldn't touch it as they said it had to be done on a jig or they couldn't guarantee wheel integrity. I bought a simple multi-guage tool and tightened up the worst offending spokes whilst secretly panicking about 'doming' the wheel, or making it oval...but realistically with a bit of common sense I checked and tightened the spokes every week or so and after a few months the wheel seemed to have settled down and I haven't needed to do anything to it the last 1500 miles or so.
I likened it to tuning a guitar, doesn't happen much now with better build quality but string up a guitar by tightening up the big string to full note and you risk twisting the neck!
All the spokes should have roughly the same 'twang'.
I likened it to tuning a guitar, doesn't happen much now with better build quality but string up a guitar by tightening up the big string to full note and you risk twisting the neck!
All the spokes should have roughly the same 'twang'.
I had to report back, after getting my wheel rebuilt (on 21st Dec) which replaced all spokes with top quality ones (DT Swiss Alpine) I've now cycled 20 days (400 miles) without a single broken spoke. Even when I went over what felt like the mother of all potholes, it was fine. I was convinced it would have broken a spoke or two but nothing.
Hows your spokes now technopedler assuming you are still using the bike etc? A dude I know had his done "professionally" locally and they fell out within a month and that was with spokes supplied from the bikes retailer!
I saw him the other day with a spoke or two missing and its not like the dude hasn't got the cash to get the wheel done again lol
Me, I had my 1st front hub trued as it was loose when I un-boxed it 2 years ago, every year the bike gets a brake service and I ask them to check the wheel and so far its never had any problems, and potholes is becoming a swear word in my house lol!
I saw him the other day with a spoke or two missing and its not like the dude hasn't got the cash to get the wheel done again lol
Me, I had my 1st front hub trued as it was loose when I un-boxed it 2 years ago, every year the bike gets a brake service and I ask them to check the wheel and so far its never had any problems, and potholes is becoming a swear word in my house lol!
Unbelievably good. Not a single broken spoke since I had them fitted. One or two spokes over a month or two tend to become loose which then just needs tightening up but no broken spokes at all. There might be better spokes out their but these DT Swiss Alpine ones are awesome.
I don't understand this modern problem with spokes.
All through the 1950s and into the 1960s I never broke a spoke nor did any of my friends.
We then went via clip on petrol motors to motor cycles of all sizes and again never heard of a broken spoke.
Perhaps it is alloy wheels which are failing by stretching rather than spokes becoming loose.
All through the 1950s and into the 1960s I never broke a spoke nor did any of my friends.
We then went via clip on petrol motors to motor cycles of all sizes and again never heard of a broken spoke.
Perhaps it is alloy wheels which are failing by stretching rather than spokes becoming loose.
Hay yer never thought about the old days, me personally, never really used motor bikes, and I am way too young
to ever remember the old cars with spoke wheels and modern motor bikes too - hay mike killay you got any pics of your old motor bikes??Now you mention it I also had a 1930s MG Midget with wire wheels, no broken spokes there either.Hay yer never thought about the old days, me personally, never really used motor bikes, and I am way too young
There is definitely something wrong with modern spokes/wheels.
Sorry, no photos.
Related Articles
-
MTF Enterprises announces acquisition of EMU Electric Bikes- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Wisper 806T folding bike wins Which? ‘Best Buy’- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Sustrans calls for protected cycle lanes- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Amazon launch their first UK e-cargo micromobility hub- Started by: Pedelecs
