Another cruddy Alex DA22 wheel

[goo_mason]

After recently experiencing an issue with spokes loosening on my rear Aksium, and then finding that the spokes had fused with the spoke nipples, I put a brand new Alex DA22 wheel on until I can get the Aksium respoked.

This Alex wheel was a replacement sent to me by Halfrauds in May 2008, as the original wheel was breaking a spoke a day in the first week I rode the new bike. It's never been used until I put it on three weeks ago.

Well, it's obviously from the same faulty batch of badly-tensioned wheels. I was happily riding along on a flat, smooth stretch this morning when there was a crack, followed by the tell-tale 'ting-ting-ting-ting' sound of the loose spoke hitting off the chainstay.

Guess I need to get the Aksium into the shop asap. I'd been putting it off as I thought the Alex wheel would last a bit longer. I think I have a few spare Alex-sized spokes in the toolkit to see me through until it's back in good shape.

 

[e-rider]

I've had bad experiences with factory built Mavic wheels. Never tried Alex though. I now build my own to exacting standards! I do still use mavic rims because I like them and they seem to be pretty good. I tend to use the magic formula of Shimano hubs (always check that the bearings have been greased properly though, shimano like to forget to do this) DT Swiss DB spokes and Mavic Rims - never any problems. I tend to go for high spoke counts (36) as the extra weight isn't an issure to me and it makes for a much stronger wheel and easier to true.
I can build a wheel in about 45 minutes but I then spend about 2 hours getting it absolutely perfect (and I mean absolutely perfect). A shop could never do this as it simply wouldn't be cost effective so they just bang them out quickly. My wheels never need adjusting and I've yet to break a spoke - they are also dead true and round.

 

[goo_mason]

Well, as I was about to set off from work tonight I noticed the back wheel wouldn't move - turned out to be very badly out of true after the one spoke went; no wonder this morning seemed like really hard work when I was riding with the brake on most of the time !!

I loosened off the rear brake and went to Halfords which is 2 mins ride from work, thinking that I'd better get a spoke just in case I DIDN'T have one at home. Same guy who gave me the free seatpost clamp the other week was on; he tried a few boxes of spokes but none were the right size, so he told me he could cut one to size and re-thread it if I had 10 - 15 minutes spare to wait. I was in no rush so I said that was OK. Well, he prepped a new spoke, got it on the wheel, tightened it up and then removed the wheel and gave it a good truing up in the truing stand. Once again, when he was done he said it was fine and wouldn't take any payment for it.

I know I have a dig at Halfords from time to time, calling them Halfrauds - but this guy has been an absolute star. I'm going to email the company, though I'd better not mention the free parts & labour, to tell them how much I appreciate what he's done for me on more than one occasion. And I'll defo be in with the box of chocs as a thanks next week :-)

 

[longers]

Sounds like good excellent service from Halfords.

I snapped a spoke for the first time ever on tues, Easton EAfifty rear wheel drive side, I popped to the Local at the time BS and got two of each side thinking that because I was fully loaded I'd get more going. I turned down his offer to fit it thinking I would just pop home and do it. Changed my mind and rode 100k with the wheel only rubbing slightly. Changed it at my leisure the day after.

Not really relevant but it was mildly exciting for me

 

[goo_mason]

Bah.... another spoke went on the way in this morning. The wheel is doing exactly the same thing as the one it originally replaced; there was obviously a bad batch of spokes / wheels in April 2008.

Yet another non-drive side spoke, broken at the elbow.

Tempted to get a new pair of wheels at the weekend whilst the Aksium is repaired. Then I can bin / sell the Alex ones at work, have the Aksiums as spares and run the new wheels.

 

[Sittingduck]

Had 2 spokes ping on a fairly new Spesh Globe last year (Rims were Alex Z1000 or something). Replaced under warranty with a brand new wheel of the same model. Within 2 weeks *ping* yup another spoke gone. Handbuilt Mavic fitted by the LBS and never had a problem since!

 

[goo_mason]

My original wheel was sent back to Halfords HQ for their 'expert wheelbuilder' to rebuild for me. Once they got the wheel back, they managed to lose it and it took over three weeks of chasing to get them to reply and tell me what had happaned (they'd said they'd turn the job around in three days, then stopped replying to my emails asking what the delay was).

In the end, the local Halfords gave me a new wheel - same kind, but from a different bike as it had an 8sp cassette and one of those silly plastic spoke protectors. I never used it once I got it (until now), as I'd bought a set of Aksiums in the interim so's I could get back out on my bike.

 

[Amanda P]

In a similar vein, I had a lot of trouble with spokes breaking on a tour last year. This was on a wheel I bought for touring, 36 spokes, good quality Quando humbs, Alessa rims.

On our return, I took the wheel to the bike shop to be rebuilt. When I collected the wheel, the guy said "it's a funny wheel to go touring with, 32 spokes".

It did only have 32 spokes; I'd never counted them or noticed the shortage of spokage...

 

[Bollo]

The Alex wheels on my old Airnimal Joey (RIP November 2007) were a bugger for broken spokes. I put it down to the unusual size and the lack of market competition to drive the quality up.

 

[HLaB]

I've only broke one spoke and blown 2 rims (touch wood), they were Alex wheels too!

 

[jann71]

I've had trouble with an alex da22 wheel too. Never thought anything of it till starting reading on here. Had to get 14 spokes replaced by LBS, no damage to rim, tyre or tube.

 

[goo_mason]

I'm glad to see Alex wheels have spoke-snappage issues !

I was beginning to think it was my fault for being a fat git !!

 

[jann71]

One minute I was riding along, next minute I was sliding along the tarmac. LBS thought from state of wheel I had been hit by car!

 

[goo_mason]

One minute I was riding along, next minute I was sliding along the tarmac. LBS thought from state of wheel I had been hit by car!

Jeez - that's nasty ! Did all 14 go at the same time ?

 

[jann71]

Yip! Don't know if they all went together which is why I came off or after I hit ground.
Just imagine cycling along at 15mph going straight down and sliding for at least 10m on your knee whilst still attached to the pedal.