It depends a bit on your budget. The handbuilt wheels from Spa (or one of the other wheelbuilders recommended in this thread) are going to be the better long-term investment (Better quality rims and spokes as well as a better build). Buy cheap buy twice as the saying goes (although OK, if you can make a pair of cheap wheels last 20 years you may not be too bothered ).
Broken Spokes on back wheel.
- Thread starter Oneleggedtoad
- Start date
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It depends a bit on your budget. The handbuilt wheels from Spa (or one of the other wheelbuilders recommended in this thread) are going to be the better long-term investment (Better quality rims and spokes as well as a better build). Buy cheap buy twice as the saying goes (although OK, if you can make a pair of cheap wheels last 20 years you may not be too bothered ).
Holdsworth
Über Member
- Location
- Crewe, Cheshire
I couldn't even get the wheel replaced today!!!
The wheelset that the LBS owner told me about on the phone looked ideal, double walled, eyeleted and very sturdy. But then he had a look at the old seven speed cassette and things took a turn. Apparently it would cost around £20-40 to get a seven speed one put on the new wheel plus a new chain to match. Too much for me so I had to settle on getting the broken spoke replaced and the both wheel tensioned and trued up again. I am just waiting for it be done now and will pick it up at around 5.
Is it really that much of a faff to get seven speeds on a new wheel?
The wheelset that the LBS owner told me about on the phone looked ideal, double walled, eyeleted and very sturdy. But then he had a look at the old seven speed cassette and things took a turn. Apparently it would cost around £20-40 to get a seven speed one put on the new wheel plus a new chain to match. Too much for me so I had to settle on getting the broken spoke replaced and the both wheel tensioned and trued up again. I am just waiting for it be done now and will pick it up at around 5.
Is it really that much of a faff to get seven speeds on a new wheel?
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
Yes if the bike shop doesn't have any of the required spacers in stock.
doog
....
- Location
- The beautiful south
Its personal choice:
I changed my rear wheel to a hand built 36 spoke mavic open pro last year and have covered 1500 miles without a broken spoke on a Tricross (Op's other bike), this being a mixture of commuting, touring and road work - so they arent that bad certainly better than Alex rims.
If i was just touring and didnt give a monkeys about weight then I would look at a sputnik or similar.
Oneleggedtoad
New Member
Thanks everybody who took time to post a reply here, all the comments have been very helpful. I’ve taken time to read and consider everything thing that has been said here and on Thorn Tree and have decided to get a back wheel built that I'll use specifically for touring. I’ve come to the conclusion that when bike producers make a bike they make it as light, and as cheaply, as possible so I guess any “off the shelf” bike is going to struggle a bit with a load on the back.
If anybody knows a good wheel builder in the West Berkshire (UK) area, who'll understand the needs of a touring wheel, please let me know.
Thanks again to everybody who took time to comment.
Only question that remains now is……………Where’s the next tour!!!!!!
If anybody knows a good wheel builder in the West Berkshire (UK) area, who'll understand the needs of a touring wheel, please let me know.
Thanks again to everybody who took time to comment.
Only question that remains now is……………Where’s the next tour!!!!!!
Yellow7
Über Member
- Location
- Milton Keynes
Hi.
I had broken spokes, well the eyelits pulled through the rims on my first tour in 2006. I now use DRC MT19 rims, Italian. I'm presently 9000 miles into this tour and not a blip of spoke trouble. I used a local wheelbuilder at 24sevencycles (Stony Stratford, [MK]), i'd never touch off the shelf wheels again.
Mark. www.wallisonwheels.com
I had broken spokes, well the eyelits pulled through the rims on my first tour in 2006. I now use DRC MT19 rims, Italian. I'm presently 9000 miles into this tour and not a blip of spoke trouble. I used a local wheelbuilder at 24sevencycles (Stony Stratford, [MK]), i'd never touch off the shelf wheels again.
Mark. www.wallisonwheels.com
Once you have broken one spoke, it has put an uneven load on the rest of the spokes, and IMHO you will continue to get broken spokes for ever more unless you replace ALL of the spokes - i.e. rebuild the wheel. I got fed up of trouble with cheap machine-built wheels, but couldn't afford to buy good quality handbuilt ones so I learned how to do it myself. Its actually quite a pleasant thing to do if you take your time (takes me about a day to do one wheel!), and you will know if you've got it right, 'cos the wheel won't wobble and the spokes won't break! You can find all the information you need on 'tinterweb, unfortunately I haven't kept the links to the websites I found, but Google will help. HTH, Simon
It's good to support local bikeshops wheelbuilders if you can, but the specialist wheelbuilders listed in this thread are used to dealing with people over the phone and postage costs aren't that great.
