Broken Spokes - When to give up on a wheel?

[Spoked Wheels]

Got half way though the above, now off to replace a driveside spoke for tomorrows commute. Just one of those things on cheaper and or older wheels, I don't regret getting a good spoke key and having a go as it does not have to be all that time consuming after the first few replacements and on an old throwaway MTB wheel you having nothing to lose. There is a lot of truing advise online, However theres not all that much to it with a little experience and confidence. 'Dishing' however, just have not got around to that.

If you are replacing the odd spoke then don't worry too much about dishing.

If you neee to look at the dishing of the wheel then try to start with a true wheel..... it would make things a little easier.

Good luck

 

[Ed no-more-lemons]

If you are replacing the odd spoke then don't worry too much about dishing.

If you neee to look at the dishing of the wheel then try to start with a true wheel..... it would make things a little easier.

Good luck

Thanks for the encouragement. Turns out that had three broken spooks, so trudged down to Evans and took the easy way out and drove to work today. Not so tomorrow, I only mentioned dishing as it is the fear of the unknown that can be a tad daunting. When I get around to it, I need to attach a replacement rim to me Normandy rear hub. Nowt to do with the commuting bike, oh and a dishing tool needs to be rigged up to boot!

 

[simongt]

Had a broken spoke on my commuting tourer recently; rear wheel, cassette side ( of course - ! ). When I stripped the wheel down to do the replacement, the nipple had corroded into a clump of alloy powder. Fair enough, the wheels were the originals of a bike some fourteen years and many miles old. Took the bike to my local friendly bike shop for advice whether to relace or replace the whole wheel. Before answering, he felt the rims, announced them concave, to which I concurred; after all those years of braking, hardly surprising, so it was a nice new pair of Mavic wheels for my bike - !

 

[EasyPeez]

Baring in my we are talking about a 14 year old sub £200 bike!

My bike is a bit embarrassed that we're all talking about it tbh. It seems to be blushing...

 

[EasyPeez]

I always say when one goes the rest will soon follow - on cheaper wheels anyway - what I'd do is either get the whole wheel re-spoked with quality stainless steel spokes, or buy a well made wheel. With the old wheel buy a spare spoke and have a go at fitting it yourself - for practice - replacing a broken spoke and truing a wheel. Always amazes me that people pay £10 for a single spoke to be replaced - especially when the rest will probably follow.....

As they are happy to stick a new spoke in for free I've gone with that to keep me on the road, and he is going to source me a new wheel for £22. But yes, I have made it my mission to learn to replace spokes and true a wheel before 2015 is out. I'm more of a kinaesthetic learner when it comes to practical stuff so am scouting about for some bike maintenance courses as we speak. My local uni seems to do them for free, just need to make sure this is something they can cover and work out when I can take a day off to attend. Cheers.

 

[paddypete]

Hi,

I'd never had a broken spoke in my life until late last year. Now I've had 3 in 3 months. Does this suggest it's time to get a new wheel or should I persevere with getting on spoke at a time changed? I'm only 10stone in weight and carry a backpack with a few bits in, so not sure why this is happening all of a sudden?

I am riding a 14 year old £200 MTB that has been stuck in a shed for the last few years doing very little, then getting hammered 15miles+ a day on bad roads in all weathers and jumping off kerbs etc every day since last summer. So I guess maybe cheap wheels + long period of abuse (I never used to clean or lube it at all I'm ashamed to say - ironically I'm doing that weekly now and it's only now that the problems have started!) + long period of disuse + lots of hammer = this is inevitable? Or could it be something myself or my LBS is doing wrong?

I'd like to learn how to fix this myself this year, but for now I have neither the required tools or know-how, so have been getting my LBS to do it. Could it be that they're not truing it properly after fitting new spokes, hence the continued breakages?

I'm picking up my new Genesis at the weekend (weather permitting) so if there's anything I can do (other than look after it a whole lot better!) to avoid similar problems with that bike please let me know!

Cheers, Andy

youtube, will show you how to lace a wheel

 

[shadow master]

As they are happy to stick a new spoke in for free I've gone with that to keep me on the road, and he is going to source me a new wheel for £22. But yes, I have made it my mission to learn to replace spokes and true a wheel before 2015 is out. I'm more of a kinaesthetic learner when it comes to practical stuff so am scouting about for some bike maintenance courses as we speak. My local uni seems to do them for free, just need to make sure this is something they can cover and work out when I can take a day off to attend. Cheers.

I knew you'd get to the new wheel option eventually! Lol

 

[S.Giles]

...three broken spooks...

Had they been hanging-out with Christine and Mandy?

...oh and a dishing tool needs to be rigged up to boot!

You could have made a cardboard one. In my experience, it's not worth worrying about a dishing discrepancy of less than a mm or so in the finished wheel unless one's professional pride is at stake.

Steve

 

[Crankarm]

As they are happy to stick a new spoke in for free I've gone with that to keep me on the road, and he is going to source me a new wheel for £22. But yes, I have made it my mission to learn to replace spokes and true a wheel before 2015 is out. I'm more of a kinaesthetic learner when it comes to practical stuff so am scouting about for some bike maintenance courses as we speak. My local uni seems to do them for free, just need to make sure this is something they can cover and work out when I can take a day off to attend. Cheers.

Your crappy old bike with crappy wheel - it's so not worth spending any time or money on it. First no one has mentioned the state of wear of the wheel rim. No point trying to salvage a crappy old wheel with a worn rim. FWIW I would ditch the bike and concentrate on your new one. Could you be feeling slightly guilt ridden toward it and now want to spend a few pennies on it as shortly you will be riding your brand new bike which will have cost you a lot more?

 

[shadow master]

Your crappy old bike with crappy wheel - it's so not worth spending any time or money on it. First no one has mentioned the state of wear of the wheel rim. No point trying to salvage a crappy old wheel with a worn rim. FWIW I would ditch the bike and concentrate on your new one. Could you be feeling slightly guilt ridden toward it and now want to spend a few pennies on it as shortly you will be riding your brand new bike which will have cost you a lot more?

Um....actually I did say give up on it now!right at the start of the thread...life's too short to spend hours of time and money fixing wheels that cost £20 brand new!

 

[Crankarm]

Um....actually I did say give up on it now!right at the start of the thread...life's too short to spend hours of time and money fixing wheels that cost £20 brand new!

And I have said it again as the OP seems not to have taken your advice.

 

[shadow master]

And I have said it again as the OP seems not to have taken your advice.[/QUOTe
After reading some of the things people get up to on here,I think they like pain,they're so scared of spending a penny,they end up spending a pound! As my dad still says"The poor man never gets a bargain "

 

[EasyPeez]

it's so not worth spending any time or money on it

I disagree.

Could you be feeling slightly guilt ridden toward it and now want to spend a few pennies on it as shortly you will be riding your brand new bike which will have cost you a lot more?

Thanks for the free psychoanalysis session!

But perhaps there's a simpler explanation...perhaps I just want to keep my 'crappy old bike' running for as little outlay as possible, so that when it's banging it down with rain I can still use it and not have to get my shiny new bike all covered in mud, water and salt? And so that I can tow my daughter on her tag-along now and again at weekends? Maybe it sounds crazy to you, but I'd prefer to pay £22 to have those options than have to ride a grand's worth of bike through crap and give up on family rides with my daughter.

Hence -

the OP seems not to have taken your advice

 

[Crankarm]

I disagree.



Thanks for the free psychoanalysis session!

But perhaps there's a simpler explanation...perhaps I just want to keep my 'crappy old bike' running for as little outlay as possible, so that when it's banging it down with rain I can still use it and not have to get my shiny new bike all covered in mud, water and salt? And so that I can tow my daughter on her tag-along now and again at weekends? Maybe it sounds crazy to you, but I'd prefer to pay £22 to have those options than have to ride a grand's worth of bike through crap and give up on family rides with my daughter.

Hence -

Errr …….. you asked for advice. Your title was Broken Spokes - When to give up on a wheel?

I gave you advice. You clearly didn't want advice. I note no real genuine thanks. What did you expect, only advice you agree with?

 

[EasyPeez]

Haha! I can see where the 'Crank' bit in your name comes from. Crumbs!

Errr …….. you asked for advice. Your title was Broken Spokes - When to give up on a wheel?

I gave you advice.

I asked for advice about my bike wheel - whether I should get a new wheel or new spokes specifically. You've quoted the thread title yourself - you'll note it's called "When to give up on a wheel?". Not "When to give up on a bike". You gave no advice about the best way to fix my wheel problem, only advised me to

ditch the bike

.

You clearly didn't want advice. I note no real genuine thanks.

What's not genuine about this?!

Nice one, thanks

I wanted advice, I took the advice given, I have acted on it (new spoke put in only because I could get it done for free in the end, new wheel ordered for £22 - based on advice given on here), and I thanked those that gave it. As far as I was concerned the advice sought was perfectly clear, the advice given very useful, the exchange polite all round, with gratitude duly expressed, and the thread now pretty much over.
And then you come on telling me to dump my crappy bike and then getting in a strop when I say I'd rather not.
Bizarre!!