Broken spokes ?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

J4CKO

New Member
Have done 1500 miles on my Cannondale Bad Boy 700, broke a spoke last year and another one last night, easy enough (if long winded) to fix but do they tend to have a finite life and start going more often, I was out of the saddle going up a hill in a highish gear and felt it ping, do you get to a point when its easier to get a new wheel or rebuild ?
 
I had a new wheel built and specified stronger spokes because the road leading up to Southwark Bridge was full of potholes due to heavy lorries using the same route.

I haven't broke a spoke since,well till today I guess.
 
Well that's true it's a bit like the old christmas tree bulbs.Once one blew it put more strain on the rest meaning it was easier for another to blow.Same with spokes really.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
A well built wheel, you won't break spokes - I've retired wheels that had never broken spokes after 15 years use.....rim or hub wear saw then end of them....
 
OP
OP
J

J4CKO

New Member
fossyant said:
A well built wheel, you won't break spokes - I've retired wheels that had never broken spokes after 15 years use.....rim or hub wear saw then end of them....
Fossy,

I weigh over sixteen stone and was battering it up a hill.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
And....

Factory wheels, of the lower quality do tend to snap spokes - my rear on my Commuter has snapped about 6.....I've since tightened the lot up....and it's much better......

I'm a bit lighter 12.5 stone, but I hammer my bikes - I might keep them clean, but they get abused and used..... should you opt for a good set of handbuilt wheels at some point, you won't snap a spoke.....
 

Brains

Legendary Member
Location
Greenwich
Touch wood not broken a spoke yet

However wore out the rim of the first set of wheels at 14.500 miles mostly commuting (so heavy on the brakes, blocks only last about 500 miles a set in the winter)

New pair of wheels complete with tyres last year cost £150 from spa cycles
 
OP
OP
J

J4CKO

New Member
Another one down last night, amazing how much it throws the wheel out of balance, will have to see how it progresses, many more its rebuild time as its a faff to change,

Wheel off,
Tyre off
tube out,
tape off
disk off
cassette off
put spoke in
repeat in reverse

Takes the best part of an hour and three or four cans of Stella, which come to think of it may be part of the reason I have broken them in the first place ?
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
It's a bit of a faff.

TBH, I'd give all the spokes a quick quarter turn to tighten them up slightly.

PS you don't need to remove the tyre if you are happy to use the existing nipple - takes far less time.
 

02GF74

Über Member
hackbike 666 said:
Well that's true it's a bit like the old christmas tree bulbs.Once one blew it put more strain on the rest meaning it was easier for another to blow.Same with spokes really.


please explain. the bulbs, typically 12 V so you owuld have 20 of them, are wired in series, as soon as one blew., the chain of bulbs becomes open circuit so no electricity can flow i.e. no strain.
 
OP
OP
J

J4CKO

New Member
fossyant said:
It's a bit of a faff.

TBH, I'd give all the spokes a quick quarter turn to tighten them up slightly.

PS you don't need to remove the tyre if you are happy to use the existing nipple - takes far less time.


The spoke thread had broken off in the nipple.

Was ok, I quite like fiddling with it, especially when washed down with beers, the beer fridge is in the garage so a prefect ergonomic environment for fixing bikes.
 

rusky

CC Addict
Location
Hove
I had a spoke on my rear wheel go & didn't realise. Then another went, still didn't realise! Only noticed when I was getting the bike out of the garage in the morning. Had both replaced at the LBS.

Another couple of weeks went by & another snapped, this time I was braking - not heavily, going downhill.

Ended up having the wheel rebuilt with better spokes. BTW, the original were stainless.
 

Similar threads

Top Bottom