Do you take spare spokes when touring?
- Thread starter Pottsy
- Start date
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Yes, I have and used them. Depends how good your wheels are. You can get emergency spokes (google 'em), which would do if you have a good set of wheels. You can also get a cassette remover which fits onto your dropouts (google emergency cassette remover), so it really depends on wheels, where you're going and how prepared you want to be.
numbnuts
Squire
- Location
- Gone over the hill and far away
I take spokes with me on my day rides as a just in case, but you will need tools to do the back wheel on the cassette side like a Hypercracker tool or a cassette tool and chain whip
Thanks.
The emergency spoke idea looks good, fits both wheels and sides and you won't even a cassette removal tool according to this:
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/fiber-fix-emergency-replacement-spoke-prod20155/
The emergency spoke idea looks good, fits both wheels and sides and you won't even a cassette removal tool according to this:
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/fiber-fix-emergency-replacement-spoke-prod20155/
Aushiker
Über Member
Yes plus I carry a Fiber-Fix.
Andrew
Andrew
ChrisBailey
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Hampton Hill, UK
In 10 years of carrying spokes on tour I have only used them once, I now only carry a fiber fix, though as I have never used it I have to rely on others to say how good it is.
Chris
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
How good is the fibrefix? my main interest would be in being able to keep going to a bikeshop for a proper repair, not in trying to use it indefinitely. If I was going somewhere that a bikeshop was unlikely then I'd take proper spare spokes.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Not on all wheels - my Aksiums have straight-pull drive-side spokes. I broke one on a forum ride to Blackpool and that put my low-spoke count rear wheel so far out of true that I had to abandon the ride and catch a train home. Ever since then, I have carried a spare drive-side spoke taped to a seat stay (it's nearly always that side that break because of the extra spoke tension required drive-side)
Ah - I like that idea! I might invest in one of them. Some reviews on CGOAB.
oldfatfool
Guru
I was debating this for my upcoming venture, and after reading Good vibrations and seeing how I have the same wheels decided it would be stupid not to. I have invested in a couple of these http://www.emergency-spoke.co.uk/ same idea as a fiberfix but a bit cheaper.
I've got tough 36 spoke wheels on my LHT so I think, short of a lengthy trip to Mongolia, just a fiber-fix or two should be sufficient as an emergency get-to-next-shop option.
I suppose the danger is that if you carry so many spares and tools for every eventuality then you'll have so much stuff you'll break something, like a spoke perhaps
I suppose the danger is that if you carry so many spares and tools for every eventuality then you'll have so much stuff you'll break something, like a spoke perhaps
SatNavSaysStraightOn
Changed hemispheres!
- Location
- ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ 'ɐɹɹǝquɐƆ
On tour and close to home (Ireland is not exactly remote is it?), we had decided we would simply get spares spokes sent out to us if we needed them.
So after the 1st one breaking, we ordered spares and simply had to choose a post office that was a week's cycling away. 4 days later a second spoke broke, and then the following day another one went. Now we had a problem with 3 spokes out on the same wheel, no spoke tool, no spokes and few options. Our rear wheel has a Rohloff hub and the spokes are not standard lengths... We were lucky when an LBS found a random old wheel that had spokes only 2mm longer than what we needed and the rims we had could handle that difference, but without them, we would have had to take the bus to the post office (in Northern Ireland) collect them and return to fix the bike.
Now, we carry them for both front and rear wheels, end of story and will do so, no matter where we are in the world. It is not as though, in the great scheme of things, that they are heavy after all. (After the 6th broken spoke in 8,000km on the same wheel we took drastic action, undoing each and every spoke by 1/2 turn and then re-truing the wheel. We have now gone another 6,000km without anymore broken spokes, so I guess there was an issue with the spoke tension with teh first one breaking a 1,000km into the tour.)
So after the 1st one breaking, we ordered spares and simply had to choose a post office that was a week's cycling away. 4 days later a second spoke broke, and then the following day another one went. Now we had a problem with 3 spokes out on the same wheel, no spoke tool, no spokes and few options. Our rear wheel has a Rohloff hub and the spokes are not standard lengths... We were lucky when an LBS found a random old wheel that had spokes only 2mm longer than what we needed and the rims we had could handle that difference, but without them, we would have had to take the bus to the post office (in Northern Ireland) collect them and return to fix the bike.
Now, we carry them for both front and rear wheels, end of story and will do so, no matter where we are in the world. It is not as though, in the great scheme of things, that they are heavy after all. (After the 6th broken spoke in 8,000km on the same wheel we took drastic action, undoing each and every spoke by 1/2 turn and then re-truing the wheel. We have now gone another 6,000km without anymore broken spokes, so I guess there was an issue with the spoke tension with teh first one breaking a 1,000km into the tour.)
snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
In answer to the thread title, No.
The only spoke probs I have had were after buying a Rohloff hub. The "expert" who built it into the wheel for me clearly didn't know (or care) what he was doing, as I have had no further problems since having the hub built into a Rohloff compatible rim at another workshop.
SatNavSaysStraightOn
Changed hemispheres!
- Location
- ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ 'ɐɹɹǝquɐƆ
Similar - we were fine with one of the bikes - I have only broken one spoke, my fault. I got bored looking at nothing but trees, blue skies and tarmac for 2 weeks and starting playing with the white line at the side of the road - weaving in and out on a fully loaded touring bike - not my best move
My husband's bike on the other had was not quite so well put together. We have noticed little diferences. the person who did mine, paid a lot of attention to it, matching nuts & bolts and making sure everything had washers and that everything was flush. My husband's bike on the other hand - an identical bike just different sized frame, was not quite so neat...
that said - if you have every tried cycling the irish roads, you will know they are hell. worse than dirt tracks. Only Latvia has come close to some of those Irish roads we cycled, so at least things broke whilst we were close to home and early on and could deal more easily with it...
We have to come back to the UK for some rehab and plan a small tour to make sure everything is OK - I will still carry a couple of spare spokes for that "mini-tour".
