Do you take spare spokes when touring?

[oldleggs]

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

What is fiber fix? Only done one tour - 5 weeks in France last year and never carried spare spokes (had one puncture) didn't have any broken spokes either. Going for a longer tour this year so maybe l should think of carrying replacement spokes should one break.

oldleggs

 

[rich p]

I take a couple of spare spokes stored inside the seat tube. I've never needed them but it's a no-cost safety net. Any bike shop will then be able to repair your wheel even if they don't have the right spokes themselves.

IMO, the real issue is whether to take a hypercracker, an NBT2(http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s72p595) or a chain whip. This reminds me of a multi-page discussion which Bonj began a few years ago. Happy days!

 

[psmiffy]

I carry a hypercracker - not because I expect to break spokes - but because I have managed to get a bramble caught in the spokes and then between the frame and the locknut - enough that when i backpedalled it backed of the lockring - 20km of tightening by hand until i found somwhere that i could buy a lockring socket and a great big spanner

 

[Ticktockmy]

fyi: I like Ticktockmy's idea of taking a spoke that is way too long with no mushroom head on it, and being able to double it back at the hub (assuming it doesn't break it or weaken it too much). Maybe then just use tape or wire to keep it in the "U" shape to prevent it straightening out with stress. I might experiment with that idea -though I figure I'd only really be able to do it on smaller 26 inch rims as I'm guessing there aren't too many readily available spokes bigger than say a 27 inch wheel.

The Kink is not "U" shaped, but a kink in the spoke, the flat of the step wants to be the width of the spoke hole that it has to lock into, that part of the spoke after the flat wants to be about 3/8 of an Inch long and at a slight angle to the flat so you can wriggle it in between the large sprocket and the hub, you will need to play with an old spoke to get the shape right, before butching new spokes. I would put a pic on here, but currently in Malaysia, so not able to photograph a spoke to show you

 

[Nigeyy]

I think I have what you mean. Isn't there a concern that the spoke would straighten out and fail under load, or have I still got it wrong? (this is where my thought of a u shape came from). Fortunately I've got a very good supply of old spokes I can play around with -yes, if and when you get chance, a piccy is worth a thousand words -hope you are enjoying your time in Malaysia, cycling I hope!

The Kink is not "U" shaped, but a kink in the spoke, the flat of the step wants to be the width of the spoke hole that it has to lock into, that part of the spoke after the flat wants to be about 3/8 of an Inch long and at a slight angle to the flat so you can wriggle it in between the large sprocket and the hub, you will need to play with an old spoke to get the shape right, before butching new spokes. I would put a pic on here, but currently in Malaysia, so not able to photograph a spoke to show you