Local wheel repairer wanted.

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beatlejuice

Gently does it...
Location
Mid Hampshire
My town bike keeps breaking spokes! I have replaced them before but I fear both wheels are poorly tensioned and need rebuilding. I don’t feel up to the job myself. I live in central Hampshire. Any suggestions of someone I could get to do this please?
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
I had that once on a factory wheel and what i did was loosen all the spokes and let the lbs retrue it from scratch and it was fine afterwards
 
OP
OP
beatlejuice

beatlejuice

Gently does it...
Location
Mid Hampshire
Just re read Roger Musson's PROFESSIONAL GUIDE TO WHEEL BUILDING. What you are suggesting in the cheapest option but still require quite a bit of skill!
 

vickster

Legendary Member
do you not have a good old fashioned LBS close by? The mechanic should be skilled in wheel repair, building
 

DRHysted

Guru
Location
New Forest
Shame you’re central Hampshire, I’ve got a man in Totton who I use for all my wheels (Perfect Balance Cycles), which is the southern tip of Hampshire.
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
Poor or uneven tension doesn't break spokes: fatigue does. Once a couple have broken, on a well used wheel, the hub needs relacing - worth putting a new rim on (assuming rim brakes) because it will have worn. As the OP has said, this is a wheel build, not a general fettling of spoke tensions. I hope the OP finds a Perfect Balance.
 
OP
OP
beatlejuice

beatlejuice

Gently does it...
Location
Mid Hampshire
Poor or uneven tension doesn't break spokes: fatigue does. Once a couple have broken, on a well used wheel, the hub needs relacing - worth putting a new rim on (assuming rim brakes) because it will have worn. As the OP has said, this is a wheel build, not a general fettling of spoke tensions. I hope the OP finds a Perfect Balance.
Replacing the hub is not a preferred option because it contains an 8 speed Shimano unit! if after the spokes have either been removed or unscrewed if the rim is pringle shaped then I will need to replace it.
 
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Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
I have not suggested that the hub is replaced (and it doesn't "contain" a Shimano 8 speed unit: it is a Shimano freehub which can take an 8, 9 or 10 speed cassette (I assume)). The rim won't be 'pringled': that's what can happen when there's too much tension in some spokes. I'm suggesting, in the rebuild, that you should consider replacing the rim if its walls have worn (ie the brake pads have worn down the rim). Some rims have an indicator groove in the rim walls to help assess that - and no spokes need to be removed to make that judgement (but if it's your 'town bike' this is most unlikely).
 
OP
OP
beatlejuice

beatlejuice

Gently does it...
Location
Mid Hampshire
I have not suggested that the hub is replaced (and it doesn't "contain" a Shimano 8 speed unit: it is a Shimano freehub which can take an 8, 9 or 10 speed cassette (I assume)). The rim won't be 'pringled': that's what can happen when there's too much tension in some spokes. I'm suggesting, in the rebuild, that you should consider replacing the rim if its walls have worn (ie the brake pads have worn down the rim). Some rims have an indicator groove in the rim walls to help assess that - and no spokes need to be removed to make that judgement (but if it's your 'town bike' this is most unlikely).
What I meant by it 'contains a 8 speed unit' is I have hub gears and it has disc brakes. Sorry for misleading you.
 

rogerzilla

Legendary Member
Phil Wood made one much earlier on. Weirdly, it used metal pads and a fibre disc (possibly to save weight). It wasn't all that good.
 
OP
OP
beatlejuice

beatlejuice

Gently does it...
Location
Mid Hampshire
The spokes always break in the same place. Just as it comes out of the hub and turns through 90°. I assume this is typical for spoke breakages.
 
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