The problem with Aksiums...

[goo_mason]

.... is that if you break a spoke, you can't just nip into any old bike shop and get a replacement.

Decided to tighten up the loose spokes last night and true the little wobble the rear wheel had. First loose spoke - 1.4 turn - fine. 2nd spoke - 1/4 turn - SNAP !! Broke off at the spoke nipple (rust, by the looks of the exposed end).

No ride to work for me today, and I'm hacked off.

Velo Ecosse (where I bought the wheels last May) are expecting a delivery of Mavic parts any time now, so may be able to fit a new spoke or two and true the wheel up for me this weekend. I'd do it myself, but I'm scared that there may be other spokes that break. At least if they break more whilst truing then at least they'll have more spokes to put in !

 

[HLaB]

That happened to a bloke on my Sardinia trip (but mavic krysiums) he swapped his wheel with one of the hire bikes for the week.

If its any help I bought my Askiums accross the road in the Ed Co Op, perhaps they have stock.

 

[redjedi]

Which is why I also purchased a few spare spokes when I got my new wheels

http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/mavic_aksium_spoke.html

Haven't needed them yet, but they're there just in case.

 

[goo_mason]

If Velo Ecosse doesn't get stock in by tomorrow, I'll try the EBC (although the reason I got mine from VE was because I'd been to the EBC beforehand and they were less than helpful that day so I took my money elsewhere).

I did find a shop online that sells them, but a single spoke is £2, which is a bit of a shocker !

** Edit ** and RedJedi's just nipped in before me with the exact shop that I found online !

 

[HLaB]

If Velo Ecosse doesn't get stock in by tomorrow, I'll try the EBC (although the reason I got mine from VE was because I'd been to the EBC beforehand and they were less than helpful that day so I took my money elsewhere).

The Ed CoOp is funny like that, somedays you get really prompt helpfull service and other days its no better than hellfrauds.

 

[goo_mason]

The Ed CoOp is funny like that, somedays you get really prompt helpfull service and other days its no better than hellfrauds.

It is - I've had really good, helpful service and some pretty dire service. Considering I was in to spend up to £150 on wheels and not just 79p on a few spare spokes, you'd have thought he would have been a little more helpful. He was so not-bothered and monosyllabic !

Ah well, their loss that day !

 

[magnatom]

Oh bummer. I have aksiums on the go faster. I hadn't thought about the spoke issue. I'd better take care of them then.

 

[gavintc]

It is - I've had really good, helpful service and some pretty dire service. Considering I was in to spend up to £150 on wheels and not just 79p on a few spare spokes, you'd have thought he would have been a little more helpful. He was so not-bothered and monosyllabic !

Ah well, their loss that day !

I do not bother with them anymore and as for VE, I think they need to adopt the John Lewis tagline - 'never knowingly undersold' but with the opposite meaning.

 

[yenrod]

2 quid for a spoke

 

[HLaB]

Oh bummer. I have aksiums on the go faster. I hadn't thought about the spoke issue. I'd better take care of them then.

You'll be fine, in all my time of cycling I've only broke one spoke (touch wood) and since I fitted the Askiums about 18months ago (used in all weathers) I've never had a problem (touch wood again)

 

[fossyant]

Not had issues with my Aksiums, but it's the same with any fancy dancy wheels now...you'll have delays in getting spokes.....

My commuter mtb has standard spokes - and I have a spare wheel to strip spokes off....the new fixed will be on hand builts, and the best bike is on hand builts.

Always worth having spares !

 

[Gerry Attrick]

I've been running Aksiums for a couple of very rough road years now without problems. I do appreciate it can be expensive to repair them however. I think if I broke a spoke, I'd be looking for hand builts to replace them.

 

[goo_mason]

I do not bother with them anymore and as for VE, I think they need to adopt the John Lewis tagline - 'never knowingly undersold' but with the opposite meaning.

When I got my Aksiums, VE were actually surprisingly cheap compared to the EBC and to almost all the online retailers. I was surprised as I'd considered them far too expensive a shop before that !

 

[fossyant]

Goo they are good wheels, just tricky getting spokes.....but TBH, given the numbers of these wheels on the roads, the LBS's should have stocks.....

 

[HLaB]

When I got my Aksiums, VE were actually surprisingly cheap compared to the EBC and to almost all the online retailers. I was surprised as I'd considered them far too expensive a shop before that !

Maybe I should have looked there first when I got my Askiums.
I usually only check it out when I'm in the EBC area. Before I bought the Bianchi, I went into there to see about a custom bike all he wanted to sell me was an of the shelf Giant so I went down the street and bought the 928 instead.