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Broken Spokes
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Had a spoke replaced at the LBS on my rear wheel two weeks ago. Broke another spoke yesterday.

This is my first experience with a broken spokes. Should I have the LBS replace another spoke or all the spokes?

Thanks

Trader
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Re: Broken Spokes [trader728] [ In reply to ]
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IMHO, spokes break due to fatigue, unless of course they are damaged by something striking them. Most I have seen break at the nipple. A spoke can be fatigued by the whole wheel not being tensioned properly (not enough tension) or not being stress relieved.

If the spokes were damaged by something hitting or cutting them, then replace just those spokes. If the are breaking off due to fatigue, then replace all of them.

My $.02. Feel free to flame me

jaretj

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Re: Broken Spokes [jaretj] [ In reply to ]
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"Feel free to flame me"

On the contrary, I agree 100%. When I pulled out my bike after a 12 year hiatus, I started breaking spokes, maybe one per 100 km or so. It got tiring after a while. If you have more than 3 or 4 break within a short period of time, I'd advise doing them all.
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Re: Broken Spokes [pedaller] [ In reply to ]
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...or get the whole wheel rebuilt. My training wheel recently popped a couple of spokes - problem stopped after a rebuild.







"Language most shows a man: Speak, that I may see thee. It springs out of the most retired and inmost parts of us, and is the image of the parents of it, the mind. No glass so mirrors a man's form or likeness so true as his speech." - Ben Jonson, Timber, or Discoveries made upon Men and Matter.
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Re: Broken Spokes [trader728] [ In reply to ]
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I had the same thing happen on my training wheel. The spokes will start breaking more frequently the more you replace them individually. I finally had the wheel rebuilt for ~$50 and haven't had a problem for two seasons now. Being a training wheel, I also had them put on heavier gauge spokes for durability. The shop also told me, depending on mileage, a wheel should be rebuilt almost after every season. I obviously don't ride that often.
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Re: Broken Spokes [scm in MN] [ In reply to ]
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      The shop also told me, depending on mileage, a wheel should be rebuilt almost
after every season.

And I bet that would make them very happy. A properly tensioned and stress relieved wheel should not require rebuilding at all barring physical damage to the spokes. Jobst Brandt (author of The Bicycle Wheel) has a set of wheels with over 200,000 miles on them. He transfers a new rim on when the old one wears out.
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Re: Broken Spokes [scm in MN] [ In reply to ]
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Every season ? yah right ! Change LBS quick!
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Re: Broken Spokes [asgelle] [ In reply to ]
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How are you defining rebuild?

To me, if you replace the rim, that qualifies as a rebuild.

--

Ray
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Re: Broken Spokes [MustardSauce] [ In reply to ]
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To me, a rebuild means replacing the spokes. If you want to define replacing the rim as a rebuild, the time to replace the rim is when the sidewall is worn too thin. (a google search of rec.bicycles.tech will give the minimum thickness)
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Re: Broken Spokes [MustardSauce] [ In reply to ]
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I just had all the spokes replaced. The rim doesn't need replacing unless the rim is too out of round from the broken spokes, or what asgelle mentioned about it just being worn down. I also thought the LBS was full of it when he mentioned I should get the wheel rebuilt after every season. Haven't been there since. Although I have had my share of rear wheel problems. It's either that the stock wheels I get with the bikes are cheaply built or because of the fact that I weigh 210 on 62cm bikes or a combination of both. There is a lot of torque on that rear wheel during a sharp turn or out of the saddle on a steep hill. I have broken spokes in both instances. I actually tacoed my rear wheel once trying to avoid a volunteer who stepped in front of my at 25mph. Last wheel I bought, I figured just to get my own spoke wrench and make sure the spokes are tensioned periodically. Haven't had a problem since.
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Post deleted by danielito [ In reply to ]
Re: Broken Spokes [danielito] [ In reply to ]
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Has anyone ever broken a spoke on a Rolf Vector Pro? This thread's got me thinking, and I would imagine that, due to the low spoke count on these wheels (14 front, 16 rear) a spoke breakage on this wheel could be pretty ugly. Also, the bladed spokes seem like little knives if they were whipping around. Would a broken spoke on this wheel (or any wheel with bladed spokes for that matter) cause significant damage to the fork or the chain/seatstays? I'm wondering if it wouldn't be a good idea to rebuild these periodically just to be safe. I'm not that heavy (163 lbs) and haven't broken a spoke yet in over 4000 miles- just curious what everyone thinks. I'm taking my bike in next week for it's major tune-up before Vineman, so I could have my LBS do this at that time.
Last edited by: jkatsoudas: Aug 7, 03 11:59
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