Just finished my second season of triathlons with my first half IM race last weekend. My bike, an entry level trek road bike, is now two years old and has about 3500 miles on it. It came with entry level wheels, and I seem to be breaking about one spoke on the rear wheel per month. One LBS suggested that I needed to have the wheels rebuilt because wheels of that quality only last about two years. The LBS that fixed the broken spoke the night before the race last weekend said that they problem was probably that one of my spokes was tightened too much.
I always a little suspect when someone gives me advice that will profit them. So, when do you need to have wheels rebuilt? When does rebuilding wheels make sense as opposed to buying new ones? Any recommendations for reasonably priced wheels that will last? Because of some other major family expenditures that must be made in the next 18 months, I will not be buying a new bike for another two years. It may be important that I used to weigh between 180 and 190, but am now down to around 170 plus or minus a couple pounds and have been most of this training year.
Just finished my second season of triathlons with my first half IM race last weekend. My bike, an entry level trek road bike, is now two years old and has about 3500 miles on it. It came with entry level wheels, and I seem to be breaking about one spoke on the rear wheel per month. One LBS suggested that I needed to have the wheels rebuilt because wheels of that quality only last about two years. The LBS that fixed the broken spoke the night before the race last weekend said that they problem was probably that one of my spokes was tightened too much.
I always a little suspect when someone gives me advice that will profit them. So, when do you need to have wheels rebuilt? When does rebuilding wheels make sense as opposed to buying new ones? Any recommendations for reasonably priced wheels that will last? Because of some other major family expenditures that must be made in the next 18 months, I will not be buying a new bike for another two years. It may be important that I used to weigh between 180 and 190, but am now down to around 170 plus or minus a couple pounds and have been most of this training year.
Breaking spokes with that frequency indicates a poorly built wheel, not a “bad” wheel. Take the wheels to a reputable wheel builder, who will stress relieve the spokes and ensure that they are tensioned as much as they can take. The person at the LBS who said the spoke was tightened too much doesn’t know much about wheels, I think.
You never have to buy a new wheel, really. You can replace any and all parts of the wheel (rim, spokes, hub) as they wear out.