Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

forum
road.cc bike forum

Broken Spokes

by gthornton101
Thu, Oct 06, 2016 22:01
12

Are there any particular reasons that spokes would snap mid-ride?

I've never had this issue before but I've just had my second spoke break in as many months.  Just riding along, no impact/pothole etc and CRACK the spoke breaks.

I've got Fulcrum Racing 5s, looked after well enough (or so I thought) and just under two years old.

Cheers

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

Add new comment

12 comments

Avatar
DaSy | 8 years ago
0 likes

Assuming you need these in black, then iRide have them in stock (well, the mini kit at least, which is what I always ended up buying and just gave the customer the spares).

 

http://www.i-ride.co.uk/Fulcrum-Racing-5-Mini-and-Special-Spoke-Kits.aspx

 

Avatar
gthornton101 replied to DaSy | 8 years ago
0 likes

DaSy wrote:

Assuming you need these in black, then iRide have them in stock (well, the mini kit at least, which is what I always ended up buying and just gave the customer the spares).

 

http://www.i-ride.co.uk/Fulcrum-Racing-5-Mini-and-Special-Spoke-Kits.aspx

 

 

Aha, thanks!

Avatar
DaSy | 8 years ago
0 likes

First question I have is, how did you repair the first spoke breakage?

Was the whole wheel de-tensioned, spoke replaced and re-trued, or was a new spoke put in as is, then wound up to tension?

Avatar
gthornton101 replied to DaSy | 8 years ago
0 likes

DaSy wrote:

First question I have is, how did you repair the first spoke breakage?

Was the whole wheel de-tensioned, spoke replaced and re-trued, or was a new spoke put in as is, then wound up to tension?

 

Took it to my LBS to do, so not sure how it was done exactly.  But I would have thought that they would do it properly (de-tension, replace, tension/true)?

Avatar
Dnnnnnn replied to gthornton101 | 8 years ago
0 likes

gthornton101 wrote:

DaSy wrote:

First question I have is, how did you repair the first spoke breakage?

Was the whole wheel de-tensioned, spoke replaced and re-trued, or was a new spoke put in as is, then wound up to tension?

Took it to my LBS to do, so not sure how it was done exactly.  But I would have thought that they would do it properly (de-tension, replace, tension/true)?

Ha! I can't even be bothered doing this for myself, even though I believe I should. But maybe LBS staff are more conscientious than me...?

Avatar
DaSy replied to Dnnnnnn | 8 years ago
0 likes

Duncann wrote:

gthornton101 wrote:

DaSy wrote:

First question I have is, how did you repair the first spoke breakage?

Was the whole wheel de-tensioned, spoke replaced and re-trued, or was a new spoke put in as is, then wound up to tension?

Took it to my LBS to do, so not sure how it was done exactly.  But I would have thought that they would do it properly (de-tension, replace, tension/true)?

Ha! I can't even be bothered doing this for myself, even though I believe I should. But maybe LBS staff are more conscientious than me...?

 

A bit harsh wasn't it?

Not everyone feels confident building and truing wheels, therefore taking it to someone who is in business to do exactly that seems fair to me. It was this that kept me in business when running a bike shop!

It would very much depend on the quality of the shop mechanic as to whether the wheel was detensioned first or not. I have worked with some real cowboy mechanics in the past, to the point I refused to hand back any bikes to customers that I hadn't directly worked on myself!

Best bet would be to make sure it is done correctly this time, maybe slacken the wheel off yourself before taking it to the LBS, they have no choice but to rebuild it properly that way...

Avatar
Dnnnnnn replied to DaSy | 8 years ago
0 likes

DaSy wrote:

Duncann wrote:

gthornton101 wrote:

DaSy wrote:

First question I have is, how did you repair the first spoke breakage?

Was the whole wheel de-tensioned, spoke replaced and re-trued, or was a new spoke put in as is, then wound up to tension?

Took it to my LBS to do, so not sure how it was done exactly.  But I would have thought that they would do it properly (de-tension, replace, tension/true)?

Ha! I can't even be bothered doing this for myself, even though I believe I should. But maybe LBS staff are more conscientious than me...?

A bit harsh wasn't it?

Not everyone feels confident building and truing wheels, therefore taking it to someone who is in business to do exactly that seems fair to me. It was this that kept me in business when running a bike shop!

It would very much depend on the quality of the shop mechanic as to whether the wheel was detensioned first or not. I have worked with some real cowboy mechanics in the past, to the point I refused to hand back any bikes to customers that I hadn't directly worked on myself!

Best bet would be to make sure it is done correctly this time, maybe slacken the wheel off yourself before taking it to the LBS, they have no choice but to rebuild it properly that way...

What's a bit harsh?

None of it looks harsh to me, possibly except me on myself for my laziness!

Avatar
gthornton101 replied to Dnnnnnn | 8 years ago
0 likes

Duncann wrote:

gthornton101 wrote:

DaSy wrote:

First question I have is, how did you repair the first spoke breakage?

Was the whole wheel de-tensioned, spoke replaced and re-trued, or was a new spoke put in as is, then wound up to tension?

Took it to my LBS to do, so not sure how it was done exactly.  But I would have thought that they would do it properly (de-tension, replace, tension/true)?

Ha! I can't even be bothered doing this for myself, even though I believe I should. But maybe LBS staff are more conscientious than me...?

I would have hoped that they were, but I guess perhaps not.  Without the tools or knowledge to do this myself I took it to them in the hope that they could do it competently.

I'm now waiting for Fulcrum R5 spokes to come back in stock (or anywhere online!) to sort.

Avatar
VeloUSA | 8 years ago
0 likes

In addition to racingcondor, I agree the ultimate repair would be to replace all spokes. But most times that's not necessary. What one can first do is replace the broken spokes then have all spokes retensioned.

Avatar
racingcondor | 8 years ago
1 like

It could be a bad build (it happens occasionally) or they cold be struggling with how you're using them (you don't say anything about yourself but an ex rugby player sprinting up 20% gradients in the Lake District will put a lot more pressure on wheels than a 60kg rider in Norfolk).

Unfortunately you often find (especially with low spoke count wheels) that when one goes others follow because the added stress from being ridden with a missing spoke pushes the nearby ones past their limit. As a result the best advice is to have a competent wheel builder replace all the rear drive side spokes (at a minimum) if not all the rear spokes.

Avatar
Dnnnnnn | 8 years ago
0 likes

Have some of your other spokes lost tension over time? It can happen and may result in excessive stress on those which haven't slackened off.

You don't give us much to go on - where end did the spoke snap? Which wheel? Which side (if the rear)?

 

Avatar
gthornton101 replied to Dnnnnnn | 8 years ago
0 likes

Duncann wrote:

Have some of your other spokes lost tension over time? It can happen and may result in excessive stress on those which haven't slackened off.

You don't give us much to go on - where end did the spoke snap? Which wheel? Which side (if the rear)?

 

 

Both rear drive side.  The first one snapped right down near the hub and the one yesterday snapped at the top near the nipple.

Latest Comments