[west ham plodder]

I keep getting broken spokes onthe rear wheel , I ride a specialised mtb , am quite heavy but consider myself fit , the reason I ride so much is to keep weight down , my bike is a rockhopper with no suspension at rear , I have it in for rebuild of rear wheel at momment , its the 3rd time this year I have had broken spokes , usally happnens when I stand up to push uphill , I get the dreaded ping and know a spoke has gone .
Should I go for a new wheel, or stronger spokes , or worst case a different bike .My tyres are always fully inflated,but this is bugging me big time any suggestions would be appreciated

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[west ham plodder]

many thanks guys for your
many thanks guys for your advice , I have just got my wheel back , rebuilt , will give it a go and take in your comments , if it happens again then it will be a new wheel , I dont off road and try to keep out of potholes etc but state of raods etc are a bit of a mare , but fingers crossed and thanks again

[roadracedave]

When a spoke snaps, do you
When a spoke snaps, do you simply get a new spoke fitted or do you get the whole wheel de-tensioned and re-built.

If its a re-occuring problem, then it sounds as though either the spoke tensions are not even and therefore causing certain spokes to snap, or the wheel could just not be strong enough?

What model wheel is it? How many spokes does it have? Does it only have spokes snap on one side of the wheel?

I would suggest getting it fully rebuilt if you haven’t already done so, and if you have, then I would recommend getting a new rear wheel with a higher spoke count or stronger rim.

[timwiggins]

It sounds like your rear
It sounds like your rear wheel is probably too light weight for you, and there is either too much flex in the rim, or the spokes are not an adequate strength for your weight. You could try getting a wheel built up such as this one: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Kits.aspx?ModelID=63903 with a Fire eye rim, or a mavic EN series one, these are “All mountain rims” and great for heavier riders or more aggressive riding style.
Going Full Sus would help, but it is far more money to get a new bike!

Finally – perhaps it is worth trying lower gears up the hills and spinning at a higher cadence – this is more efficient anyway and puts less strain on the bike and the body.

[Author]

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