Surly LHT wheel question
 

I had both wheels replaced last year by a local bike shop. They used rims with 36 spokes but not the same brand as the originals.
Now my front wheel is creaking and groaning. I want to replace it with the original brand: Alex DH19 36h. I can order them on line but they are always rims only with no spokes. Is it possible to buy them with spokes? Would it be safe to ask a local bike shop to put spokes on? Is it a highly skilled job?

And advice welcome.

BTW I live in Japan when nothing is easy!

The original is just a basic wheel, nothing fancy. Go to the bike shop, have them tension and check the wheel/spokes. Start there. Failing that, get a new hand built wheel.

Yeah, are you sure the original wheel actually had better components than what you currently have? A proper re-tensioning and stress relieving may be what is needed. If you do replace your wheels you might as well consider going with something a little nicer than the oem stuff and as mentioned a hand built wheel is a better wheel if done by a decent wheel builder.

First, you (probably) can't just replace a rim with another rim. If the effective rim diameter (ERD) is the same, you can but that is seldom the case. The ERD is the measure of the inner diameter of the rim plus the nipple head and the amount of spoke that is threaded into that nipple. Ideally, the spoke should be flush with the slot of the nipple when the wheel is tensioned. Differences in the rim...like a taller cross-section or a flatter profile... have a profound effect on the ERD.

Wheel building isn't simple, either. You can learn to build wheels but it does take time and practice. The principles are fairly simple but the execution has a lot of details that take time to learn...like knowing about ERD. The best time to start to learn is now but you might need some help and/or someone to check your work.

But the problem you describe may not be related to the rim. Front wheels seldom have problems. The symmetrical nature of the wheel makes it mostly bombproof. And spoke or rim issues are seldom noisy. I'd look for other issues first. Check the bearings to see if they are lubricated and adjusted properly. Check the fork to see that the wheel is tight in the fork. Check the headset and stem while you are at it. Bicycles can be pretty good sounding boards so sounds get moved around fairly well.

you bought two entirely new wheels?
or did the bikeshop put new rims on the old hubs?
and what hubs and rims are they?

I bought two new wheels that came complete with spokes and Shimano Deore hub. The info on the rim is TM 840F ARAYA 21x1.5 ETRTO. The original brand would take too long for delivery so the bike shop recommended them. It's a good shop so I am surprised after 1 year the front wheel is creaking and cracking and sometimes even spokes ping. This was worse on our just completed trip when we had to push the bike up very steep roads and the bike was leaning over slightly. Jesus it was cracking away.

Thanks for your reply. The first two paragraphs are over my head. I just ride bikes and am not fond of even blowing up tyres!

The info I could understand is useful. During the trip I put my front wheel on my wife's bike and hers on mine. We both have Surly LHTs. Hers has the stock wheels. Instantly as she rode the clanging started and she is much lighter than me. My bike with her wheel was silent.

so you aren't a mechanical type, I'm a little surprised, BUT you do make very well made videos!

do you remember the Charlie Brown cartoons? Remember the teacher always sounding like "whaa whaa whaa whaa" to the kids---here is some more boring stuff for you--hopefully as others have said, the spokes just need a good tensioning, and the wheel will be true and strong and silent again. Sometimes when spokes have gone a long time being undertensioned, it can increase the risk of spoke breakages, but you dont seem to have had that occuring yet.

good luck with getting it sorted

and again, always enjoy your trip videos.
cheers

Easy fix.
Return to the shop that built the wheel,
or any bike shop,
True the wheel,
adjust the brakes,
ride around for a long time.

New wheels are supposed to have the spokes retensioned after about 200 miles or so, every newly built wheel.

Nothing wrong with your bike,
just regular maintenance.

Breaks squeal and squeak when they need adjusting, easy job.

Nothing new to buy, just adjustments to make.

Sounds like brake rub. or a loose skewer, or some kind of easy fix.

Did you give your wife back the good wheel, or make her ride the whole way with the bad one?

was that there bike sitting out in the rain long time?
did you use a pressure washer when cleaning?

wondering if maybe just replacing and greasing the bearings might do it.

Haha, yes I gave it back to her after 5 minutes.

Yes it sits in the rain a lot. I will mention this to the bike shop when I take it in.

Thanks

Put a drop of oil where the spokes cross. Sometimes they rust together and click.