jonwvara 

The Pocket Pro was a Victory-or-Death tool--it would often get the freewheel off, but would nearly as often break itself in half while trying. The "horns" were oddly shaped and didn't really grip anything very well. I think that was a limitation of the casting process.

jonwvara 

I've never been able to make a Fiberfix spoke work, either. But I imagine that it can be done.

I have been told (by a very experienced bike tourist) that you can take a regular spoke and file off the head on the bottom and sides, just leaving a bit on top so that it has a sort of hook- or J-shape when viewed from the side. He said you can hook it into the hole in the hub without removing the freewheel or cassette, and it will remain in place when tensioned. I keep meaning to try it, but haven't yet. It sounds like it might work if it's possible to completely remove the broken spoke--which of course isn't always the case.

mpetry912 

I have seen a plier tool that makes J bends out of spokes with the head cut off. I think it was Hozan that made it.

Drive side pulling spokes are the ones that most commonly break. In a 36 h wheel, that means 9 spokes carry the load. I don't have quantitative data to support this - just observation.

Assuming you could get the old spoke out, the J bend repair spoke could be carried along and provide a viable way perform a field repair on a wheel with a broken spoke.

I'm still of the opinion that a bulletproof wheel can be built by an experienced builder that will be absolutely reliable for almost any use. Hit a pothole carrying 40 Lb of loaded panniers, sure. But good wheel building "best practices" can obviate most failures. Of course, factory built wheels that are 20+ years old are going to see some spoke failures when used for loaded touring

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

ThermionicScott 

Hear, hear!
@deux jambes, if you're concerned at all, maybe now is the time to have a good new rear wheel built. A bunch of my touring friends have gone to 40 spoke rear wheels. I know, it's 2019 and we shouldn't "need" so many spokes, but that's what's working for them. 40 good butted spokes on a stout rim, stress-relieved well...

Vintage_Cyclist

I never had to use my old Pocket Pro in the field, but I did test it once while changing out a freewheel in the shop. It was a royal pain in the arse. They were curved with the idea you'd use it against your handlebars or other curved bike surface for leverage, but it didn't really make for a secure hold. Your updated version seems far superior.

CliffordK

How big are the spoke holes?

I wonder if one could stably make say a 2.3mm ball on the end of a 2.0mm spoke. Of course, it wouldn't take much... just a tiny "hook", as anything not actually in contact with the hub would be mostly irrelevant.

non-fixie 

If I may translate that into a Top Tip: keep a look out in the local classifieds for touring wheels.

Over the past two years or so, I've found two excellent touring wheelsets with Maxi-car hubs and Mavic Module 4 rims (both 40H rear, 36H front). One set was €110, the other €200. Both came with a free touring bike.

The latest even came with a frame in my size:

gugie 

On the other end of the spectrum, I built up a touring wheel for my Grander Sportier using the Velo Orange hub that doesn't require any tools to diassemble.

https://vimeo.com/23857739

seedsbelize 

Yes, my wheel was pushing 40, and had those damaged outside spokes to boot. The damage had been hidden by an after-the-fact spoke protector.

seedsbelize 

I carried a tool around, in my toolbox, for years, new in package, and finally threw it out because I didn't know what it did. It was something like this. It fixed itself to the chainstay and the freewheel, and released it with a forward pedal stroke(I later learned).

Johno59

B4 keyhole eyelets (1936?) Dynohubs meant the low side used twisted spokes rather than button ended.


Even the high side used curled ends despite it being unnecessary. A long spare can be carried and simply cut to size.

scarlson 

Here is an article from Wheel Fanatyk in which they discuss Z-bend spokes and then try to find a modern available tool that is up to the challenge of creating Z-bends in spokes.
Wheel fanatyk article link

The tool they found to work is the Great Planes Precision Z-Bend Pliers, originally made to put Z-bends in model airplane control rods. WF used to sell the tool but no longer does. Luckily,
it is still available on Amazon.

Could just carry one of these pliers around, along with a few extra long spoke "blanks" with the possibility of buying more if you ran out, but as others have mentioned it doesn't fix the problem you have if you can't get the old broken spoke head out of the hub.

Johno59

I just twist curly ends with some pliers in a vise - two pair of pliers in a pinch will work. Obviously not on the road but twist the correct length before you go. As for the broken spoke, you can always get it out but you have to monster it- for me the ability to get a new one in was the deal-breaker. Needless to say with a Dynohub it was near impossible without curly spokes either in a workshop or on the Roadside.

jonwvara 

This sounds pretty severe. Not quite sure what it means, though.

Miele Man

Are you thinking of the old school Pocket Vice? I have one and some 1981 and 1982 BICYCLING magazines. One of the magazines has an ad for the Pocket vice in it and states that it can be use with the bicycle stem. I wonder if it'd mar the stem? Here're some images of the Pocket Vice.







Cheers

Miele Man

I used my Pocket Vice a few years back to remove a REALLY stuck freewheel from a friend'd wheel. He was amazed at how much force it took. I Guess O"m lucky with my Pocket Vice.

Cheers

phillman5

Hmmm, never thought about touring, I just gave my 36 hole Phil Wood hubs to a bike shop hat makes up bikes for poor/homeless etc. I am not sure if it would have taken a 7 speed FW, probably should have, I only had a six on it. But they are plentiful on e-bay for a song, that why I just gave them away.

phillman5

My bother and I rode from Tucson to Ludington Mi (we crossed the pond via a ferry after visiting several breweries in Milwaukee) in 1975. Since our freewheels needed different removal tools we took one of each. We DID have one drive side spoke break but luckily there was a farm near by and the farmer let use use his bench mounted vice. Problem solved.

Johno59

Monster it means bend, twist, punch, pull and swear aloud and you'll get the broken spoke out. As regards removing the freewheel on the Roadside - it may help to remove the FW before your journey begins, regrease it and reinstall. I have had to cut across rear freewheels/sprockets with a hacksaw coz they'd been on for years, even decades and no amount of force could remove them.

jonwvara 

Thanks for the explanation. I guess I need to take a remedial colloquialism class.

And you're right, it's a good idea to remove, grease, and reinstall a freewheel before going on a tour. I think that's mentioned in the directions for using the Freewheel Key. If it's not, it should be. I ought to look.

ThermionicScott 

Also called "Beast mode."

sewupnut

My collection of Regina cogs is going to outlive me. So I will continue to ride my old Letour
with 6-speed freewells. Have yet to break a spoke, but it's just a matter of time. Great tool to have.

79pmooney

I'd go with a 36 spoke wheel, X3 or 4, with right-side spokes one gauge heavier than the rest and carry a FW tool. Build the wheel well. Use a proven hub. Shimano, Phi Wood or the like. Grease the hub threads well with lots quality (Phil Wood or equiv.) grease. If you are really paranoid, bring the smallest crescent wrench that will open to fit the FW tool. You will need to find a pipe and your wrench will be trash after but it will work.

I cannot claim long tours, just a few solo tours (Boston to Detroit, Minneapolis to Saginaw Michigan) but I did those in the '70s long before cassettes. Never had an issue with spokes.

If you mix Italian and Japanese hubs and freewheels, ride that combo first, then take off the FW, re-grease and re-install BEFORE you leave. Italian threads were (are?) cut and Japanese threads were and are rolled, The first time you mix them, you are forcing the peaks of the Italian threads down to the rolled rounds of the Japanese threads. It's a hard install and even harder removal. You want full shop tools that first time. After that, your Italian threads are "rolled" and you won't have further issues. (I've put many SunTour FWs on Campagnolo hubs.)

Ben