neotheone

I think I broke a spoke on my bike, How much would it cost to repair it and true it?
Also, I was looking into getting a pair of Commuter tires, at this point, might as well get new tubes.
How much do you think my local bike shop should charge to Repair it for me?

Thanks.
Neo

531phile 

It depends. $20 if it just needs to be replaced and requires a little truing. If the wheel needs to be retensioned, then more like $30 or more.

Squirrelli

It'd be cheaper if you could go to a local bike co-op, you will be able to use the tools to fix it and true the wheel if needed. I think it's a better investment than bike shop but f you don't have the time...oh well.

Sixty Fiver

Depends on what is needed... a single broken spoke in an otherwise sound wheel can be swapped out and the truing done in a few minutes and at my little one man shop I might do this for $15.00 while I know that some shops have charged as much a full hour of shop time to change a single spoke which can run you $70.00.

One broken spoke is often an indication that there are other things wrong with the wheel... if you break more spokes then it is time to consider rebuilding or replacing the wheel as it is a sign that the spokes were run in an un-tensioned state and have become fatigued.

A well built wheel should not suffer from broken spokes under normal use... I just re-built the rear wheel on one of my bikes as my derailleur exploded some time back and struck the spokes which was enough to cause them to fail a few thousand km down the road and after several broken spokes I opted for a full rebuild.

This is the only wheel failure I have ever had short of bikes or wheels being run over by cars... this has happened to a few of my customers and is one of the things I do not warranty... especially when you run over your own wheels after you left one against the back of the car when you loaded it on the roof rack.

It was a brand new wheel too...

gholt

When I did this it was $30 for a rear wheel that was the 2nd spoke to break and I had them get me two spares for later, as well as check the tension on the whole wheel. I had forgot my tools and we were on vacat and they did it in two hours. It was a bit pricy, but when you need your bike worked on you pay and enjoy riding it later.

exile

I don't think I've been charged more than $20 or so.

seenoweevil

Gee whiz! Come to Alabama! Picking up my front wheel today from LBS. Spoke replaced and wheel trued: $12. They don't charge me tax either.

nashcommguy

The truing should cost somewhere around 15-20.00. Unless your spoke nipples are seized. Then an lbs usually wont touch it. They'll try to talk you into getting a new wheel. Don't have to get new tubes unless you really need them. Everything should be around 50-60.00+tax w/tubes, tires, spoke(s)and truing.

The reason I put up an ad for someone to teach me to build and true wheels was because of costs like the one(s) you've posted. Best 100.00 I ever spent. Have 3 bikes all w/my own hand-built wheelsets. It really was a benchmark in my overall confidence as a cyclist and mechanic. Developing my mechanical skills has saved me hundreds of dollars over the last five years.

Consularrider

Last time my LBS charged $18 in conjunction with a normal "free" tune up of the bike within the first year after I bought it from them.

Seattle Forrest

I was going to say something like this if no one else had, but fortunately 65er beat me.

What he's ultimately saying is that if another spoke goes, you should consider replacing the wheel, I think.

Sixty Fiver

Repeated spoke failure is a warning sign that things may not be right... one of the reasons I opted to replace all my spokes was that when I built the wheel used some pretty light spokes and as the bike sees some harder use now some thicker gauge DT spokes were an improvement.

Was nice that when the spoke broke I was checking the spoke tension with the bike on the stand as I noticed my usually perfect wheel was a touch off of being true.

I carry extra spokes for any bike that travels long distances and when I build wheels I always include extra spokes as most of my wheel sets go touring or are for commuters who sees tons of hard miles.

Who knows... your bike may have been locked up and someone else might have put a pedal or a foot into your wheel while they were parking. Bike racks are notorious for this kind of damage and I usually look for lockups where I don;t have to share too much space.

L.L. Zamenhof

I recently broke a spoke. Took it in, they fixed it and it cost $20, along with a brake cable and housing. I think that was all I got that day. Trued the wheel, too.

treebound 

What kind of bike, what kind of wheels, what kind of spokes, front wheel, rear non-drive side wheel, rear drive side wheel, it will affect the price. If you have a basic upright Townie with standard non-bladed spokes and 32 spooked wheel then a $20 should do it. But if you bring in a fresh pizza on a slow day and also buy your new tires/tubes from them then you might get a deal on the spoke replacement and wheel truing.

crhilton

It depends a lot on the shop, you, and how much they like/know you.

neotheone

Thanks everyone. This has been a huge load off my mind.
The reason I thought it might be a broken spoke was because I was riding home from work and heard a sound like a really out of tune guitar string being plucked. It was about midnight, and I had just worked an 11 hour shift.

I checked it this morning, and sure enough, there is a broken spoke. I had to unhook my rear brakes to ride home last night. Another question. I've probably put about 15 - 20 miles on it since it broke without realizing it. Will this harm the rim? My bike is my sole mode of Transportation, so I'm gonna take it on a bus to the LBS tommorow morning. Hopefull he can have it done before I have to go into work.

Once again. Thanks everyone. You've all been a huge help.

gerv 

Someone above mentioned visiting the local bicycle co-op. This might be a good idea for you. The could show you how to do the work.

If your bike is your sole means of travel (besides the bus...), you'll really want to know how to do simple repairs. And actually replacing a spoke isn't rocket science. You could learn this quickly and it would come in very handy when you have another broken spoke and the LBS is too busy to repair your bike for several days ( this often happens over the summer months.).

BigDaddyPete

$20 sounds about right. I went through a really bad patch a couple of years ago where I was breaking spokes on all my bikes every time I rode. I learned how to replace my own spokes then, as well as true my wheels.

mconlonx

$15 for spoke replacement in our shop, +$30 if it needs to be retensioned. Rear wheel is just slightly more difficult because the cassette/freewheel will usually need to come off (derailleur shifting). Not an issue for a shop; another set of tools for the home mechanic. Cheap tires at $20/ea; Kevlar protection decent tires at $40/ea. $8/ea for tubes. $7.50/ea to install tires.

Total cost will depend on tire choice, if you ask the shop to install, local pricing in your area.

neil

Not likely on a wheel with plenty of spokes. The bigger risk, I think, would be fatiguing more spokes so that they end up breaking, too. Even that I doubt will be a problem. I once didn't notice I broke a spoke until I brought the bike in for its annual tuneup. Who knows how long I was riding on it? I used the wheel for another 5 years after that.

I'm not a believer in this. Knowing how to fix your bike can save you time and money. Just like knowing how to fix your fridge, house, car, computer, or any other item that you make regular use of. But biking is not the exclusive domain of the mechanically inclined, and I wish mechanically inclined cyclists would stop acting like it is.

scroca

Our lbs just charged my son $2 for a spoke and $20 to true the wheel. I don't know what your lbs will charge. Most likely the going rate for your area. You should ask them.

contango 

Hard to give anything useful with so little information. Things like what country/city/state etc you live might help.

For what it's worth my local bike shop charges me about £1-2 for a spoke (depending on just what kind of spoke) and £12 to retrue the wheel. Fitting a tyre runs about £8-10, and the tyres cost anywhere from £10 to £50 depending on just what you want. Inner tubes about £5 or so.

Liwa

Hey mate
Is this shops in England?

fietsbob

a bike shop in Vietnam will charge less than one in Manhattan, NYC.

I ask the local yourself , or are you offering cash prizes to the one that guesses the mystery bill to the nearest $?