Surly LHT wheel question
#1
Full Member
Thread Starter
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!
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!
#2
Senior Member
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.
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#3
Senior Member
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.
#4
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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!
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!
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.
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#5
Senior Member
#6
Full Member
Thread Starter
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.
Last edited by waddo; 08-22-19 at 04:58 PM.
#7
Full Member
Thread Starter
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.
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.
#8
Senior Member
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.
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.
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
#9
Senior Member
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?
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?
Last edited by chrisx; 08-22-19 at 08:37 PM.
#10
Senior Member
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.
did you use a pressure washer when cleaning?
wondering if maybe just replacing and greasing the bearings might do it.
#11
Full Member
Thread Starter
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?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ0gobSHgIs
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?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ0gobSHgIs
#12
Full Member
Thread Starter