L.L. Zamenhof

Broke my second spoke of the month today, and I think third of the year.

All have been on rear; should I just get a new rim?

wwyd?

electrik

Make sure the wheel is tensioned properly. Heavier gauge spokes? As long as the eyelets on the rim are fine and it's not really bent up..

JeffS

Usually this is a sign that the entire wheel is out of tension. I would personally take the wheel to someone who can re-tension the whole thing.

This will most likely resolve the issue. If not, rebuilt with a better rim.

Northwestrider

+1

Sixty Fiver

Sounds like a tension, or lack of proper tension issue and this leads to fatigue and breakage.

3 broken spokes is usually a sign that the wheel should be rebuilt with new spokes or that a new wheel be purchased.

K'Tesh

I'm always breaking spokes on 32 spoke wheels... After upgrading to a 36 spoke wheel, I didn't have any problems until a SUV parked on the wheel (I was on the bike too). >=[

sudo bike

This. I had the same problem, and was told to just get a new wheel (it was the original wheel, nothing expensive or I might have had it rebuilt). No more problems.

L.L. Zamenhof

Cool. Thanks peeps.

old's'cool

Yes, if you're going to pay someone to work on the wheel (or do it yourself), definitely replace all the spokes; the original spokes are now suspect due to fatigue probably caused by improper tensioning as mentioned above.

AdamDZ

Stock wheels? I had a bike once that would pop the spokes when not being ridden, just parked, from the heat, I guess. I'd leave it in the shed in the morning, come back after work to find a spoke broken. I broke a spoke during the first week of riding too, then a few more. I don't buy stock bikes and wheels any more and I haven't had any problems with spokes ever since. Well, except for a wheelset I built myself I suck at this, so I won't try again.

Depending on how much it'll cost to rebuild those wheel you might just buy a new wheelset from Bicycle Wheel Warehouse or Universal Cycles. I have an under $150 BWW wheelset on my commuter that gets a lot of abuse and is usually loaded with crap and after a year and a half the wheels haven't even gone out of true a tiny bit. And I hit potholes sometimes so hard my butt hurts.

fietsbob

They don't stay trued and tensioned on their own, regular maintenance is the key.

Sixty Fiver

A well built wheel should stay that way over thousands and thousands of km and need little to no attention... just checked a front wheel I had used for commuting, utility, and off road riding that has well over 5000 km on it and it was still 5 by 5.

Was a Formula hub laced to an Alex 2100 rim with DT spokes... came to me barely used and I tuned it up 4 years ago before running it just to make sure it was 100%.

This wheel sells for about $80.00 (off the peg) and is a really good deal, the rear runs 100.00... pretty nice for factory built methinks.

h. bicycletus

Um. . .. no. A properly built wheel requires about zero maintenance. I have wheels with thousands of miles on them that haven't been touched with a spoke wrench in years. It's all a matter of quality: both materials and build. When built right, the wheels stays tight and true and the tension is fine.

nelson249

My new Norco was blowing spokes all over the place till I took it back to my LBS and Norco replaced the rear rim under warranty. And I got a better rim and spokes in the process.

electrik

Yes and no, obviously if you hit a curb or pothole hard enough then you'll need to fix the wheel's tension.

Titmawz

No need for a new rim ! Go to you LBS and have them relace the wheel =) Should cost about 50 bucks (including labor)

L.L. Zamenhof

Nah, bought it used about 2,200 miles ago.

Since it wouldn't be worth having it rebuilt, I'm going to go new. That wheel sounds like a pretty good option.

AdamDZ

Actually they do stay trued and tensioned on their own As Sixty Fiver said, well built wheels should last a very, very long time.

If they stay true what am I supposed to "maintain" other than keeping them clean?

mconlonx

Generally speaking, what percentage of those on bikes do you think are riding wheels "of quality: both materials and build."?

When you bring your stock wheel in for that first spoke replacement, it's a good time to go for a "major" wheel true, including de- and re-tensioning.

ItsJustMe

My bike was breaking spokes like mad on the stock wheel. I bought a whole new set of spokes and a better rim, and rebuilt it myself one evening. It ran 13,000 miles with zero maintenance after that, until I broke an axle. Never went a mm out of true.

A good wheel doesn't really need regular maintenance, only a tweak if it goes out of true.

Sounds like the OP's spokes are under tensioned, especially if they're breaking at the elbow.

Doohickie

I'll jump on that pile. I got a new wheel and no more problems.

toddles

This means a) you are too fat b) you have cheap wheels, c) you are jumping curbs, or d) All the above.

Seems to me eliminating c) and upgrading b) will help reduce a).

AdamDZ

lol

filDim

Get a Spoke Tension Meter. The key to wheels that are strong and reliable is having spokes that are properly and uniformly tensioned

L.L. Zamenhof

hahaha

I'm not a or doing c. But it is a cheap wheel.

I like option b.

Congrats on winning the thread.