Can a wheel crumple with no broken spokes
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I have a bike with a back wheel in pretty bad shape, multiple (8?) spokes keep losing tension (Ive been hand tightening them every ~ 10 miles but it doesn't make much of a difference.) None of them are broken but I have a pretty gnarly speed wobble that changes up on me.
If the rim, hub, bearings are all in good shape, you can do the repair yourself. It just takes a $5 spoke wrench. A truing stand is nice, but you can true a wheel on the bike if necessary.
Spokes should be brought up to a moderately uniform tension (with right/left spokes different on the rear). And, the rim needs to be trued and centered, and without hop. You can do a moderate job on the bike.
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How exactly are you tightening them? Just tightening the nipples with the fingers? Using a spoke wrench?
If the rim, hub, bearings are all in good shape, you can do the repair yourself. It just takes a $5 spoke wrench. A truing stand is nice, but you can true a wheel on the bike if necessary.
Spokes should be brought up to a moderately uniform tension (with right/left spokes different on the rear). And, the rim needs to be trued and centered, and without hop. You can do a moderate job on the bike.
If the rim, hub, bearings are all in good shape, you can do the repair yourself. It just takes a $5 spoke wrench. A truing stand is nice, but you can true a wheel on the bike if necessary.
Spokes should be brought up to a moderately uniform tension (with right/left spokes different on the rear). And, the rim needs to be trued and centered, and without hop. You can do a moderate job on the bike.
You need to get a spoke wrench, dude. Take the tire off the rim, center the brakes, spin the wheel and fix any place where the wheel rubs. Then tighten the barrel adjuster till you get rubbing again, and fix that. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Oh, and look closely around all your spoke holes for cracks in the rim. If it's an old bike, you might put a little thin oil where each spoke enters the nipple and let it sit for a while before starting to work, so the nipples will turn.
Having all your spokes properly tensioned is the key, because the way wheels work is that the hub is suspended from the upper spokes as it turns. Loose spokes aren't doing anything, so the remaining spokes have all that much more weight pulling on them.
EDIT: Also, hold onto the spoke while you turn the nipple, so you can be sure you're tightening the nipple on the spoke, not just twisting the whole thing.
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#28
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Can't believe I'm responding to a Larry thread, but...your spokes haven't broken YET. If you ride with loose spokes they will break pretty soon. Fix your wheel, a spoke wrench costs $5 and after a bit of research and your time the wheel will be in better shape. Or, take it to a bike shop and pay $10-$15 to get it trued.
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I have a spoke wrench but last time I used it it didn’t really help (rim was ****ed.) took it to the shop today and they claim they can true it which is surprising to me, but yay.
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This.
You need to get a spoke wrench, dude. Take the tire off the rim, center the brakes, spin the wheel and fix any place where the wheel rubs. Then tighten the barrel adjuster till you get rubbing again, and fix that. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Oh, and look closely around all your spoke holes for cracks in the rim. If it's an old bike, you might put a little thin oil where each spoke enters the nipple and let it sit for a while before starting to work, so the nipples will turn.
Having all your spokes properly tensioned is the key, because the way wheels work is that the hub is suspended from the upper spokes as it turns. Loose spokes aren't doing anything, so the remaining spokes have all that much more weight pulling on them.
EDIT: Also, hold onto the spoke while you turn the nipple, so you can be sure you're tightening the nipple on the spoke, not just twisting the whole thing.
You need to get a spoke wrench, dude. Take the tire off the rim, center the brakes, spin the wheel and fix any place where the wheel rubs. Then tighten the barrel adjuster till you get rubbing again, and fix that. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Oh, and look closely around all your spoke holes for cracks in the rim. If it's an old bike, you might put a little thin oil where each spoke enters the nipple and let it sit for a while before starting to work, so the nipples will turn.
Having all your spokes properly tensioned is the key, because the way wheels work is that the hub is suspended from the upper spokes as it turns. Loose spokes aren't doing anything, so the remaining spokes have all that much more weight pulling on them.
EDIT: Also, hold onto the spoke while you turn the nipple, so you can be sure you're tightening the nipple on the spoke, not just twisting the whole thing.
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Larry, I have a Mavic Open Pro 32 spoke Ultegra hub that I only used for a on wheel trainer, it never saw the road. I would gladly give you this wheel to keep you from dying so you can keep posting stuff like this. PM me your address, I will send it to you.
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Last edited by jaxgtr; 03-26-22 at 05:43 PM.
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I just posted my wheel for him to have...
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#34
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normally I ride bikes to failure, and for wheels this means when its rubbing against the frame. can they actually suddenly fail? I feel like I would notice a terrible wobble or something before that happens, I try to treat bikes gently for my safety when I can tell they are on their way out
Also again to those who are looking for good advice, NEVER RIDE YOUR BIKE TO FAILURE. Keep yourself safe but also keep those around you safe. If you are looking to hurt yourself please immediately call this number: 800-273-8255. They can help you.
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veganbikes, id wager the majority of the bikes in the world are ridden to failure. This is not dangerous as long as you are attentive and know your bike. Your comment comes across as elitist to me
Last edited by LarrySellerz; 03-26-22 at 09:52 PM.
#36
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Are you serious about this offer? A new rear wheel is huge... that would be amazing
veganbikes, id wager the majority of the bikes in the world are ridden to failure. This is not dangerous as long as you are attentive and know your bike. Your comment comes across as elitist to me
veganbikes, id wager the majority of the bikes in the world are ridden to failure. This is not dangerous as long as you are attentive and know your bike. Your comment comes across as elitist to me
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Yes. All it's doing is hanging in my garage as it has been for the last 3 years. PM me your address and I will send it to you so you don't kill yourself over some crappy wheels you fished out of a garbage can.
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#38
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Are you serious about this offer? A new rear wheel is huge... that would be amazing
veganbikes, id wager the majority of the bikes in the world are ridden to failure. This is not dangerous as long as you are attentive and know your bike. Your comment comes across as elitist to me
veganbikes, id wager the majority of the bikes in the world are ridden to failure. This is not dangerous as long as you are attentive and know your bike. Your comment comes across as elitist to me
This is just wrong. People who have to rely on their bikes can't afford to let them fail. Disposability is a luxury. If you're attentive and know your bike, you fix things when it's still cheap to do so, or you figure an affordable strategy to fix the major problem.
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Your wheels have already failed. You are riding them past the point of “failure” to the point of disaster. Your wheels can collapse…even without breaking spokes…and you are on track to experience that. It’s not “elitist” to point that out.
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I’d condition my offer on a proof of life photo of them being used by the OP.
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If you are attentive and know your bike, it isn't going to fail because you are not going to neglect it by riding on loose spokes, bent wheels or any other deficiency. Reasonable care is not elitism.
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Last edited by Chuck M; 03-27-22 at 02:49 PM. Reason: Left out a comma
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Well, here is my proof of life... Larry, got your PM and responded. FYI to anyone that uses Shipbikes, they are transitioning to using UPS, so their system is down at the moment.
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Ever heard the saying ”for the want of a nail”?
You’re not thinking that through.
Unless you’re planning to sell the bike, it isn’t about putting $200 into a $400 bike. It is about paying $200 for keeping your mode of transportation in working order.
What will it cost you if it fails?
Facing a $2000 charge for hospital/dental care as a consequence of avoiding a $200 maintenance bill doesn’t seem like a good deal.
And who knows what else might happen if you don’t make it to your destination? Lose a job? Lose a deal?
If money is an issue, Learn To do your own maintenance and repairs. Most are well within range of the Average Guy. Or Gal for that matter.
I don’t think anyone can say with certainty from afar.
There’s some merit in the thought that it will keep doing what it does now.
OTOH, wheels shouldn’t be doing what your wheel is doing. Slack spokes don’t contribute (much) to the strength of the wheel. You might not have much margin to total and immediate failure. Miss a pothole, drop off a curb a little clumsy might be all it takes for the wheel to fold.
You’re not thinking that through.
Unless you’re planning to sell the bike, it isn’t about putting $200 into a $400 bike. It is about paying $200 for keeping your mode of transportation in working order.
What will it cost you if it fails?
Facing a $2000 charge for hospital/dental care as a consequence of avoiding a $200 maintenance bill doesn’t seem like a good deal.
And who knows what else might happen if you don’t make it to your destination? Lose a job? Lose a deal?
If money is an issue, Learn To do your own maintenance and repairs. Most are well within range of the Average Guy. Or Gal for that matter.
There’s some merit in the thought that it will keep doing what it does now.
OTOH, wheels shouldn’t be doing what your wheel is doing. Slack spokes don’t contribute (much) to the strength of the wheel. You might not have much margin to total and immediate failure. Miss a pothole, drop off a curb a little clumsy might be all it takes for the wheel to fold.
#47
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Certainly:
Probably not the failure mode you’re likely to encounter, but it sure was sudden.
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Are you serious about this offer? A new rear wheel is huge... that would be amazing
veganbikes, id wager the majority of the bikes in the world are ridden to failure. This is not dangerous as long as you are attentive and know your bike. Your comment comes across as elitist to me
veganbikes, id wager the majority of the bikes in the world are ridden to failure. This is not dangerous as long as you are attentive and know your bike. Your comment comes across as elitist to me
And there's nothing more elitist than someone who perfomatively eschews the things he thinks smack of elitism.
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This is from my drop bar commuter:
Good luck explaining how this isn’t dangerous.
I suppose you’re right, for a very generous definition of failure. Failure-of-interest, or failure-of-providing-basic-maintenance is a far more common cause for retiring a bike than an actual mechanical/structural failure.
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Ever heard the saying ”for the want of a nail”?
You’re not thinking that through.
Unless you’re planning to sell the bike, it isn’t about putting $200 into a $400 bike. It is about paying $200 for keeping your mode of transportation in working order.
What will it cost you if it fails?
You’re not thinking that through.
Unless you’re planning to sell the bike, it isn’t about putting $200 into a $400 bike. It is about paying $200 for keeping your mode of transportation in working order.
What will it cost you if it fails?
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