FR4NCH1SE

Well I should have learned my lesson, but I checked my bike about a month ago and one of the spokes on the wheel came off and the spoke just layed at the side of the other spokes not doing anything. I should have stopped riding the bike then, come 100 miles later and today when I went out for a late night spin about 5 spokes came loose and one of the spokes went into my chain at the back wheel and it stuck the chain while I was trying to shift about 10 yards from my house. The chain came off the cogs and the bike and I was riding with no chain and came to a stop. Close to my house so I just took the bike to my house. And saw that 1 of the cheap rather plastic-like maybe alloy spoke was stuck in the chain.


So what should I do? can I repair the spokes? I dont want to put any money on this crap bike, but I want to ride it out this winter, come spring I will have a killer new bike. So I dont want a new wheel, IDK much about bike wheels but what do the spokes do? can I just throw away the spoke pieces that came loose? This bike is made to break I swear.

umd

You could get the wheels rebuilt but it won't be worth the effort. Just get some new wheels, they don't have to be spectacular.

mike868y

Spend like $240 on a cheap heavy set of mavic open pro/ultegra wheels from a reputable builder (psimet, bicyclewheelwarehouse.com). Then you can use them as training wheels on your new ride also.

liquefied

I'd pick up a set of these https://bicyclewheelwarehouse.com/ind...d&productId=49.

Raiden

Take the tube and tire off the rim. Note the size of the rim (either 622/700cm- they're synonymous; or 27"). Take a pair of tin snips and cut all of the spokes; trash them. Keep the hub (with the skewer or bolts) and cassette (gear cluster). Take the gear cluster assembly and tube/tire to a shop and ask for a new wheel- they'll be able to identify exactly what you need with those parts and info, and salvage the gear cluster off the old hub that you saved.

garysol1 

Before you go buying wheels such as those mentioned above you need to know what you have. Does the Denali even use a cassette type rear gears or does it use a freewheel? You need to make sure that what ever wheel you purchase will accommodate your gear system. You may end up being better off having a custom wheel built around your existing hub.

FR4NCH1SE

meh, you guys dont understand this is a 99 buck bike it isn't worth buying a new wheel, sheesh the new wheel would cost more than the sticken bike, hahaha. I am just going to use my old 15 year old mtn bike for the winter a buy a new bike in the spring.

garysol1 

We understand.....We are just telling you your options....

mike868y

Yes, but the wheels I recommended along with the other mavics which were recommended would be great to use on your new bike also. Think of them as an investment.

mihlbach

How long have you had the bike? Return it to Target or Walmart or wherever you bought it, get a new one, and have the wheel properly tensioned before you ride it. Even a Denali wheel should hold up just fine if adjusted before its ridden. If people return their busted **** more often, maybe (x)mart would be less inclined to sell such poorly assembled bikes.

FR4NCH1SE

Thanks for the input, I was really enjoying taking my late night rides in the Autumn. Oh well time for heavy mtn. biking. ehh Now I can stick to the gravel again. WOOT!!

garysol1 

I doubt a wheel that would work on a modern day LBS type bike would even be compatible with his Denali

Raiden

Actually, this is the best advice so far. Even if you didn't keep the receipt, you might have some luck if you paid with plastic.

Edit: but if that doesn't work, and you still want a road bike, seriously consider my advice. Talk to the people at your local shop- I bet a new wheel is less than $60 (plus maybe some labor to swap the cassette), and you'll save money by salvaging the parts I told you to keep. The people above suggesting $240 wheelsets aren't thinking straight.

FR4NCH1SE

And yes, the Denali is a freewheel, screw this bike, it was my first road bike, in that I could get up to 20 mph on the flats but that's it, my first true road bike will be bought in the spring, but I have to thank the Denali for getting me back into riding the bike and enjoying myself and getting me in shape. I also have a indoor recumbent bike which I can train on and exercise on until spring, so I will be fine, but nothing beats going out in the elements and riding the tarmac.

plasticmaam12

Agreed. I'm 99% sure that the Denali takes a freewheel, not a cassette.

cyclefreaksix

Hey you're the one who came here asking for advice...

If it were I; I'd keep that bike. Upgrade as things break, like the wheels for instance. Slowly but surely replace everything but the frame. I've seen one or two of those bikes on here that guys fixed up pretty respectably for not a lot of money. Then keep it as a rain/bad weather bike.

This way, when you get the nice bike you don't have to dirty it up during inclement weather or training rides.

FR4NCH1SE

It is a freewheel, but I refer to it as a crapwheel, everything about this bike should carry the surname crap.

kissTheApex

If you don't want to buy one of the recommended wheels (keeping in mind that they will be good for future use of course), you can take your bike to bike club at falls church (https://www.bikeclubva.com/). I've heard nothing but great things about them, and visited the store a couple of times. I'm sure they will be able to salvage the wheels and get you riding it till spring. It is a small shop and they have fair priced second hand bikes as well.

garysol1 

True but it did do its job. You got a bunch of miles out of it and now you know that it is worth your time and money to upgrade to a better bike so you shouldn't really have any regrets

FR4NCH1SE

That is a good point, but before I start working on bikes I want to learn the basic of the mechanics of bikes, I'm slowly but surely going to buy a new book on bikes soon, after that I will be confident in fixing up my own bikes. Plus I have no income to buy anything right now/

GP

I'd throw it in the trash. Use the money that you would spend upgrading on a better bike.

liquefied

True, forgot about how ****ty these bikes are.

FR4NCH1SE

Yep, thanks guys for all your input, I have decided to just trash the bike, its 57cm and I am 5'8", rofl, you must be wondering how I road the bike for that long, it was way to big for me, but I adjust around it. But on long rides, even my back (which is rather strong) would ache. I am just going to get rid of the bike and wait for spring for a new bike. In the mean time I am going to buy books which people referred to me here on the forums, and learn about bike mechanics.

Come winter I'm going to save some colds and fevers and just stay inside and ride my indoor recumbent bike. I also have a mtn. bike I can ride when I really have the urge to ride.

see ya on the road come spring, but see ya on the forums all winter still.

umd

Sure we understand. If you could buy a new wheel at least you would be putting your money into something new that you could take with you, rather than dumping more money into a crap bike and crap wheels. If you paid somebody to rebuild those wheels it would probably cost nearly as much as the bike and you would still have the same crappy wheels.

As other posts have pointed out though, it sounds like you wouldn't be able to use a new wheel so it's a moot point.

spry

These Denalis seem so popular in here there is bound to be a junked one somewhere with an intact wheel.