Road Cycling - Broken Spokes

In the past 500kms I have broken 2 spokes on my mavic rims. Is this normal with a road bike? I'm 6 ft 200 lbs is this the problem, and should I change wheels?
Broke both spokes on the rear wheel.

I would not say positively, but i would recommend a 36 spoke #14 straight gauge for you.

Broken spokes are not common even at your weight - especially not on road conditions.

Check to see if your rim is egg-shaped (out of round). If so, you will get uneven stress loads on your spokes and will have frequent breakage problems.

Mike

500km is very little distance. You probably have a problem with the build quality.
Pluck the spokes and listen to the sound. Each side should be the same, but the drive side should be tensioned more to give a higher note.
If the tension is uneven, I would say, take it back to the shop and ask for it to be re-tensioned. If they dont have a decent wheel builder, you can do it yourself with a spoke key, but its tricky to maintain shape and change the tension.

As far as wheel components go, they matter less than the builders touch, but butted spokes (thicker at the hub) last longer than straight ones, and 36 spokes are better than 32 for a big guy.

Definitely check the tension in the spokes They should have equal tension. I have had some problems in this area in the past, and that seemed to be the cause.

Chris

Thanks very much for your input. Now I have at least and idea of what to expect when I take the wheel in to the LBS tomorrow. I will let you know what happens and the end result.:thumbup:

This is a good place to mention to all our rider friends out their that spokes do not "support" the bike so to speak.

To a great extent, your bike actually hangs from the upper spokes rather than being held up from the spokes underneath. This may seem obvious, but a lot of people do not quite understand the concept.

The next time you are riding with someone, have them stop and put their weight on the saddle. Check the spokes. You will notice that the spokes on the under side of the wheel are almost loose while the spokes on the upper side are tight.

Your spokes go through this flex with every revolution of the wheel. Just like bending a coat hanger back and forth, the wire spokes eventually fatigue and break.

This is why it is important to check for even and consistant spoke tension. One loose spoke puts exceptional load and stress on the other spokes which can shorten their life substantially.