Bicycle Mechanics - Old spoke = handy tool!

As the title suggests - I found an old spoke very useful this weekend. As I was replacing some damaged spoke nipples on a wheel, I was concerned that they might drop inside the deep section of the double-walled rim... to be lost forever except for a rattle. A small length of old spoke, including the threaded end was used to prevent this. Once the nipple was almost off the wheel, the thread from the old spoke was screwed into the head, allowing it to be held securely as it was removed from the wheel. This worked in reverse as the new nipple was fitted to the rim.

Cheers,

Ed

This is a common wheel builders trick but not that well known to most so thanks for the posting.

Another use for old spokes is to sharpen one end and use it as a tool to round-out and reshape cable housings after cutting them.

Another use for old spokes is to sharpen one end and use it as a tool to round-out and reshape cable housings after cutting them.

...good idea, though a sharpened spoke could come in handy for a lot of things ;) Actually, the stainless spokes would make handy BBQ skewers.

Ed

Sharpened spokes also feature in crime thrillers. :eek:

If you cut a spoke to about 5 inches long and bend in the ends a bit, it works great to hold some slack in the chain when removing a power link.

I find I use old spokes around the workshop all the time. I have to boast that I figured out the nipple-placement trick all on my own. Another use is fishing chains out of degreaser.

I make tyre-savers out of old spokes. Also orange-pickers.

Hey Ed, send your idea to Bicycling Mag and might get a prize for it.