Bicycle Mechanics - Need Help Before Tomorrow's Ride!

Hey guys....my new bike is in the shop again getting some stuff done. I decided to ride my old faithful tomorrow (Trek 830) and I spun the wheel and it was moderately out of true. I checked and there was a very loose spoke. I did recently get some bike tools so I decided to tighten it up a little with my spoke wrench. No matter which way I turned it or how many times I turned it...it didn't get any looser or tighter. Finally the spoke came out of the nipple. I assumed based on the lack of success from trying to tighten it and the fact that it disengaged from the nipple, it was probably busted all along. Would that assumption be correct? In my repair book it says to completely remove a busted spoke rather than trying to ride on it as is. Is that good advise? I assume I can still ride the thing tomorrow. It's a newer rim (Rhyno lite), 32 spoke count (31 now), rear wheel. I'm a heavy guy (300 LBS) so I'm sure the more spokes the better. My commute is 15 miles each way. Thoughts?

By the way, the folks on the bike forum have proven to be more in the know than my LBS mechanic. When I got my new Trek Portland I asked if I needed a new high spoke count wheel set. He told me "no way." Well, after several loose spokes and a tweaked back rim he changed his tune. I now have a 36 spoke count rear wheel and a 32 count front wheel (salsa rims with DT Swiss 440 hub). I didn't harp on him about it but if I went with this set-up from the beginning I could have gotten credit back on the stock wheel set. Anyway, I appreciate your input. I really want to ride tomorrow but don't want to get stuck on the road.

I personally wouldn't ride it, just because the wheel is not at 100%. Wheels aren't exactly cheap and you could do more damage to it. I'd take it to the LBS in the morning and see if they could fix it on the spot, it doesn't take long assuming the wheel is still ok.

I have been riding on a broken spoked rear wheel for several hundred miles. But then it is a bullet proof purpose built loaded touring wheel. For your wheel go ahead and ride. If the wobble becomes too bad release the brake on that wheel. As you said another bike is in the shop. When you get it back then the bad one goes in.

Obviously the safest thing to do is not to ride it. With that caveat, if the broken spoke is a non-drive side spoke (opposite side from the cassette side) it is less critical than a drive-side spoke, and is probably temporarily rideable.

Bob

Hey there, No offense, you said 300lbs, listen to these guys, DON't ride it, or just go get a spoke and true up the wheel.

It's hard to explain why, but one broken spoke reduces the strenth of the wheel big time.

300 lbs = no go. Get a spoke and a nipple and swap it out. The job is really easy.

I would take the wheel to the LbS and have them add the spoke and retrue the wheel. Won't cost much nor take much time. Since you bought a bike recently they might even do it for free. Sounds like your new setup will be ideal. A broken wheel on a down hill stretch will cost a lot more if you have to make a trip to the emergency room.