Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - spoke size problems

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nogelt
05-25-09, 09:54 PM
:twitchy:
Hello All,
I have a problem with a folding ebike,20"wheels 36 hole.I am putting this thread here as I weigh 275 lbs.My bike has 100km on it and I have broken
6 spokes, 13 gauge, mild steel.
I am having the wheel rebuilt with a double walled rim and I cant find any 12 gauge spokes to replace the 13's.
The problem is the holes in the hub are too large,3.2mm.
I have been offered an option of using 13-14 butted stainless spokes.Would this be a viable option using spoke head washers.The spokes are only 110 mm in length.
By the way I have lost 35lbs already,the things we do for our bikes!!!!!!!
Thanks Jan

Tom Stormcrowe
05-25-09, 10:15 PM
You should notice a huge improvement with the double butted stainless spokes and double wall rims.
wmodavis
05-26-09, 02:39 AM
:twitchy:
Hello All,
I have a problem with a folding ebike,20"wheels 36 hole.I am putting this thread here as I weigh 275 lbs.My bike has 100km on it and I have broken
6 spokes, 13 gauge, mild steel.
I am having the wheel rebuilt with a double walled rim and I cant find any 12 gauge spokes to replace the 13's.
The problem is the holes in the hub are too large,3.2mm.
I have been offered an option of using 13-14 butted stainless spokes.Would this be a viable option using spoke head washers.The spokes are only 110 mm in length.
By the way I have lost 35lbs already,the things we do for our bikes!!!!!!!
Thanks Jan

I sincerely doubt if either the spoke guage or your weight are the real issue. The suggestion to use double butted spokes is a good one but regardless what type of spokes you decide on I believe low spoke tension is more likely the culprit here. A wheel built with the spokes not properly tensioned results in an increase in the stress cycle that the spokes undergo and that causes metal fatigue of the spokes resulting in spoke breakage. The breakage caused by metal fatigue usually occurrs at the bend near the spoke head or at the thread. Properly (read as: High but within the rim manufacturer recommendation) spoke tension results in the most durable, and strongest wheels. DB spokes also help reduce metal fatigue.

nogelt
05-26-09, 07:16 AM
When I bought the bike I had a 12 km ride home.There was pinging noises from the back wheel.I later noticed that a few of the spokes were loose.
I eventually tightened all the spokes slightly.On my next ride ,22kms
I broke 4 spokes. I was riding really bad roads which montreal is notorious for.
I put a plug near the rear wheel so I could remove it for maintance.
The bike store where I bought the bike said no warrenty because I was too heavy
and charged me for the repairs.To add insult to injury they hand threaded the spokes which were 5mm too short. My wheel is at another shop needless to say.
The hole in the hub is 3.2mm and the spokes are2.3mm,will i need washers
or just let there be play of the spoke in the hole???????: :twitchy: getting real frustrated,Jan