Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Join the broken spoke club!

Well, I broke my first spoke tonight. Rear wheel, drive side, about an inch and a half from the flange. I was almost to my turnaround point, powering up a hill - well, powering for me - when I heard the pop, ting, ting, ting...

Now that I think about it, I did hear an unusual rhythmic squeak a couple of minutes before it popped. Might have been the spoke giving an audible early warning?

Sure hope I can get it fixed tomorrow!

Wish you guys would post the wheel style when posting these broken spoke threads.:D..I'd like to add it to my mental knowldege data base.;)

In the future, please add the following info:

A)Traditional SS spokes or those hard to find take a month to find a replacement bladed spokes?
B) 24 or lower spoke count fancy boutigue wheels?
c) was the wheel retensioned after the initial 300 mile break in period?

:p

Hey Beanz!

A) Traditional SS spokes.
B) 36 spoke, non-fancy wheel.
C) Wheel was ridden by the friend I got it from as training up for and riding in numerous triathlons. I doubt it was ever retensioned, although I did have to true it up when I got it from him.

So, I took the wheel in to get a new spoke. The shop charged me $28 for the spoke and truing the wheel.

38 miles later - shortly after the turn-around in the metric I was riding - another spoke broke. I limped along for another 14 miles before calling it a day.

I don't trust the wheel anymore. NOT going to pay another $28 to have the shop fix it again. I'm headed for a new wheelset, I think. 36h Velocity deep V on the rear and probably a 32h on the front.

I was told by our local wheel guy that once one go the rest are likely to follow. I kept replacing spokes after they would break even though he kept saying I should rebuild the wheel.

After the 6th spoke or so, I had him rebuild the wheel with double butted DT spokes. It was pricey to get the wheel rebuilt, but still cheaper than a new wheel.

I have had ZERO problems with it since they rebuilt it. You might look into rebuilding it.

Bummer! Sure, you can use new pokes and rebuild on the cheap. V sounds like a good idea too!:D...I am 250-230, got over 19,000 miles on my 32 spoke rear V an front 28. If you about my weight, 32 should be fine. Just make sure it's retensioned after a couple hundred!:thumb:

Broke five myself on a stock Specialized Carmel 3 26 wheel. Alexrims double walled. LBS was kind enough to let me borrow a wheel while they built mine. The rim is strong but spokes were the weak link. And yes, when one goes it stresses the rest and starts the metal fatigue. The guys used a double butted spokes that are tough. It was built like a downhill wheel. I'm putting the miles on it.

I've broken 3 spokes this year on the rear wheel. I ride Neuvation M28 Aero 3. I know, I know, I should be on a higher spoke count wheel. I'm 235 6'3". I have a little over 1300 miles on this wheelset. I am looking into building up a higher spoke count traditional wheelset for peace of mind.