Bicycle Mechanics - newbie cyclist and broken spoke

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.



PDA

View Full Version : newbie cyclist and broken spoke

SoLi
08-03-04, 08:10 AM
i'm fairly new to the world of bicycles, but i recently purchased a dawes galaxy tour bike. unfortunately whilst overtaking a slow cyclist on an empty road, he decided to suddenly swerve out for no apparent reason and my front wheel crashed at full speed into the back of his bike, flinging me off. when i untangled the front wheel from the back of his bike i found that one of my spokes was broken, it had bent and detached from the center cirlce thing in the middle of the wheel.

now i know nothing about bike mechanics so i have a question.

will i be able to get just the spoke replaced, or will i need a whole new rim. the rim is "Mavic T224 36 hole eyelets double wall black finish".

anything else i should know?

thx.

madpogue
08-03-04, 10:31 AM
Spoke replacement, esp. on a front, isn't hard; truing the wheel afterward can be. The wheel may be further damaged from the collision and require truing beyond the spoke replacement.

Assuming you gave him the typically required three feet, the other guy was at fault in the crash. You should be able to get him to pay for the repair at an LBS. His homeowner's / renter's insurance might cover it; who knows, the "mini-tort" coverage on his auto policy might. Or he may just prefer to pay it out of pocket, to avoid an insurance claim, esp. if you indicate your intention to go to his insurance company or take him to small claims.
supcom
08-03-04, 10:58 AM
Just take the wheel to a good bike shop and they'll check it out. If it just needs a new spoke, it shouldn't cost more than about $25. It's possible that the rim is damaged or even the hub so tell the shop that you crashed so they check for cracks.

These things happen.