Road Cycling - Popped another spoke...

So I'm riding along, feeling good and strong despite not being on the bike for a few days. The road is pretty rough, but it's not too bad, so I'm not really doing anything about it. Then, SPANG! And there's that all-too familiar lump in the rear wheel. That's the second spoke this year - makes me look forward even more to a new bike.

Anyway, what do you do when you blow a spoke while riding? I just kept going, crabbily pushing along and holding speed despite the tire now rubbing on the chainstay. Are the Kevlar emergency spokes any good? This was on the sprocket side, naturally.

I hope that's reasonably coherent. My bedtime benadryl is kicking in...

did

Anyway, what do you do when you blow a spoke while riding?
that's one argument for 30+ spokes on a rim... -1 will still get ya home.

Well on the training/beater bike I pull the spoke wrench out of the bag if necessary and true it enough to get home. On my nice new Kryseriums I call my wife and have her trek 20 mi to pick my sorry but up like two weeks ago.
"that's one argument for 30+ spokes on a rim... -1 will still get ya home." -LorOpie
So true my friend so true.

G'day,

get ya little shifter out....undo the spoke on the other side to the one ya popped, releasing a bit of tension, wheel will be true enough not to rub on the chainstays....release the brake tension so it doesn't rub....limp home cursing the 'spoke gods'.

cheers,

hitchy

On my nice new Kryseriums I call my wife and have her trek 20 mi to pick my sorry but up like two weeks ago.

I actually started a discussion related to this in another thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=63783).

This happened to me on Sunday also. Not a happy chappy, but the wife was even more unhappy when she came to pick me up. Didn't want to trash the Rolphs. Good news is I've taken this opportuntiy for the LBS to give the ride a sheck up.

This happened to me on Sunday also. Not a happy chappy, but the wife was even more unhappy when she came to pick me up. Didn't want to trash the Rolphs. Good news is I've taken this opportuntiy for the LBS to give the ride a sheck up.


wot!!!...you call the wfe to come pick you up from the garage 7& take you back to the lounge?.....you're my new hero wattsy...it used to be Homer Simpson, but you've taken over!...all hail wattsy...laziest man alive...lol

Hitchy

The same thing happened to me My spoke hasn't popped all the way through but it's rippin up my inertube.

wot!!!...you call the wfe to come pick you up from the garage 7& take you back to the lounge?.....you're my new hero wattsy...it used to be Homer Simpson, but you've taken over!...all hail wattsy...laziest man alive...lol

Hitchy, you've got it all wrong...I didn't want to break my rim...serious, nah, nah... seriously. ;)

how old is the wheel? it might be time for a rebuild. I have one of those kevlar emg spokes and when you're 20 miles from nowhere, they're great. I've used it twice, and I was glad to have it! Not that easy to use, and it takes some time, but it works to get ya home. :)

The wheels are old - I got the bike as a freshman in high school, and I'm 32 now (there were a lot of sedentary years in there, so it hasn't been ridden nearly as much as its age would suggest). It's no surprise when a spoke goes, but it is annoying. There's plenty of spokes to keep the wheel from unzipping. With a new spoke from my LBS, these wheels will hold me through this riding season, then it's new bike time this winter.

did

I just went through the same thing. I had three spokes pop on 20 year old wheels. The solution for me was to buy a new bike. It gave me good justification anyway.

The wheels are old - I got the bike as a freshman in high school, and I'm 32 now (there were a lot of sedentary years in there, so it hasn't been ridden nearly as much as its age would suggest). It's no surprise when a spoke goes, but it is annoying. There's plenty of spokes to keep the wheel from unzipping. With a new spoke from my LBS, these wheels will hold me through this riding season, then it's new bike time this winter.

did

Your spokes are likely failing from a combination of corrosion and fatigue. Why not just have the wheel rebuilt with new spokes? Of course, a new bike is always nice...

...Why not just have the wheel rebuilt with new spokes?...

Quiet, you. My wife says I can get a new bike.

did

Wow, wasn't just the spoke - the axle snapped! The guy couldn't believe I was able to keep riding. So I get an el cheapo new wheel to take me through the rest of the season.

did