Touring - Where to pack spokes?

Hello everyone, I'm just finishing up packing for my first major tour. Everything is packed all nice, except for my spare spokes. It seems like they would get damaged in the panniers. I've thought of just taping them someplace on the frame, but i wanted to seek some advice from those with experience. Where do you folk usually pack these?

Some people clip tie them to the frame, some to the rack. Others stand them up inside the panniers using tape to hold them against the back of the pannier (nearest the hub). Some people are lucky and have spare spoke holders already on the bike frame (usually on the left side). Others carry them in the trailer.

I've taped them inside & on the outside of the seat tube, and velcro'd/twist tied/tie wrapped them to various parts of my frame. Currently, mine are inside my seat tube because the spare spoke holder is interfered with by my kickstand.

I taped them to my rack or seatstays, don't remember which actually :)

I have panniers with a velcro closed panel along the inside of each bag,
So I put the length for the Left rear in the bag on that side, ditto the right rear ,
and one of the front bags..

The main thing is to ensure that the spokes can't possibly get bent and that you have them when you need them. Taped inside the seat post and carried inside the seat tube seems ideal.

I have my spare spokes in the seat post. Two zip ties with the ends left long and curly keep them from slipping down. (got this tip from a BF member who uses zip ties for keeping something similar in place on his yacht)... works great

With well built and tensioned wheels you'll hopefully very rarely need to use your spare spokes...

They get bent when you lace in the new replacement one anyhow..
the stainless steel wire is ductile. :beer:

Thanks for the advice everyone. For now they're taped to the down tube. I'll see how I'm feeling about that and maybe put them in the seat post later down the line. Thanks again.

They get bent when you lace in the new replacement one anyhow..
Yes, naturally I was talking about the spoke getting bent prematurely more than a few degrees. Steel is ductile, but it has its limits, and if you can avoid putting it to its limits, that's a Good Thing.

Since you already have gotten some good advice, let me provide this other option, guaranteed not to bend the spokes (http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/jun/03/cheeky-inmate-overpacked-for-jail-stay-astonished/) :D

I lay mine in the bottom of my Carradice.

I have drop bars. I put spare spokes in the handlebars and forget about them until I need one. I then pull the plug and take out a spoke. It's bent but straightens out with tension.

In the handle bars, seat posts, under the saddle have been my favorite stash locations. I have had one bike that had spoke holders on the chain stay.

Aaron :)

Yes, naturally I was talking about the spoke getting bent prematurely more than a few degrees. Steel is ductile, but it has its limits, and if you can avoid putting it to its limits, that's a Good Thing.
I doubt that is really a problem. I have seen lots of spoke failures and they were all at the tight bend at the hub. Bending the rest of the spoke is no big deal unless you bent it in a very tight bend.

With that in mind, I'll suggest another place to store spokes... In the handlebar. It requires that you prebend them quite a bit, but they are very easily accessible and straightening them is easy.

It works fine for me.

I have my spare spokes in the seat post. Two zip ties with the ends left long and curly keep them from slipping down. (got this tip from a BF member who uses zip ties for keeping something similar in place on his yacht)... works great


I have often seen people comment on carrying spare spokes in the seatpost but I have wondered how they kept them from falling out and rattling in the seat tube. This sounds like a really good idea, I will have to try this. Thanks for posting.

take a look at Fibrefix spoke for emergency repair

My Surly has brazeons on the top of the left chainstay for spare spokes. On bikes without the brazeons I zip tie them to the same place. Set em and forget em.

Zip tied to my rear rack.