Bicycle Mechanics - loose spokes/nipples on rear wheel

My rear wheel has 2 loose spokes/nipples on the non-drive side. In fact, it seems as if the nipple can be pulled through the rim (it is that loose).

Can this be fixed?

The rim is relatively new....but was machine built.

all you need to do is take off the tire, the tube, and any tire protector thingy that you might have in there. Then you must take a standard screw driver and tighten the top of the loose spoke. where there is a slit cut. It just screws in.

Then you need to get at it with a real spoke wrench and tension and true it (and stress relieve if you don't want to have to keep doing that in the coming months). If you don't at least tension the wheel you will begin to break spokes from fatigue and your wheel will be much more susceptible to being bent by impacts.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/truing.html

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In fact, it seems as if the nipple can be pulled through the rim (it is that loose).

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Are you saying the hole in the rim has been enlarged that the nipple can be pulled through if the spoke were not in place?

all you need to do is take off the tire, the tube, and any tire protector thingy that you might have in there. Then you must take a standard screw driver and tighten the top of the loose spoke. where there is a slit cut. It just screws in.


If all you need to do is tighten and true the wheel, you don't need to remove the tire/tube/rim strip. You can tighten the nipple with a spoke wrench that mates to the flats on the nipple where the spoke enters the nipple.

If the spoke is loose out of the nipple however, that means it will need some pressure to get it to engage. It is easier to true the wheel without the rubber in place anyhow.

Then you need to get at it with a real spoke wrench and tension and true it (and stress relieve if you don't want to have to keep doing that in the coming months). If you don't at least tension the wheel you will begin to break spokes from fatigue and your wheel will be much more susceptible to being bent by impacts.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/truing.html

What is stress relieving?

I had a lot of problems with this machine built wheel despite the heavier rim and higher spoke count.

What is stress relieving?

I had a lot of problems with this machine built wheel despite the heavier rim and higher spoke count.

Stress relieving is making the spokes conform to the shape of the hub. The spokes are straight when they are made but they have to bend around the hub flange at a slight angle to get to the rim. Sheldon Brown (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html#seating) (who else?) gives a pretty good explaination. The spokes will eventually seat into the proper angle without stress relieving but as they bend the wheel will loose tension and eventually go out of true and/or spokes will start to fatique and break (been there, done that).

A large screw driver or an old crank arm does the trick nicely. Ways not to do it include setting the wheel on the ground and pushing down on the rim (leads to wheel tacoing and aluminum doesn't like to be bent) or dropping the wheel sans tire on the ground (blips the rim).

On the spoke pulling out of the rim question: Is the rim cracked around the eyelet or is the spoke just so loose that you can wiggle the whole thing around by hand? If the rim is cracked, it is hosed and needs to be replaced.

Stuart Black