Snapped spoke
03-02-08, 09:10 AM
#1
steel lover
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Houston
Posts: 1,316
Bikes: Bianchi Alloro, Miyata 710, Fuji Espree Fixie convert
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Snapped spoke
Bike: 1983 Bianchi Alloro. Possibly/probably original wheel set: Campy Record hubs, Mavic hoops. I know for a fact nothing has been changed in the last 4,300 miles. The bike sat for a long time before i got it in '99, so it's probable that it's all original. The hoops do not have any brake groove. There is a noticable seem under the Mavic sticker... not sure whether that is "seam" or "crack". I need to look into that.
Cliffs: Snapped a spoke mid sprint, possibly as I went over a bump, but bump didn't seem that bad. The wheel was pulled WAY out of true.
Options:
1: Replace one spoke, call it good.
2: Replace one spoke, and ride it while looking into upgrade to a new age set of wheels... Bike is slowly losing it's "dated" look anyways.
3: Respoke entire wheel, cause they will all start snapping now.
The long version:
Bike hasn't been looked at by a mechanic for over 2,500 miles (no trueing, nothing...just me lubing it). Just after a sprint at the end of a 63mile ride I look down to see a rear wheel that's WAY out of true, barely rideable, but finish the last 1 or 2 miles. Look it over, and the spoke had snapped midway through the curve at the hub end. I'm worried about snapping others earlier in other rides if I only replace this one spoke... I've never sagged, and don't want to
. I wouldn't mind a nice new set of wheels.... depending on what i could find clearance priced, versus what it would cost to overhaul the current wheels.
What should I look for as far as future spokes giving out? Would there be cracks in them now? I see some "seems" on the hoops... so I'm gonna clean them up, and basically give everything a look over now. Don't wanna replace spokes just to realize the hoops are near end of life.
Cliffs: Snapped a spoke mid sprint, possibly as I went over a bump, but bump didn't seem that bad. The wheel was pulled WAY out of true.
Options:
1: Replace one spoke, call it good.
2: Replace one spoke, and ride it while looking into upgrade to a new age set of wheels... Bike is slowly losing it's "dated" look anyways.
3: Respoke entire wheel, cause they will all start snapping now.
The long version:
Bike hasn't been looked at by a mechanic for over 2,500 miles (no trueing, nothing...just me lubing it). Just after a sprint at the end of a 63mile ride I look down to see a rear wheel that's WAY out of true, barely rideable, but finish the last 1 or 2 miles. Look it over, and the spoke had snapped midway through the curve at the hub end. I'm worried about snapping others earlier in other rides if I only replace this one spoke... I've never sagged, and don't want to
. I wouldn't mind a nice new set of wheels.... depending on what i could find clearance priced, versus what it would cost to overhaul the current wheels.What should I look for as far as future spokes giving out? Would there be cracks in them now? I see some "seems" on the hoops... so I'm gonna clean them up, and basically give everything a look over now. Don't wanna replace spokes just to realize the hoops are near end of life.
Last edited by chevy42083; 03-02-08 at 12:19 PM.
03-02-08, 10:03 AM
#2
Senior Member
Which spoke broke? If it was a non drive side, non pulling spoke, then its a sign that the spoke tension is too low on the wheel. I would replace the spoke and put some more tension in the wheel, then go out and sprint on it as hard as you can in a fairly small gear to see if it holds up.
__________________
Il faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace
1980 3Rensho-- 1975 Raleigh Sprite 3spd
1990s Raleigh M20 MTB--2007 Windsor Hour (track)
1988 Ducati 750 F1
Il faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace
1980 3Rensho-- 1975 Raleigh Sprite 3spd
1990s Raleigh M20 MTB--2007 Windsor Hour (track)
1988 Ducati 750 F1
03-02-08, 10:15 AM
#3
steel lover
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Houston
Posts: 1,316
Bikes: Bianchi Alloro, Miyata 710, Fuji Espree Fixie convert
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Drive side, compression spoke? When the broken spoke is at the top of the wheel, it goes towards the "back" of the hub. Didn't think about giving that info.
03-02-08, 11:16 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 643 Times
in
364 Posts
25 year old wheelset. I'd go for option #2.
03-02-08, 03:30 PM
#5
Senior Member
Thats a drive side pulling spoke, so its not an undertensioning problem. Sounds like fatigue that comes with age. I second reto-grouch's advice.
__________________
Il faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace
1980 3Rensho-- 1975 Raleigh Sprite 3spd
1990s Raleigh M20 MTB--2007 Windsor Hour (track)
1988 Ducati 750 F1
Il faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace
1980 3Rensho-- 1975 Raleigh Sprite 3spd
1990s Raleigh M20 MTB--2007 Windsor Hour (track)
1988 Ducati 750 F1
03-03-08, 11:49 AM
#6
Bikaholic
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Western, Michigan
Posts: 1,461
Bikes: Trek Fuel 90, Giant OCR, Rans Screamer Tandem
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Option 2 would be my choice as well. There is very little likelihood that option 1 will get you much time on the bike before you are right back in the same fix again. Option three will not save much over the cost of new wheels and you still end up with 20 year old rims and hubs.
