Old 03-08-23 | 09:22 AM
  #6  
pdlamb
Senior Member
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 9,681
Likes: 2,600
From: northern Deep South

Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee

Let me talk my way through an alternate flow chart.

If a spoke breaks in the middle (i.e., neither at the j-bend nor at the top of the nipple), there's probably spoke damage. Carefully inspect all the similar spokes (e.g. outer drive side spokes) and replace any others that are nicked.

If the first spoke breaks at the top of the threads or nipple, or at the bend, replace it. If another one breaks similarly, you can try replacing that as well, but I'd suspect the wheel wasn't properly tensioned. Use a tensiometer or electronic tuner to make sure tension is where it should be (aka bring the whole wheel up to correct tension, then true and stress-relieve it). Often this will stop spokes from breaking for many thousands of miles.

If spokes keep breaking after you've tensioned the wheel, I'll conclude there's a bunch of spokes near failure with too many accumulated stress fractures; replace them all!
pdlamb is offline  
Reply