Originally Posted by
Kontact
I hope I can cut through all this for you. I have been a mechanic and wheelbuilder since 1990.
1. There is nothing wrong with the design and materials of your wheel. Not the type of spokes, number or spokes, rim or hub design. There are better wheel components, but these are perfectly acceptable. The problem is the lack of spoke head seating and proper tensioning. And that's because the wheels were built by a machine.
2. You are owed something for your trouble. Regardless of how the Jenson phone attendant sounded, do the process. You'll get something for it, and the company will take a lesson that might spare other customers.
3. Your wheels need to go to someone who is familiar with building wheels, and knows what "seating the spoke bends" is, and can do that and tension the wheel evenly and at reasonable tension. Once that is done, the wheels should last a very long time.
Good synopsis, but I disagree with part of #1. These wheels were most likely built with the cheapest barely-stainless steel straight gauge spokes the product manager could find. "Stainless spokes from an Indian metal scrap yard? I'LL TAKE 'EM!" (And Formula hubs are pretty low grade too, but acceptable.)
If these were my wheels, I'd rebuild them with quality butted spokes and brass nipples. Obviously lube the nipples & threads with boiled linseed oil. I'd then build them with nice even tension, nice and high so the lower tension side is well above minimum. All while properly seating & cold setting the spokes in the hub flanges. Lots of "pre-stressing" the wheel and then eliminating any spoke wind-up at final truing.
Replacing garbage OEM spokes and building the wheels well will be the best way forward. Just getting a replacement wheel will find the OP in the same place in about 800 miles.
Or have a whole new custom wheelset built at $$$$.