oboeguy

Wow, nearly three years since my last post (and I used to post five times a day!). Ahem. I've broken a number of spokes on the rear wheel of my commuter, a 2012 Kona Jake (cyclocross bike). I think it's time for a new wheel (or rim, I'll keep the hub I suppose!) as it seems every time I ride, another spoke pops. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

fietsbob

You can have the existing factory wheel rebuilt by hand and have the LBS builder use a premium brand name Double butted spoke

Wheelsmith, Sapim, DT .. if the rim remains un warped ..

OEM spokes and machine tensioned wheels were used, based on cost ... part of hitting the price you were willing to pay.

chriskmurray

If you are wanting to do a complete new wheel/set the Velocity Dyad is a great commuter rim laced to whatever hub your budget allows and built by a good builder. If you want something light enough to race cross with but still strong you can look at the A23 rim, it even will go tubeless easily too!

The key is quality spokes and a good builder if you want it to last.

If you are trying to do it on the cheap, if your rim is of decent quality and in good shape you can just replace it with new spokes.

fietsbob

Actually just getting a same sort of hub., to reuse same cassette, but not worrying about identical rim will be quick [off the peg at LBS] &
pretty cheap .. beat it up and get another ..

Regular commuting, wheels rims/spokes are consumables, like chains and the other drive train parts ..

the machines skip the hand built wheel people, though..

TransitBiker

You could try to up the spoke count via new hub and rim (and maybe get a deeper more robust rim). In the mean, you could have a local shop de-tension and true the wheel, replacing the one most recent broken spoke. Another option with existing rim and hub, is as suggested getting double butted spokes, and trying a more supportive lacing pattern. If it is 2x, you may be able to get it laced 3x.

The one issue with rim depth, is the deeper it is, the less it will deflect, which means a harsher ride for you.

- Andy

Bill Kapaun

If you are breaking spokes on a regular basis, time to relace the wheel.
The other spokes will continue breaking since they have exceeded their fatigue life.
The bike was supposed to have DB spokes, but a poor quality build can trump good parts.

headloss 

DT Swiss TK540 is a tank of a rim.

fietsbob

Have you ever brought the bike back for after sale service , which would include checking the spoke tension ?

the loose ones flex more, than tight enough ones do & break off at the head/hook end.

spare_wheel

i think this is only true if you run rim brakes. i have wheels with well over 50K on them that are still going strong.

oboeguy

Thanks for the thoughtful replies! I'm taking the wheel to my local guy who's replaced the spokes as they break and asking his opinion on a full rebuild. He's done it for me on my folding bike and done a nice job. In the previous case I had to get a new rim and not a new wheel because of the fancy internally geared hub (wasn't replacing that!). He also rebuilt my road bike wheel when I mangled the spokes and hub with a rear derailleur issue (got a replacement hub from the manufacturer, IIRC). The point is I think he's good for this task. I don't get down the to shop where I bought it very often. Not many Kona dealers in NYC back when I did and the shop where I got it was on my way to work at the time. I mostly work from home now so... you get the idea. Thanks again everyone.

oboeguy

Well, that was fast. My guy recommended getting a whole new wheel for the following reasons: it's probably cheaper and he's very busy with summer work and is unlikely to be able to get a full wheel build done for my timeline (NYC Century in just under two weeks). So I'm back to finding a new wheel! FWIW, the tires I run are, IIRC, 32mm Marathon Supremes (wonderful tires).

This seems about right?

alathIN

I'm tough on rear wheels and whenever I've gotten to the point I was popping spokes, it was because the rim was shot.

I did have good luck getting a local wheel builder to lace a new higher-quality rim to my old hub and got 6 years of pretty hard use out of that arrangement - until it just died last month.

I am glad to hear you say the Dyad is a good commuter rim because that's what I just got.
I did get 36 spokes too, so I'm hoping that will make it more bombproof.
Not totally sure about the builder this time though - my LBS ordered this one from one of those big mega-bike-supply places... QMR? QBP? something like that. The wheel came with a big label that said "hand tensioned," whatever that means. Hopefully I will get good service life out of it.

alathIN

That wheel looks pretty good to me.

You might want to have a look at Prowheelbuilder.com and spec one yourself.
If you put in your intended use and body weight, you will get recommendations as you go through the selection process.
FWIW, if you say you're going to do unloaded touring (my approximation of commuter use) and you weigh 200lbs or more, their website recommends 36 or more spokes.

oboeguy

Thanks! Prowheelbuilder looked like it had a long lead time without paying an extra chunk of cash. I'll take a closer.

RubeRad

I've heard good things about handspun, you'll probably get a very good wheel. At 36 spokes it is easier to make it bombproof. And Dyad should be fine. I run Dyads with Marathon Supreme 700x50 on my crosscheck, they haven't given me a lick of trouble. And those are 32-hole front&rear, supporting my 250-lb fat-a$$. Daily commuting for 19mo now, probably 4000-5000mi.

chriskmurray

Most of the QBP stuff is reasonably good. If they are comfortable with building wheels you can ask them to stress relieve the wheel and double check tensions, if that is all good you will have a wheel that will last a very long time!

achoo

What's the intended use for the bike? For heavier-duty or commuting use I'd personally want a heavier rim than a DT Swiss R450. Not a bad rim, but it's a lighter-weight simple old-style narrow box rim and I'd want something wider for that kind of use, and probably heavier-duty, too.

It doesn't matter how inexpensive it is if it won't last under the use you're going to put it to.

ratell

Sugar Wheel Works | Handbuilt Bicycle Wheels

Give em a call. They'll give advice and build whatever you want...