Used Spokes?
12-19-15, 03:40 PM
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Used Spokes?
So wouldyou ever consider buying used spokes to build up a wheel?
12-19-15, 03:43 PM
#2
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it not wise to do so . you don't know their history .
12-19-15, 04:01 PM
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If it is no big deal to tear the wheel down and rebuild it should the used spokes start breaking, then why not. If you want maximum reliability, then don't.
I've reused spokes, but only for my own wheels.
I've reused spokes, but only for my own wheels.
12-19-15, 04:06 PM
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Once I built a wheel with a pile of used spokes I had laying around. Different lengths and diameters. What a mess. Maybe that was the wheel that wore through the rim. Good riddance.
I might consider building a wheel with used spokes if it was something really special. Bladed straight pull spokes?
Perhaps using used replacement spokes in a pinch.
But, if they are stock J-Bend spokes, I'd probably just buy new. It isn't hardly worth my time to mess with the used ones.
I might consider building a wheel with used spokes if it was something really special. Bladed straight pull spokes?
Perhaps using used replacement spokes in a pinch.
But, if they are stock J-Bend spokes, I'd probably just buy new. It isn't hardly worth my time to mess with the used ones.
12-19-15, 04:09 PM
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Buying used spokes? No, not worth the risk for the small savings. Reusing spokes from a wheel that I knew the history of? Probably.
12-19-15, 04:14 PM
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No.
I might reuse spokes from time to time, but would never buy them.
I might reuse spokes from time to time, but would never buy them.
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12-19-15, 04:30 PM
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The only time we used old spokes is for a last resort situation. Having a spoke cutter at hand this last resort is pretty much only for unique/proprietary ones to effect a repair when time constraint are at hand. Andy.
12-19-15, 05:37 PM
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Ditto to several of the above. I've reused spokes many times, but only when I bought the spokes and built the original wheel myself. Without being certain of their history, I would not.
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12-19-15, 06:10 PM
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I may use an old spoke on a low end CL flipper as a replacement, or "make" a wheel out of old parts for the same. That's always a PITA, only brought on by a severe sense of economy. (I don't put more $ into a beater than I can get out of it)
Dealing with old, corroded threads on a regular basis? No Way!
Dealing with old, corroded threads on a regular basis? No Way!
12-19-15, 06:59 PM
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Well that pretty much answers that question!
12-19-15, 08:16 PM
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Only for a restoration where the original spoke manufacturer was no longer in business and "correctness" trumped reliability and safety.
12-19-15, 08:53 PM
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12-20-15, 09:54 AM
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No. It's penny-wise and pound foolish. A properly built wheel will have the spokes formed around the hub. Reforming the spokes is a bit like bending and rebending a paperclip. It doesn't make the metal stronger.
I wouldn't use spokes that have been detensioned and removed from the hub for the reason above. But resusing spokes on a built wheel, such as replacing a broken or worn out rim, is perfectly acceptable. I wouldn't do it with some random wheel, of course, but if I knew the history of the wheel, I'd have no problem with it. I've done it several times.
I wouldn't use spokes that have been detensioned and removed from the hub for the reason above. But resusing spokes on a built wheel, such as replacing a broken or worn out rim, is perfectly acceptable. I wouldn't do it with some random wheel, of course, but if I knew the history of the wheel, I'd have no problem with it. I've done it several times.
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12-20-15, 10:00 AM
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On the other hand, if the spokes start to go, the wheel is toast and needs to be rebuilt or replaced. Spokes should never be an afterthought when building wheels. They almost always are, however. People spend way too much time obsessing over rims which is the wheel component they should obsess the least over.
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12-20-15, 11:12 AM
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I wouldn't use spokes that have been detensioned and removed from the hub for the reason above. But resusing spokes on a built wheel, such as replacing a broken or worn out rim, is perfectly acceptable. I wouldn't do it with some random wheel, of course, but if I knew the history of the wheel, I'd have no problem with it. I've done it several times.
12-20-15, 11:19 AM
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Since I started doing my own wheel work 20 years ago, I have *never* needed to replace a spoke.
On the other hand, I've needed to replace rims on numerous occasions;
Some from road damage, and some from cracks developing around spoke holes.
12-20-15, 12:14 PM
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Yep. I've reused a couple sets of spoke after wearing out rims. As long as the first build was done properly and the spokes are kept in the same relative positions you'll have no problems. You need to keep spokes that were on the inside laced to the inside of the flange and the spokes on the outside on the outside. Kind of tough to explain, but if you look at the J-bends of used spokes you can tell the difference.
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12-20-15, 07:56 PM
#21
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I had never laced a wheel and wanted to do it so that IF I ever wanted to build new wheel(s) from scratch I'd have a better understanding of it. So, I constructed a set with old stuff I have laying around...including spokes. It went well and I'm actually still riding those wheels on one of my bikes for maybe 10 years now. So, I'd say it's good for practicing wheel building, and for your own use.
Dan
Dan
12-21-15, 09:15 AM
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How cheap can you get used spokes? New ones aren't that much, and you don't need to worry about re-forming the spokes about the hub, built-in strain, or incipient failure from micro-cracks in new spokes.
12-21-15, 09:28 AM
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Yep. I've reused a couple sets of spoke after wearing out rims. As long as the first build was done properly and the spokes are kept in the same relative positions you'll have no problems. You need to keep spokes that were on the inside laced to the inside of the flange and the spokes on the outside on the outside. Kind of tough to explain, but if you look at the J-bends of used spokes you can tell the difference.
I would never take the wheel completely apart and then relace the wheel with the same spokes. It complicates a fairly simple procedure.
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Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Days of Wineless Roads. Bed and Breakfasting along the KATY
Twisting Down the Alley. Misadventures in tornado alley.
12-21-15, 10:59 PM
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I've done this once or twice to replace a hub... or maybe I was just in need of my wheelbuilding fix. It's an addiction, y'know.
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12-22-15, 09:40 AM
#25
Bad example
At our co-op we have used spokes on hand to help with repairs in emergencies, but I also discourage our customers from thinking they can build a wheel with them.
