WaldoIA

First year of riding for me. I bought a new cannondale caad optimo Claris may 27th and have had 4 spokes break, 3 in the last 3 weeks after a total of about 950 miles. Each time I have brought it to a shop to have it trued and spoke replaced. After talking with the cannondale shop they gave me the option of upgrading my wheel. I would be going from a maddux RS to a Mavic Aksium for $40....any input on if it is worth it to upgrade?

maddog34

$40 for a Mavic aksium, huh?... do it.

Steve B.

At this point and with less then 90 days on these wheels, the shop should be giving you a new wheel.

I'm not sure I'd bother with the Mavic's, as the Axsium is near the low end of the wheel products from Mavic. I just returned some Mavic Ksyrium SE's to Performance after about 300 miles when a rear non-drive line spoke completely loosened. I knew at that point that with my weight (230) there was no possibility these wheels were going the distance.

I used the money for a Mavic Open Pro with 32 spokes, double butted DT on an Ultegra hub. I can ride that kind of wheel for many years.

Bottom line on a lot of wheels that come as stock on bikes, is that they just suck and are always the weak point, as well as spot where a manufacturer is skimping and saving money.

Bill Kapaun

Rear wheel? Which side? How many spokes? You weigh how much?

cny-bikeman

++

joejack951

Most wheels don't inherently suck but the quality of the build does. I don't weigh all that much (for an American!) and I'm generally light on my equipment yet I've had wheel issues, including a spoke completely loosening on a 32 hole Open Pro rim with Ultegra hub wheel. Once I learned to build wheels, during which period I clearly learned more about wheels than the mechanic at my LBS, my wheel troubles ended (barring things like deep pothole hits in the rain at night breaking hubs). And I don't run overbuilt wheels either. My commuter wheelset weighs under 1500 grams and that's with a disc front hub.

WaldoIA

rear wheel, 3 on drivetrain side, 1 on other, I'm 6-1 230



Its going through the warranty, basically they are saying it would be $100 for another RS, or I could put that $100 towards another wheel.

Bill Kapaun

I meant TOTAL spokes in the wheel.

I'm just a bit heavier than you and won't go below 32.
I could probably get by on 28 since my roughest bumps are a couple RR tracks that I can take slow and unweight the bike. However, those wheels would have to be built by me, so I KNOW the tensions are what I want and EVEN.

Your wheels could probably be respoked with good, Double Butted spokes, by a reasonably competent builder and last a long time.
24 spokes? Nota so mucha

Steve B.

OK, went and looked up the bike and wheel.

The OP is riding on what looks like C-Dale house brand RS wheels. The rear is already a 32.

I'm the thinking that it's just a typical crappy machine built wheel, likely no stressing after build. That's pretty common on new bikes and is why I've been known to just sell the wheels that come on a bike and have a better wheel set custom built.

32 spokes should be enough for the OP, but I suspect that even if C-Dale warranties and replaces the wheel it's still going to be a RS wheel from a machine. That gets him nowhere and even with a Mavic WITH an extended warranty, he'll still be braking spokes.

At that point, a 32 or 36 spokes wheel built by a reputable builder, double butted DT or Wheelsmith, on a 105 hub, would be a suggestion. Note that only a rear wheel is needed, you likely will be OK with the existing front. Question is do you trust your LBS to build a good custom wheel ?. If not, I have great luck with the wheels from Colorado Cyclist. It'll probably run you $180 or so.

SquidPuppet

They want you to pay for a replacement?

The spokes are braking because the wheel was poorly built, not because of poor materials. The shop should know this and make good. If they have a competent builder on staff, the solution is simple. Loosen all the spokes, retension adequately, evenly, true, and stress relieve.

fietsbob

they dont stay true by themselves, Low spoke count are ill advised, but trendy, now.

you let the spokes loosen up tension,balance-truing, and metal fatigue caused them to break..
have you not been back for touch up truing recently?

At 230# I would suggest a 36 spoke wheel laced 3 cross, but still drop by the sellers bike shop

and have the truing & tension balance checked regularly.






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