fiberfix spokes
 

anyone ever used these things? i searched this site and it was discussed only once in 2006. i been popping a lot of spokes lately because of the increasing size of my butt. also riding real hard. its a bummer when i pop a spoke and feel my rear wobble the rest of the way home.

Two things. First, I haven't used the fiberfix spokes, but back in 1992 when I took a long tour I bought some wire temporary spokes from REI. They worked great. I wasn't competant at truing wheels so there was still some wobble, but the temporary spokes got me to the next bike shop, which a couple of times was a two day ride.

Second, you shouldn't be popping a lot of spokes lately. Broken spokes should be isolated incidents and fairly rare. If a bunch start breaking, I'd say it's time to take the wheel to a good wheel builder and see about replacing all the spokes, or at least getting them all retensioned. A good builder should tell you what your next step should be.

I had to use one once after popping a spoke in the middle of a ride (long story). I didn't have very good luck with the Fiberfix. Maybe I was doing it wrong, but the way the spoke works is that there's a locking cam mechanism attached to a threaded piece that screws into the nipple. You screw this assembly a little way into a nipple, then loop the kevlar cord through the hub hole and into the cam and pull it tight. Then you're supposed to use a spoke wrench to turn the nipple and tension the spoke in the conventional way.

The problem was that I could not pull the kevlar cord tight enough to really be able to properly tension the spoke. As I recall, it seemed like the cam would sort of engage itself after a certain point and limit how hard you could pull on the cord. At that point, there were not enough threads in the nipple to take up the remaining slack and bring the spoke into tension. I was able to sort of get it working by detensioning the entire wheel so that the FiberFix spoke didn't need to pull as hard to balance out the remaining spokes. The wheel (a 32h Mavic Open Sport) was still pretty warped, though, and required me to disconnect the rear cantilever brake to allow the wheel to pass through without rubbing. Fortunately I was less than 10 miles from home. That wheel now does trainer duty as I don't think it's wise to trust a rim that has been abused like that.

Anyway, I know a lot of people swear by these spokes so I was probably doing something wrong. I still carry one since it's better than nothing, but if you really expect to be breaking spokes regularly, just tape some extra real spokes onto your frame. Better yet, take BigBlueToe's advice and have your wheel looked at.

I have to agree with Metaluna. The one time I used it to fix a broken spoke I could not get enough tension to straighten the wheel. I got enough tension to keep the rim from hitting the brake pad but that was it. I still carry one but I also now carry spare spokes also.

Unless you're touring or doing long randonneuring rides, there usually no reason to have to carry a fiber fix spoke. In an emergency, for most riding you can survive a broken spoke by opening up the rear brake and adjusting the tension on the other spokes to true up the wheel enough to not rub against the frame. If you have a low spoke count wheel, this may be difficult, but otherwise, you should be able to get home without resorting to a fiber fix spoke.

Obviously, if breaking spokes has become a habit, it's time to have the wheel rebuilt. It's cheaper to do the whole wheel at once than a spoke at a time.

work great
 

i LOVE fiber fix spokes. I was on CyCle Montana and broke a spoke in the first mile. I fiberfixed it and rode the rest of the tour no problems, and another 500 miles after I got back home. then other spokes started to break so I got a new wheel. WORKS GREAT!

Are they re-usable?

Apparently, yes: http://harriscyclery.net/itemdetails.cfm?ID=707

Guess so. Thanks.

Can't get line through hole next to cassette
 

How does one get the line through the hole on the drive side of a rear wheel? My Shimano Dura Ace FH-7400 hub has 36 spokes, making it difficult to get my hands where I can push the line through.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e182995335.png

Keep in mind this thread is from 2008 and hasn't been active since then. The Fiberfix is designed to really be an emergency fix to get you to the shop to replace the wheel or get it fixed. I would highly suggest just letting your local shop replace the spoke properly save some headaches.

You'll need to remove the cassette to insert a new spoke... don't bother with a temporary fix... you'll need to accurately measure one of the other drive side spokes to know what length to get.
do it right, and do it once.
if you don't have the tools (guessing you don't, or you wouldn't be asking here) then getting it done by a properly equipped and skilled shop is the better way to take care of your wheel.

tools needed: chain whip, cassette remover socket, a big wrench for the socket, a spoke wrench, a metric tape measure or spoke ruler, a nipple wrench to fit the nips on that wheel(there are three possible sizes for such a wheel) and a truing stand.... oh, and a good instructional video of saving a wheel after a spoke breaks, knocking the true way out of whack.... then expect several false starts, a few rounded off nips, a couple choice swear words, sore fingers, and some good old fashioned trial/error experience as you do a wheel rescue for the first time..

OR... just find a shop to do it, or a bicycle Co-Op that will walk you thru the process. ;)
it ain't easy or simple, the first thru tenth times... and then it still isn't easy, just quicker.

Getting it done at a shop or co-op, with a proper spoke is probably best.

If you attempt it on your own and it is a FH-7400 cassette, it will need 2 chainwhips to remove the cassette. The outermost sprocket is threaded to the freehub. Expect it to be really tight and difficult to remove.