onnestabe

Hey guys,

I just bought a used bike for my wife (Giant 'Attraction' - paid $10 if that's any indication of the shape it's in). It has some surface rust, mostly on some of the bolts and such, but I am a little worried about the rust on the spokes. I don't particularly want to shell out the cash for new wheels, since the reason we got a cheapo bike is to have something to ride just to see if she would get much use out of a bike. It's just going to be for neighborhood rides and cruising around a bit.

What can I do to find out if it is safe to ride? How much rust is too much?

Thanks in advance for your help!

xenologer

here's an idea

Take off the wheels, then bounce them as hard as you can against the ground. If nothing snaps and you're swinging them as hard as you can, it probably won't snap when riding.

onnestabe

Hmm. I could definitely try that.

Mr. Underbridge

To determine this accurately, you'd have to know the weight of the rider. Problem is, there's a greater risk to your safety by even asking that question than there is to your wife by riding the bike. Safest thing all around is to let her ride the bike, and pretend nothing happened if she pops a spoke.

Panthers007

This might be cheaper than a divorce...

keiththesnake

If you're lucky enough to be bigger than the old lady, why don't you try riding around on the bike, and see if you pop a spoke? If that works, she should be fine.

cny-bikeman

I don't know if I have ever seen a spoke break attributable to rust alone (20 years as a mechanic). Probably the biggest issue is whether the spokes are frozen to the nipples, preventing truing of the wheel. It's safe to ride in any case - breaking a spoke is not likely to cause any danger.

operator

Come on... you're a mechanic and that's your advice? It's safe? Not even going to ask if the wheel is in somewhat decent tension? Not worried that the wheel might just ****ing taco in 5 different dimensions at the same time while the rider is cruising down the street?

cny-bikeman

Didn't say it was ok to cruise down a hill at 30mph. And no, I'm not worried that the wheel will taco, etc. etc. Very, very unlikely that would cause a safety related issue.

Just to be clear, there could be a lot on the bike that needs to be checked for safety - but all OP asked about is if rust per se was an issue.

Panthers007

The last bike I saw with rusty spokes was brought to me with two spokes broken on the front wheel - unusual for the front. Upon closer inspection I noticed the wheel wasn't laced. It was 3X, but none of them touched on the last cross. I put in 2 spokes - laced - and suggested to the owner, who had very little money as he was 16, that he ride it into the ground and work on his parents for a better bike.

He liked that plan.

sonatageek

I have a few wheels that came off bikes that have a few rusty spokes. I have been debating about using them on some lesser bikes -- they have alloy rims and some of the bikes I flip come with steel rims. Sounds like the rusty spokes will be less of an issue than the total lack of braking power steel rims give you when wet.

Oh boy --- more stuff that can leave my basement.

tellyho

I've definitely used and sold bikes with rusty spokes. There's no way that surface spoke rust is going to have any impact on the safety of a bike.

Bikewer

If it's just "surface rust", the kind that you can scrub off with a 3M Scotchbrite pad or a wire-wheel on the Dremel, I wouldn't worry much about it.
However, if there's any deep pitting or obvious distortion of the metal...

illwafer

lol that's a bit dramatic. tacoing in 5 dimensions?

like others have said, take it for a 10mph spin. bounce on it a little. nothing is going to happen, but that will make everyone feel better.

dperreno

Better yet, get a brillo pad and scrub the rust off. It'll take you about 10 minutes. No problem!

conspiratemus

I have an old wheel that must have been made with chrome-plated spokes instead of the stainless I use for my own builds. Ridden in winters, they have rusted. I wouldn't even attempt to try turning the nipples but the wheel is true and the tension is even. Well, even except for two spokes where I hit a pothole in the dark that my headlight missed. The rim has a little flat spot but it brakes fine and has stayed true even with the two loose spokes.

I keep saying I really ought to cut out all those rusted spokes and build a new rim onto the hub, but the damn thing keeps turning without complaint and got through yet another winter, rust and all.

So yeah, ride your rusty spokes. If one breaks, replace 'em all though....

tellyho

Can you imagine the circumstances that would produce anything more drastic than surface rust on a spoke? In a bottom bracket, maybe, but I'm currently working on a bike my friend pulled out of the OCEAN and the spokes are fine.

facial

The ocean - now that's impressive. Things get pretty FUBAR in there, esp. with all that salt water.

jack002

This rust is not a flaw but a FEATURE. Can you say theft deterrent?

noglider 

Post a picture of the wheel. If the rust is deep, you might want to worry. But a bit of surface rust shouldn't matter. Most Giant bikes are decent, so it sounds like you got a very good deal on a bike worth fixing.

To check for fatigue, you can tap each of the spokes with a ball-peen hammer, near the heads (near the hub, not the rim). If it breaks, it was going to break anyway. And if it breaks, the other spokes are soon to be goners, and you may need a new wheel.

Re-Cycle

my $0.02 is that its a cosmetic issue and nothing else. If these were thin butted spokes and you planned on riding the bike trans continent I'd reconsider but if the bike is cheap the spokes are thick.

onnestabe

Thanks for all the advice. I do weigh about 100 lbs more than wifey, so I took it for a spin around the block on Friday with no problems.

Then, on Saturday, we rode around for approximately 3 miles - again, no problems. She said she liked the bike and enjoyed riding around.

jccaclimber

Based on that, If you can jump a couple curbs its and it lives, great. The good news is that for your kind of riding failure will likely be a spoke or two, not a complete wheel failure. If spokes do start breaking you at least have enough time to finish the ride, and warning that it might be time for new wheels.