goatalope

My chain jumped off the largest cog in my cassette and fell between the cassette and spokes. It chewed up 6 spokes. I would like to just replace those six spokes. The LBS warned me if I removed all 6 spokes at once, it might throw the wheel out of whack and I'd pretty much have to start over. Or it might screw up the rim. Also, they said it'd be best to loosen all the spokes, but then I'd have to start over. Rather than go through all that effort, is it feasible to replace one spoke at a time, tighten up that individual spoke, and then true it back to form? See any other problems with my plan? Even with the spokes chewed up, the wheel is pretty true.

I have a 2001 Rolf Vector wheel with traditional spokes.

AEO

start over from scratch, it'll be the fastest and easiest way.

Retro Grouch 

Piece of cake. Do it the way you had planned.

The spokes that are damaged are the heads-in spokes. They're the easiest ones to replace because you can drop them through from the opposite side.

If the damaged spokes were heads-out, I'd revise my opinion and advise you to rebuild the whole wheel. Replacing heads-out spokes on a built wheel requires bending and curling your brand new spokes. I don't do that for more than 1 or 2 spokes.

bikinfool

Your plan sounds fine to me.

BCRider

If it was only the heads in spokes that got eaten then I concur with the others and you should be able to true up the wheel when done with no trouble. But this assumes that you'll still replace all six one at a time. If you remove all six at the same time then there will be a lot of distortion and pulling all six back into place will be that much harder.

This is also why I proudly use "dork discs". Sure, they are not NORMALLY needed. But we can't be on top of our derraileur limit screws all the time. And it only takes one such overshift to make one ponder the wisdom of life insurance, packing heat in the bad area of town, cleaning out drain tiles in summer when the weather is nice, studying for an exam rather than "winging it" or, dare I say it, installing a spoke protector before the chain has a chance to eat the wheel.

bikinfool

But he says he's going to do it one spoke at a time, too...

ps Not the limit screw adjustments that have caused my chains to get wedgied, just crashes and trail debris, which sometimes also take out the derailleur and hanger as well...YMMV.

FBinNY 

If the spokes are chewed up but otherwise still doing their job, why don't you just leave well enough alone.

The wheel is OK now, and it's theoretical life is compromised somewhat, but who knows by how much. It might last hundreds or thousands more miles before any of these spokes actually break, or then again you might drop it into a pothole and dent the rim next week.

My point is that unless you're going on a long trip where reliability is at a premium you might as well continue riding this wheel, and replace the spokes one at a time if and when they break. You have absolutely nothing to lose by riding it, unless you go miles from home, so you might as well use it as is.

nymtber

As long as they are heads in spokes, go ahead and replace them, one at a time. I had the same thing happen to me 3 years ago, ran over a stick and front tire kicked it up and shoved the chain into the spokes. I had the bike shop replace 3-4 spokes and it was all of $22 or something. I have since bought a truing stand, tension meter, and built a wheel on my own, so I will never pay for a wheel to get fixed again!

I say replace now, Why risk having the spoke break on a ride?

goatalope

Thanks for the advice.