02Pilot

I was able previously to get cheap bulk spokes from Niagara Cycle Works in small numbers to replace broken spokes or for building up the occasional wheel; they have since stopped carrying them. Now I'm faced with the choice of buying a large quantity of cheap spokes in a given size (which I will likely never use), or buying premium quality spokes at a much higher price (which makes little sense for replacing broken spokes on fairly cheap old wheels). If anyone can point me to an alternate source for bulk spokes where specific quantities can be ordered as necessary, I'd be very grateful. Thanks.

gmt13

Wow, 6 years and I am the first viewer of this thread? Don't know why no other responses; however since it is now resurrected I would be interested in a source too.

mrrabbit 

If you guys were to use a search engine and have the patience to actually go 4-5 pages in the results instead of flaking out with ADD after the first dozen links - you'd have a source.

=8-)

Yan 

How about a bike shop? They'll be quite expensive compared to online prices, but you don't pay shipping and don't have to wait. You'll only be buying a small number anyway.

02Pilot

I searched, I swear. I found only one source that seemed to sell anything other than fixed-quantity packaging, and those started over a dollar a spoke. Fine for one or two, but too much for rebuilding a whole wheel, at least a cheap old one. Niagara sold basic straight-gauge spokes for somewhere around 0.30/ea, IIRC.

LBS might work, but again, fine for one or two in a pinch, but not when I want to rebuild an older wheel rather than risk continuing problems with spokes breaking.

And it's not six years old; I just posted it earlier today.

gyozadude

You can check with https://www.danscomp.com/shop-PARTS/Spokes.html and they should have Sapim spokes cut-to-order. But I don't know shipping or handling.

02Pilot

Thanks very much, gyozadude. That site looks quite promising.

MudPie

? Seems to be a recent post?



Not sure what you consider low-cost, but they sell singles for as low as 19 cents:

https://www.bikepartsusa.com/cgi-bin/....brand&start=0

hybridbkrdr

I thought this would have been answered correctly in a jiffy, guess not.

Anyway, https://www.cambriabike.com/ https://www.icyclesusa.com/

and from time to time this site does sell individual spokes but they're not always on the site for reasons I don't know https://www.niagaracycle.com/

I don't know why some people will just jump in a thread like this and say "google". I mean how could someone know that some sites for example have individual spokes some of the time and not all of the time. Anyway...

BTW, I prefer DT Swiss Champion spokes (2.0/14G and 12mm brass nipples). And here's a spoke calculator: https://lenni.info/edd/ (you can put in your own value for the ERD)

fietsbob

Boxed counts of 50 are the most basic quantity.

mrrabbit 

hybridbkrdr:

Some people quite frankly are downright lazy and can't be bothered to actually spend more than a minute doing an in-depth search for what they want. They expect to be able to do a search that every time gives 'em exactly what they want in the first 3 listings on the first result page...or else they bail out and whine:

"I can't find blah blah blah!..."

1. There are several folks in the US who provide generic spokes in singles, custom-cut and in-bulk - but you are not going to find 'em unless you have the patience to actually scroll down the search result page and be willing to click 3-5 pages in. Same for mid-range and higher end spokes.

2. There are at least two people in the US who hand-build from start to finish basic and replacement alloy bicycles wheels - i.e., not 20 minute wheels - but you have to be willing to actually scroll down the search result page and be willing to click 2-5 pages in.

Why? They are smaller operators who can't afford to pay the Google and Yahoo tax to promote their pages in search engines indexes...and those who want instant gratification for their search results can't be bothered to find 'em.

It's like sitting by an apple tree wanting an apple to fall - and when it does - refusing to pick it up because the oh-so-kind tree dropped it 2 feet too far to your right.

=8-)

gyozadude

Mrrabbit:

Do you ever think your posts are condescending? Your analogy is wrong. Telling someone to search Google for something they are not experts in, is not analogous to waiting for a single apple to fall and being too lazy to pick it up. Rather it is far more akin to having 10 thousand apples fall and having to turn over each one to find if it's good or bad. It's perfectly plausible that not everyone knows what to search for. There's no need to assume the worst in people. Being helpful and staying helpful might be good for the soul. But telling other folks who are trying to be helpful to cease and desist steps over the line is just being mean. No money is changing hands. We're just educating folks on good deals.

gmt13

This could be true; however you are making a big assumption that posters are in this category.

CHenry

I ordered individual spokes from a LBS for a small wheel build I did. They were Union brand, straight gauge stainless. Not expensive. I was able to get the exact number plus a few spares without ordering a whole box.

02Pilot

Thanks very much to all those whole replied. I'm sure I'll be able to source what I need from the various places listed.

fietsbob

My LBS offered a good discount on a special ordered box, of 50,
if I took the whole thing.

Bianchigirll 

Anyone got a source for small-order cheap bulk spokes?


do the words "small order" and "bulk" or "Cheap" and "spokes" belong together? by small order do you mean one or two boxes? or half a dozen of one size?

unless you are a flipper trying to make $500 on a huffy why buy and use cheap spokes? IMHO if it isn't DT or WheelSmith it is not worth the time to install it.

02Pilot

Have to say that opinions here seem to be free-flowing, but quite rigid and narrow-minded. In asking a simple question, it has been suggested that I am lazy, potentially a practitioner of exploitative business practices ("a flipper trying to make $500 on a Huffy"), and cheap. Everyone's entitled to their opinions, but precisely what individuals hope to gain by aggressively and publicly suggesting that anyone who does not share their particular approach is simply wrong (at best) is unclear to me. It certainly doesn't encourage civil and constructive discussion. Please understand, I have a thick skin and am not personally offended (or even affected) by these statements; rather, I am simply bewildered as to why such an innocuous question would give rise to such vitriolic responses.

Once again, my thanks to those who contributed useful and pertinent information.

Ira B

These guys are pretty cheap and the phone order takers I "spoke" with (no pun intended ) were bicycle mechanics that seemed to know what they were talking about.

https://www.huskybicycles.com/Merchan...tegory_Code=pt

mrrabbit 

gmt13:

If you have been paying attention at all - the common links provided by several users here have been provided here repeatedly. Yet, the OP was unaware of them...why? Because assuming they even did a search - they clearly ignored the "bikeforums.net" links in the search results they got when searching Google or Yahoo. Of course chances were, they didn't even do a Google or Yahoo search and hopped right into BF and did a straightaway request....

...ignoring BF's own search engine.

I'll call it what it is - laziness.

The BF rules do ask that people do a little research up front before asking questions...


gyozadude:

Was wondering when you'd show up again - and of course this time around you are trying to paint yourself as the "good guy" helping those being picked on by "eenie meanie condescending MrRabbit". Welp, join the club...

So getting back on topic...

So just out of curiousity...after my last hint did you ever bother to search for:

"stainless steel spokes san jose"

...in Google or Yahoo?


Or do you only have to the energy to play "Mr Good Guy" or "Mr. Friendly"?


Please do tell...assuming you are not just a nice helpful guy - but an honest one too.


=8-)

hybridbkrdr

I wouldn't call it laziness. I did some searches before that gave me a ton of links on this site, not always what I wanted to read or find at all.

I have this impression that people who express intolerant opinions like this need to read a book that I read recommended to me by a psychologist called "Feeling Good" by David Burns. It's on false negative assumptions and negative assumptions that aren't completely justified. As a matter of fact, I was so impressed with the book that I ended up reading textbooks on sociology, social psychology and psychology.

I would prefer to see knowledgeable people come out with their opinions they have if they so feel inclined. To jump in a thread simply to tell someone to "go away and do you own research" certainly seems cold and insensitive. It shows a lack of empathy. No, you don't need to feel sorry for people and help them. But, coming in a thread to imply that you know this or that and don't say it, I can't even find a rational justification for it.

I also believe it takes a certain amount of audacity to repeat the same negative opinion when people have already clearly explained differing points of view. Anyway, I guess that is all. I had a former neighbor who was an alcoholic who was just impossible. Guess even if you explain something to some people they just won't get it.

mrrabbit 

1. Sounds like the same tactic used by "global warming pushers" to smear so-called "deniers" when they can't rebutt on a scientific basis. It's an indirect ad-hom. Careful there...

2. Plenty of us here including yours truly are knowledgeable and helpful - but that doesn't stop us from calling a duck a duck. I'm not the only one...

3. Search engines are plenty, forum engine works...once in awhile some poor OP is going to get dumped on for not doing the obvious BEFORE calling it quits and asking the question.

4. Audicity? No...just requires being straight-up and to the point and honest. "Impossible alcoholic neighbor..." was that another indirect attempt at an ad-hom.

5. Just because something MAY be the truth doesn't make it negative. It's like trying to say "Professional" and "Quality" are the same. While they may be related - they are two different things.

At least when I call "laziness" - I back it up with observation and logic. And of course, logic, especially inductive reasoning, has a crossed fingers factor in it...

=8-)


Google:

"source for small quantities of spokes"
"source for generic spokes"

https://www.bentrideronline.com/messa...p/t-17331.html
https://www.cyclingforums.com/forum/t...generic-spokes


Bike Forums Search:

"buy spokes online"

Will bring up dozens of results - many of which likely have Retro Grouch, Hillrider, FBinNY, myself and others participating because this question comes up over and over.

Only took about 2 minutes for all of the above...

=8-)

mrrabbit 

Gyozadude...

Where are you?




=8-)

gmt13

Oh, the irony.

cranky old road 

lol