Loose Spokes
 

Hey guys,

I am a heavier rider I am in the 250 lb range and am 6 feet tall so I put a lot of pressure on my bike. I am currently riding a Concorde Colombo with Shimano 600 components and Mavic Monte/OEM 190 NE 700 with 23c tires. From when I inherited this bike I noticed the rear wheel had a bit of a warp. I had the rim trued but it always seemed to keep a bit of a wobble. I commute everywhere on my bike, usually doing 100-200 km a week but after 20km or short rides my spokes seem to loosen right off. I reside in Toronto so for people who do not know, our roads may be the worst in North America. I am considering the fact my rim may have too serious a bend so spoke tensioning cant cure it. I am shopping for a new rear rim as of now so does anyone have a fix or rims that can save my vehicle? I am new to the whole cycling community so I only really know Mavic because they're on my bike. I am going to go up to a 25c when I have finished these tires off. Thank you for the help!

Cheers,

Gordie

From what little I can find, these are 36 spoke rims???

Have the spokes tensioned along with your wheel truing.

Thanks!

Yes they are 36 spoke rims.

I just built new wheels with Mavic CXP33 rims, 32 hole, and I weigh about 225lb. Mavic makes good products but so do a lot of other rim manufacturers.

If your wheels were trued and still had a warp, then you didn't get your money's worth. And if your wheels are good, they should be the same after a ride as they are before a ride. Have them trued by someone that knows what they are doing and they should last you a long time. Or you can do it yourself if you are very patient.

I think if your rims are seriously kinked then they can't be straightened with spoke tension alone. As a last move before completely throwing them away you could completely detension the spokes and see how flat the rims are.

It is certainly viable to buy a new rim and build a new wheel with your current hub, but depending on the rim you may require new spooks. If you are putting that much effort into it I would recommend new spokes anyway.

I was looking at the CXP33 but because my bike is older I would probably have to keep my hub to house the 7 speed right? Or are there spacer available? I have no idea how to know if a wheel I buy will be compatible with my cassette

What's the spacing on your rear dropouts? If they're 130 mm apart, you're good - you can just get something like a 10-speed Shimano 105 hub and put an 8 speed cassette on it, assuming you have downtube shifters - just use them in friction mode. You can keep using your 7 speed chain with no problems.

And if you have a steel frame with 126 mm dropouts, it's not hard to spread them 2 mm on each side.

FWIW, if you're looking at Mavic CXP33 rims, also look at DT Swiss RR 585 rims. IMO the DT Swiss rims are a better rim - the machining of the brake tracks is smoother, and the DT Swiss RR 585 is just about the strongest narrow road rim you can find.

Have the spoke tensions checked, it is not uncommon for a mechanic to just true a wheel and not try to figure out why it went out of true. Low spoke tension could simply be the problem. If the spoke tensions are very uneven there is a good chance the rim was bent at some point and uneven tension is the only way to keep it true, this could also be part of the problem and if that is the case you should have a new rim laced to your old hub or have an entirely new wheel built (you can use spacers to make 7 speed work)

The CXP 33 is a good rim but there are stronger out there and for less money. If your roads are as bad as you say they are, over building is not a bad idea, especially if most of your miles are commuting. I personally would recommend looking at the Velocity Deep V, it is probably one of the strongest rims on the market that will work well with 23mm tires and is still very affordable compared to a lot of offerings from Mavic.

Something else to consider, once you have the problem worked out, is to replace just the rear tire with the next larger size and save the existing rear for a spare.

Personally, at your weight (I'm 240) 23mm tires have to be pumped up so "rock hard" that they are harsh and tougher on wheels.
IF your roads are as rough as you say, go to 28mm if they'll clear.
That gives you a bit more "squish" factor and go a long way to cushioning a bone jarring ride.

I tried 23mm on the front of my hybrid and the rough textured pavement was very hand numbing. Going to 25mm were just so much nicer. Because they are more comfortable, I'm faster overall. I'm not having to stop and massage my hands.

At the OPs weight, 25s or even 28s would be a much better tire choice.

I'm 200+ and the only time I use 23s is on my front tire for actual races on smooth pavement - I always have a 25 on my rear wheel.

Great minds think alike - at the same time, too, apparently. ;)

And FWIW, you probably are actually faster on 25s on rough pavement - the energy to power that hand-numbing vibration has to come from somewhere.

I tend to have hand numbness because I ride with a lot of weight on my hands due to a bad back. Kind of a straight armed tripod.
IF I wanted, I could find rough enough pavement that an X-mart BSO cruiser would be faster.
Thanks to some street construction finally being finished, I can avoid the rough detour I've had to take.
Now to deal with a roundabout that most of the towns citizens will experience for their first time!

Do have the wheels checked for adequate truing and tensioning, occasionally.

May consider to tie and solder the spokes.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you!! All your feedback on my problem is so appreciated. I am definitely going up to a 25c when thee tires are spent. My rear tire is already showing the flat spot so it is only a matter of time. I too have notices numbness in my hands after decent rides and I get my tires to about 125 to 130psi. I think the 25 will feel much better and save my hands and kidneys (our roads are that bad). I have seen some Deep V rims going up on sale but did not really consider them. What do you guys think a decent price for a set of used ones go for?

I scheduled my bike to be repaired next week so I will get the mechanic to fix my wheel as well as some brake issues. I am actually an ASE accredited auto mechanic and I have never been s boggled about a vehicle until i started riding a bicycle, Thanks for all your help guys!

Bikes are a lot easier to grasp once you figure out the differences. Actually bikes are nowhere near the diversity and confusion that can exist with motor vehicles and their sometimes monthly production changes.

Doctors, of course, still have the simple job. Only two models---Male or Female.

I get a fair number of wheels through here that have been trued at a bike shop, and then gone out of true on the first ride. The issue is spoke windup on light gauge spokes. They true the wheel by twisting the spoke, and the first time the rider's weight is on the wheel, "Ping" the spoke unwinds and it's right back where it started.
Once I true them by holding the spoke and actually turning the nipple in relation to the spoke, and bringing them to recommended tension, they stay true.

I'm 225 and I've ridden Michelin 20's until just a few weeks ago when I bought 23's. I think 23's are fine for my weight on our roads, but in comparison I think 25's would be fine too. I just bought new tires so I'm not going to buy new some new 25's just to find out. I have 28's on my hybrid bike and I think they would be too big for a fast road bike. I thought I recalled that 28's were acceptable for my narrow road bike rims but I can't imagine that they wouldn't look a bit funny.

I don't get the utility of 25mm tires for heavy people who are not racers. When I weighed 145lbs (32yrs ago) 22mm sewups and 23-25mm wired ons were common. I commuted and toured on 28mm tires. For general road riding I don't see the reward in small high pressure tires for heavy loads except decreased rim life.

Hahahaha well we all know doctors have it easy

I just dropped my bike off to true the wheel and fix a brake cable, most of the bike guys were really trying to push 28Cs on me. Some were commuters and some raced, all of them agreed 28 would be the most comfortable for me. I like the fact I can ride a bit more aggressively but I do think they will look funny. I have swayed more to 25s rather than the 28s.

In my opinion you will look a lot funnier sitting by the side of the road fixing a pinch flat than rolling down the road on 28's.

HAHAHAHA that is true!!

+1. Heck, I'm all of 160 lbs and still think that 28mm+ tires are the way to go. Haven't had a pinch flat in years, and the ride is way nicer. :thumb:

They do at that. A veterinarian acquaintance puts it this way. MDs only have to learn one species.

Have you asked your mayor? He's about your size isn't he?

The rim might be bent, If so it might be impossible or very difficult to true it.

If you get a new rim, try something like a Velocity Atlas and buy wider (35 or 38mm wide) tires Velo-Orange has a new heavy duty rim also.