Help, Need Advice Quick!
 

I posted this on the Facebook page too, sorry for those that read it twice.

I've broken 2 spokes on the drive side of my rear wheel in the last week. I'm pretty sure it's a tension issue (lack of). I know how to replace the spoke, true the wheel, increase tension, and what not (thanks to a great class I took at Free Ride in Pittsburgh!)

Anyway, I need a dishing tool and a truing stand to do the job properly. However, I have the money to either 1.) buy the tools, which I will use to true my wheels when needed (I'd probably check them once a month.) OR 2.) Buy the 2 pair of Falconi deluxe shorts to complement the 2 pair of cycling shorts I alread have (not Falconi)?

I'm volunteering at Free Ride this afternoon and will be near Performance Bike--so I could get the tools today....

What do you all think?

Signed,
Desperately seeking more Bike Funds.

Are you going to wear the bike shorts while looking at your broken wheel? :D

Or is there a third option that involves getting shorts and repairing your wheel?

I could have a shop put in a new spoke, true the wheel, and check tension. Not sure what that would cost?

Replacing a spoke and truing costs 18 bucks at my shop. I've never had to have more than one spoke done at a time, so I don't know if there's a 'quantity discount.'

I'd go with the tools. The shorts can wait. Besides, if you don't do the job right, it will more than likely be a short ride.:D So for now, the worn shorts will do.:p

Tools. And consider a tension meter as well.

Where are you in SWPA? I grew up in Greene Co...

I think that either: 1) you've found some fabulous discount on tools that I don't know about, or 2) Love2Pedal has greatly increased the price of their bibs, or 3) you've under-estimated the cost of the tools.

In any event, if you're going to pay a shop to replace spokes or true the wheel once a month, the tools will pay for themselves in short order...

get the tools. Washing your shorts is cheaper than shop fees. You can see if there is a bike coop that you maybe able to use their tools for the time being for some volunteering.

Well, I opted for the Spin Doctor truing stand at Performance Bike. It seems like it'll do a nice job; not a Park Tool TS-2 quality, but a great investment for a home repair shop. I already had the other tools necessary to replace a drive side spoke on a rear wheel: cassette lock ring tool, chain whip, and proper size spoke wrench.

And the good news is that it was LESS than what I thought it would be... well, for the truing stand at least! They had an in-store special of $59.99, plus I had a 10% off coupon. So, all together with tax it came to $57.77. Not bad for a decent tool (it has pretty good reviews online). BUT, they don't sell a dishing tool at the store. So, I'll have to get one someplace else.

I live in a rural area, and the bike collective (which I helped teach a class tonight) is a hair over an hour away. My LBS is also close to an hour away. I do have another shop that's only 25 minutes away; I buy parts there, but I'm not sure I want to let them do my "shop work." I'll take it back to the shop I purchased for anything that may be over my head.

Which means, there's roughly $45 in my bike slush fund--enough for a pair of Falconi's! BUT, I'll probably buy the dishing tool instead. It shouldn't take long to build the "fund" up enough to buy a few pair of shorts. They're a great deal at close to $70 for 2 pair shipped!

Thanks for all the advice folks!

The Spin Doctor is a decent truing stand; it's what I use. The only downside is that it doesn't auto-center like the Part TS-2, so you'll need a dishing tool. If you can spare the cash, the Park WAG-4 dishing tool is very nice! Makes it possible to properly dish the wheel without having to remove the tire (which some of the cheaper dishing tools require); great for a quick tune-up/check.

If any of your wheels have aluminum nipples, I'd suggest buying one of Park's four-sided spoke wrenches. They make it quite a bit more difficult, though not impossible, to round-over the nipples. I'd also suggest that owning a tension gauge, like the Park TM-1, isn't a bad idea. I've tried plucking the spokes and tuning them all to the same pitch, as many people suggest, and let me tell you: with my tin ear the TM-1 results in significantly more accurate spoke tension.

Get the tools, since you know how to use them. Forget bike-specific shorts and pants.