Luncbox1

I've put maybe 1000 miles (edit: typo, I meant 100 miles) on my bike so far and one of the rear spokes broke at the rim today when I cranked hard on the pedal. I'm trying to decide if I'm riding too hard or it's a bad wheel build.

I never hop square curbs, but I roll up on rounded curbs fairly frequently (I can't imagine round ones are a problem, right?). However I did try hopping a square curb yesterday at walking speed for practice; I hopped the front wheel fine, but failed miserably on the rear wheel and didn't get it up at all, and so I had to roll right over the curb. Could this have been the reason? It's the only time I've ever done this, and it was very slowly (walking speed).

But that's the only reason I can come up with. Is it plausible that that single curb hop did my wheel in, and caused it to snap the next day?

seely

It's possible, but generally shouldn't happen. Spokes typically fail due to stress overtime (barring catastrophic accidents, like a derailleur going into the wheel). What wheelset are you running? How many spokes?

ItsJustMe

What bike? I bought a Giant Cypress, and the factory rear wheel was complete crap. I broke 12 spokes in about the first 1500 miles. I wound up buying a new rim and set of spokes and sitting down with Sheldon Brown's "how to build a wheel" web page and making my own wheel. It lasted 14000 miles until the axle broke without a single broken spoke, or even going out of true.

What causes spokes to break without apparent cause (for the rear wheel) is usually that the spoke tension is too LOW. Every time you push on a pedal, you unload the spokes facing away from the direction of torque, then when you release pressure on the pedal, you retension them. This causes a lot of stress on the elbows.

If it broke at an elbow on the rear wheel, that's where I'd suspect problems. Replace it and keep rolling, but if it does it again, start being suspicious of a badly built wheel.

modernjess

I agree that type of use as you describe should not cause a spoke to go. Was it a the spoke failure or the nipple give way? I've had anodized aluminum nipples fail that were fairly new. I had the wheel rebuilt and replaced all with brass. Thousands of miles later and no issues.

Really 1000 miles on the bike means it not technically "new" anymore, nevertheless and barring abuse a properly built wheel should last many thousands of miles. But also know that many of the big bike manufacturers in an effort to hit price points cut costs on the wheel build. So depending on the bike, it might just be that you are starting to see the results of that.

neil

Did the spoke actually break at the rim, or did the nipple fail? Aluminum nipples are not known for their longevity. Actual breaks at the rim end are rare, since it's not generally a weak point. The elbow on the hub end is the normal break point. If it's actually broken, I'd expect the spoke had a flaw.

Don't sweat it. Spokes break sometimes, just replace it and move on. If it becomes a repeated problem, get the wheel rebuilt.

Luncbox1

It's a 32-spoke 700C wheel for a cyclocross bike

https://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cyclin...cle-unisex.jsp

And it did break right at the nipple.

jimc101

Your bike isn't new anymore, you havn't given an indication of your daily commute distance, but would expect that you bike is between 3-6 months old, if not older, commuting will give any bike a hard life, get used to it, and either get it fixed, or get a stronger rear wheel.

Luncbox1

I've always heard things like "spokes should last as long as a coat hanger in your closet", and "spokes should last a good 10 years", and "spokes should last way way way longer than 1000 miles". So your statement is in direct contradiction with those statements. So that's why I asked.

Luncbox1

Whoops, I made a typo-- I meant 100 miles, not 1000 miles

jimc101

100 miles gives different answers to 1000 miles, what type of wheel you are using, and what load it is carrying (your weight and any additional load) will be big factors in how long the wheel will last. i.e. using a low spoke count wheel and a heavy load, say over 100kg, the wheel won't last as long as a 32/36 3 cross.

A bit more info would be useful, including where it has broken.

rumrunn6

new bikes should have their wheels trued before you leave the store, they check spoke tension and other aspects of the wheel. then after about 100 miles it has to be done again. after that you should be good for a long time

ItsJustMe

Once I got decent wheels, I haven't had a spoke break and I haven't had one go out of true. The first was one I built myself at about 1800 miles, as I said above it lasted until the axle broke at about 15000 miles. Then I bought a Wheelsmith rear wheel. It's still going strong at 27000 miles. No broken spokes on either.

FWIW I ride on about 40% of my ride on gravel road with potholes and washboarding. Even the pavement isn't great in places.

K'Tesh

I'd contact the retailer... On my new bike, I started breaking spokes within the first 3 months, and they warrantied the wheel for me after the 3rd one broke in less than 6 months.

Andy_K 

Yeah, if you've only got 100 miles on it, I'd definitely talk to the shop where you bought it. That sounds like a sign that the wheel is going to give you trouble due to poor construction. The shop might be able to fix it now if they have a competent wheelbuilder. In any event they ought to make it right.

LeeG

defect out the door, breaking at the nipple makes no sense. Whether they replace the spoke or the wheel I'd want the entire wheel re-trued.

daveF

Yes, this is my experience. With well built wheels, I never break spokes. If you are breaking spokes with only 100 (or 1000) miles, then you will probably have more issues frequently until it is rebuilt.

cjewett65

I dont know what kind of wheels you have but most, pretty much all wheels that come with new bikes unless super high end are mass produced machine made and machine laced. This leads to a weaker out of box wheel and uneven spoke tightening. When you originally bought the bike was it from your lbs or did you order it online/larger chain/department store? Your lbs should always check everything over when first building a bike including wheel true and spoke tensions. Anywhere else you buy it wont and unless your professionally trained this can be difficult to avoid. If non of this applies to you, and still breaking spokes with only 100 miles on it, then maby the weight on it combined with cranking to hard and maby your one curb hop did it in. How many spokes? If commuting and want something reliable and bombproof I recommend a wheel with nothing less than 32 spoke with strong material nipples on the rear drive side.

CliftonGK1

Given the materials (CXP22 rims, DT spokes) I wouldn't fault the equipment; I'm thinking poor quality machine building. Have the shop de-tension, replace the spoke and re-tension the wheel.

I've used a wide variety of rims on my builds -
Sun CR18, Alex DA16, DT Swiss RR1.1, Mavic Open Pro, IRO Cold Fusion, and Wolber T410 Alpines from 1991. Never had a spoke break on any of them, and I use almost exclusively DT Swiss Champion 2.0 spokes. (I've started using Champion 1.8 spokes after losing 50 pounds. I have one pair with Sapim 14/15 butted spokes).
I've reused spokes by zip tying the new rim to the old one and doing a 1-for-1 transfer without unlacing.
I've put my cleated foot clean through a wheel during a race pile-up, and had to pull spokes apart to get my foot unwedged. (post race I had to true the rim by about 2mm)
I slammed 18 - 20mph head-on into an unleashed dog that ran into the street in front of me and the front wheel was fine, even though the impact bent both the fork and the downtube.
Cross racing is about as hard as you can be on a pair of wheels without doing crazy shiznaz like dirt-jumping or DH/Freeride, and I've never busted a spoke.

Sure, it's just one guy's opinion; but I'm "just one guy" who knows what for when it comes to beating a pair of wheels like they owe me money.