jonahmano

Hi,

I have bought a new electric bike and the ODO is just 84 kms and I have noticed few spokes are loose in both front and the back wheels. The back wheel spokes are more loose in some places. My question is if it is ok to tighten the spokes or leave it as it is. I have read somewhere else we can't just simply tighten the spokes which will result in alignment errors.

Thank you

2old

Absolutely need to tighten them or they could start breaking. It's not difficult IMO, and there are tutorials (Sheldon Brown or utube) or have a shop do it.

jon c. 

If you purchased it locally, the shop will usually do that for free.

nfmisso

loose spokes = CRASH. you decide,

Buglady

It's pretty common for machine built wheels to "settle in" over the first 100km or so and go out of true - even to the point of loosening spokes badly. You should have the wheel trued as soon as possible, as others have said, because loose spokes are not doing anything to hold the wheel together; the other spokes will be taking too much of the load and might break. You could also end up damaging the rim. However, once it is trued and tensioned by a human instead of a machine, it should hold well.


E-bikes put more stress on the wheels than many traditional bikes, because of the greater weight and (often) greater torque being applied, but the wheels don't need to be overbuilt - not beyond mountain bike wheel standards, in my experience.


(Personally I would put a dab of linseed oil on each spoke nipple, to seal/protect the threads, but I was taught by a VERY old fashioned mechanic and I've taken over as my shop's wheel builder and Resident Retro Grouch - this despite being the first person here to buy an e-bike...)

powell

on both my ebikes using 1000W motors I never had to tighten any spoke, once they are bulid with QUALITY spokes and rims like Alex for example they stay that way for long.
But I dont jump curbs under my weight for example

2old

The wheels that I've built (or had built) were stress relieved during assembly and spokes did not loosen. The few wheels that I've received with front or rear motors needed to be gone over and re-tightened a couple of times during use.

chas58

Lots of inexpensive mass marketed hub motor wheels really need the spokes tightened after a few rides. I didn't do it quickly enough (because I had to order a larger spoke wrench) and ended up stranded on the side of the road as the bike became unrideable.

No, your not gonna crash because they are loose, but you are not going to get very far either.

MikeDD

I ride on and off pavement and I need to tweak the spokes regularly, especially the rear wheel with the motor.