Broken Spoke(s)

[BrynCP]

I have another broken spoke on my Giant Escape hybrid rear wheel.

Cheap enough to get fixed at approx £11, although it will be 3-4 days off the bike, but is two breakages in 1600 miles on the stock wheels expected, or am I likely doing something wrong/stupid? I started at my weight of 18 stone, now 15 stone, so it may be related.

I was also wondering what would happen if I carried on riding? Today I was 4.5 miles out, so I turned around and walked. I did sit on it and consider pedalling slowly on the deserted shared use paths with the rear brake disconnected, but there was a lot of creaking so I decided not to. But what if I had been 30 miles away from home?

 

[Herzog]

I would suggest a complete rebuild by a competent wheel builder.

 

[BrynCP]

I would suggest a complete rebuild by a competent wheel builder.

That sounds like it's probably more expensive than the wheel is worth!

 

[Cold Snail]

The exact same thing happened to my Giant Escape today, as I was told I had a buckled wheel by the rider behind me.
The wheel is in the shop and should be ready tomorrow whilst I've got an old 27" rim holding the bike upright.
Fortunately, I have an old Raleigh Magnum (that's oddly more comfortable than the escape) to bomb about on in the meantime.

 

[vorsprung]

Here is the solution to your spoke problem

1) Buy a cheap trekking wheel from rose, bike24, starbike or bike-discount.de. Now you have a spare so if a spoke breaks, just swap the wheel and keep riding
2) Get Paul Mussons ebook on www.wheelpro.co.uk. Read it and realise that replacing a broken spoke is pretty easy
3) Order up some spokes from somewhere, the german shops above or Spa Cycles. Get a Spokey too.

 

[Cold Snail]

I just took the wheel in as I don't have the tools to take the cogs off, plus the added hassle of trying to work out what length of spoke is needed as they appear to be 2mm difference from one size to another.
I am considering getting the tools soon and have a couple of old wheels that I can practice on.

Oh, I did ride another 15-odd miles on mine today and I'm the wrong side of 20 stone.

 

[Donger]

My stock reply to queries about broken spokes : Alpine 3, triple-butted spokes. They've got my 20 stone backside over thousands of miles on all types of surfaces without breakage. I've only ever needed them on my rear wheel (being the one taking most weight) and my last repair was to a broken eyelet on my rear hub. .... Think about it....the hub broke before the spoke did. They are that tough. Worth getting your rear wheel re-laced with them.

 

[BrynCP]

Seems to me too that finding the right size replacement might be a pain. I have the tools, just not the knowledge or confidence!

Luckily I have a little stand so it's stood up on that; tomorrow I need to clean the wheel and take it in but they only do repairs weekdays.

 

[Cold Snail]

Back on the road, and also picked up my other two 27" wheels that were being trued.
£23.50 for all three and keeping an independent bike shop in business.

 

[BrynCP]

Back on the road, and also picked up my other two 27" wheels that were being trued.
£23.50 for all three and keeping an independent bike shop in business.

My shop were so busy I can't have the wheel back until the earliest of Friday

 

[BrynCP]

Just uploaded my ill fated ride to Strava, apparently I got a personal best just before the spoke broke, averaging 19mph maxing 22mph (all flat). I have noticed a creaking the last few weeks when hitting such speeds, wonder if that was it, I thought it was coming from the cranks.

(What was most worrying is I got a 2nd best during the walk home then I realised it's only the 2nd time I've gone in that direction! )

 

[PatrickPending]

once one goes, the rest follow, in most cases. Either

Get LBS to replace them as they go - around £10 per spoke, expect 16 to go over time
Rebuild (as suggested earlier) good quality spokes - approx £40 - wheel will then be reliable if wheelbuilder is any good
Buy a set of well built wheels

The choice is yours....

 

[PpPete]

. I have the tools, just not the knowledge or confidence!

In which case it is essential that you get the wheelpro book mentioned above.
Absolutely, without doubt, the best £9 I ever spent on bike stuff.
Well written, very clear diagrams, even for a numpty like me.

I used to leave anything to do with wheels strictly alone - since getting that, I've built ALL my own wheels from scratch, and broken not a single spoke.

 

[Cold Snail]

Update.
I broke another spoke yesterday (and snapped the rear axle in half at some point) and have ordered a heavy duty trekking wheel with 36 double butted spokes instead of the stock 32 that come on the Giant rim.
The stock wheel will be rebuilt as a spare, but I don't think I can trust it much more.

 

[PatrickPending]

Probably a good decision, assuming a good rebuild with quality spokes and a reasonably good replacement axle (never broke one of those on a QR wheel) he spare should be fine too....