Missing spoke - can I still ride?

[HLaB]

Its hard to say without seeing the wheel but if it hasn't been far I don't think it'd need much correcting.

Spoke length is probably best shown with a picture

Yip you'll need a spoke tool, my multi tool has one (a topeak hexus) but plenty do not. Its just a square notch in the side, the hexus has two sizes. If you have a tool kit unless its a dearer one it'll be a metal ring (about the size of a 50p) with a whole load of notches on the underside, labelled 13, 14, 15 etc.


Dearer ones have a rubber handle

 

[BintanMan]

I found a place that sells individual spokes, but the lengths from their list goes from 282mm to 294mm, then to 298mm. Without taking out another spoke it's difficult to measure one accurately. I imagine the spoke goes into the nipple quite a bit (for strength) so 294mm?

I also have a topeak multi-tool.

 

[HLaB]

I must admit I just took my old wheel to the lbs and said I needed a spoke to fit the wheel so they measured it, no spokes removed :-)

 

[BintanMan]

Ok so who forgot to tell me I needed a Shimano cassette ring tool to get the cogs off the back? I went into the LBS all cocky after he messed me about with labour/parts/scheduling the work so I charged in there and bought a handful of new spokes. He asks me if I have all the tools I need and I said 'yeah yeah of course' thinking an adjustable spanner, tyre leavers and spoke tool would do the trick.

Now who looks like the adjustable spanner.......

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Ok so who forgot to tell me I needed a Shimano cassette ring tool to get the cogs off the back? I went into the LBS all cocky after he messed me about with labour/parts/scheduling the work so I charged in there and bought a handful of new spokes. He asks me if I have all the tools I need and I said 'yeah yeah of course' thinking an adjustable spanner, tyre leavers and spoke tool would do the trick.

Now who looks like the adjustable spanner.......

It seems to me HLab did warn you that the cassette has to be removed for the drive side spokes. That is pretty amazing in my book given afaik you never said which wheel let alone drive side is the problem.

Just in case you didn't know, you need a cassette lockring removal tool as well as a chain whip to remove a cassette, that is assuming your wheel has a cassette and not a freewheel... And you might need a tyre lever or two to remove the tyre, and a pump to pump it back up later...

 

[BintanMan]

Is it a bigger job to true up the wheel if the LBS already trued it to get me home with the spoke missing?

Also how do I measure the spoke length? I just did a quick measure and from centre of the hole in the hub to the rim is 290mm? It is the drive side.

Will I need a spoke tool, or is there likely to be one on my bike multi-tool thing? What will it look like?

Sorry for the simple questions...

So, if one can assume my front wheel doesn't have a 'drive side' then the text above is fairly obvious?

I'm very sorry if the tone of my last note seemed to be aimed at the helpful responses, but it was actually aimed at myself. If you read through my posts (more carefully) you could possibly gather that I'm new to this, but I'm happy to make mistakes and learn as I go. The reason I'm here is to learn from people more experienced than myself.

I'm very grateful of the assistance I get from this forum and this topic in particular, but I think I'll pass on the special offer for humour bypass surgery currently being offered in the West London area.....

 

[SteelUn]

So, if one can assume my front wheel doesn't have a 'drive side' then the text above is fairly obvious?

I'm very sorry if the tone of my last note seemed to be aimed at the helpful responses, but it was actually aimed at myself. If you read through my posts (more carefully) you could possibly gather that I'm new to this, but I'm happy to make mistakes and learn as I go. The reason I'm here is to learn from people more experienced than myself.

I'm very grateful of the assistance I get from this forum and this topic in particular, but I think I'll pass on the special offer for humour bypass surgery currently being offered in the West London area.....

If RAFN did not put a in his post, then you would have had a point. Are you aware that superior humour bypass surgery is actually offered in Bintan?