Rear Wheel

[Gummo]

A spoke is breaking on my Giant S-R2 rear wheel, every other trip. I'd bought the wheel "new" from eBay 2½ years ago. It's predecessor (also an S-R2) lasted twice as long before a spoke broke – no, I haven’t gained weight.

I see no way round buying a new rear wheel so I need your advice. I’m fairly handy at replacing parts but fairly bambozled about ensuring compatibility between them.

My rear cassette is a Shimano CS-HG500 10-Speed.

An online retailer chatter recommended the Fulcrum Racing 900 C17 Road Wheelset - he said nothing about needing a spacer to drop 11 speed to 10 speed which I found later mentioned by one of the reviewers.

Can anyone untangle me from the jargon - please?

 

[DCLane]

Basically 11-speed wheelsets need a cassette spacer to go on the freehub before the cassette so it fits properly.

Either that Fulcrum wheelset or have a look at the latest postings in the Bargains thread for a Superstar Components wheelset. I picked up one of the ones they had left, paying £52 in November. It's now £37.50 with their 75% discount code 75WHEEL.

 

[Big John]

If it was me I'd sort the wheel out that you've got because 1) I'm a tight wad and 2) I build wheels. If spokes are breaking 'every other trip' there's something fundamentally wrong. Who's replacing these spokes? Your LBS?

 

[Gummo]

Basically 11-speed wheelsets need a cassette spacer to go on the freehub before the cassette so it fits properly.

Either that Fulcrum wheelset or have a look at the latest postings in the Bargains thread for a Superstar Components wheelset. I picked up one of the ones they had left, paying £52 in November. It's now £37.50 with their 75% discount code 75WHEEL.

Very Interesting - thanks.

 

[Gummo]

If it was me I'd sort the wheel out that you've got because 1) I'm a tight wad and 2) I build wheels. If spokes are breaking 'every other trip' there's something fundamentally wrong. Who's replacing these spokes? Your LBS?

I've replaced three in total myself - none of those have broken which makes me think the wheel wasn't actually new when I bought it.

 

[Ajax Bay]

David has given useful advice.
A wheelset comprises a front and a rear wheel. You just need a rear (if 'there's no way round it' - are the spokes all parting in the same way, all on the right side?)
Wheels come in different sizes - let's assume yours are 622 rims (effective diameter - look for the figures either on the rim or on the tyre) - and the rim might also give its internal rim width - eg 17-622 (17mm) which will take tyres from 25-37mm wide (rule of thumb).
The rims are either for 'normal' clinchers or are TR (tubeless ready) (or esoteric for tubs). May come with or without rimtape which will need to be for tubeless if TR - but yours are tubed clinchers I think.
They're also either rim or disc braked. If disc braked the discs are secured either with centrelock or 6-bolt.
Finally the disc braked ones might come with a 130mm OLD or 135mm OLD.
Freehubs come in (for Shimano) 2 versions of relevance (to OP): 8/9/10sp and 11sp. A 10sp cassette on the former needs 1mm spacer behind the 10sp cassette: on the latter both a 1mm and a 1.8mm spacer).
The axles are either QR or thru-axle.
Edit: Number of spokes varies: a prudent rider who has broken spokes before divides their weight in kg by 3 and goes for more spokes that that (rear wheel).
HTH

 

[presta]

I've replaced three in total myself - none of those have broken which makes me think the wheel wasn't actually new when I bought it.

So it's not the same spoke breaking each time.
In that case, are you just bunging a new spoke in the empty slot each time, or are you completely re-truing the wheel properly and checking the tension of all the spokes? If it's the former, and the spoke tensions are wrong, it'll just keep breaking another spoke after each one you replace.

You need to check all the spokes, although if it's been run with wrong tension for a while there may already be several more on the verge of breaking, in which case a complete new set is in order. I wouldn't be forking out for new wheels, although I wouldn't be riding on less than 36 spokes, either.

 

[Big John]

Basically 11-speed wheelsets need a cassette spacer to go on the freehub before the cassette so it fits properly.

Either that Fulcrum wheelset or have a look at the latest postings in the Bargains thread for a Superstar Components wheelset. I picked up one of the ones they had left, paying £52 in November. It's now £37.50 with their 75% discount code 75WHEEL.

That's crazy cheap. I don't need any wheels but I wish I did. It's not possible to build a set yourself for that money. How on earth do they do that?

 

[Ajax Bay]

I've replaced three in total myself - none of those have broken which makes me think the wheel wasn't actually new when I bought it.

Yes, I'll weigh in with @presta
A properly made wheel with decent tensions both sides will last 'forever'.
Some serial plucking is required.

 

[DCLane]

@Big John - apparently it's because they're stopping making wheels, so are selling off their old stock.

 

[Gummo]

@Big John - apparently it's because they're stopping making wheels, so are selling off their old stock.

Some questions before I order - hope you don't mind:

1. Will my tyres fit (see pic)?
2. What's the performance difference in the 28 and 32 spoke versions?
3. I can't see the spacer they say's listed in their spares section - can you give me a link?

 

[cyberknight]

@Big John - apparently it's because they're stopping making wheels, so are selling off their old stock.

just tried the code and came up invalid
I had similar issue years ago and ended up loosening all the spokes and letting the LBS true from that and didnt have issues after that

 

[Big John]

Some questions before I order - hope you don't mind:

1. Will my tyres fit (see pic)?
2. What's the performance difference in the 28 and 32 spoke versions?
3. I can't see the spacer they say's listed in their spares section - can you give me a link?

1. Pushing it I'd suspect but probably OK.....just. 32-622 is on the limit I'd have thought.
2. Performance? If we're talking about will you go faster then probably not. Will a 32 spoked wheel be stronger than what you have? It should be if it's built properly. For a decent strength you should look for three cross lacing on both sides of the wheel as opposed to two cross or a combo of crossed on one side, radial the other. I'm old fashioned, I know, but straight guage 2mm stainless spokes would make the wheel good and strong if three crossed. That said....at that price they're such a bargain it would be churlish to refuse 😉

 

[Gummo]

Aye, a bargain such that I've just purchased: £37.50 delivered.

 

[Gummo]

just tried the code and came up invalid

I've just bought the wheelset at £37.50 - I had the item in the basket for some time.
PS: Just tested it again with the same wheelset - the code worked.