Spokes keep breaking

[mog35]

This first happened a few weeks ago - just got on the bike after a short train journey and one of the spokes breaks. So I got it it replaced and the wheel trued the next day. So far so good until...

Just over a week later it happened again commuting home from work. Once again I duly get it seen to straight away, and on I go.

And this afternoon, about 25 miles in to my planned 50 mile ride, I'm riding along and hear and feel that familiar 'PING' sound, which I know is going to cost me money yet again. This time it happens quite far from home, so I have to ride another 10 miles to the nearest railway station in order to get home. A bit nearer to this destination, I hear another 'PING' (although weirdly when I inspected the wheel only one spoke was broken - interestingly one of the new ones).

Does anyone have any ideas why this keeps happening? They tend to break at the hub on the drivetrain side of the wheel. Just bad luck maybe? I've heard that when one goes, it can affect the neighbouring spokes and make them more likely to go too.

Although I ride a mountain bike I seldom ride offroad, I'm careful to avoid potholes and never bash up and down kerbs. I have started occasionally riding out of the saddle when climbing hills - could this be the cause? That said, it never happens while I'm standing up and pedalling.

 

[gwhite]

That sounds like spoke fatigue and just replacing individual spokes doesn't sound like the answer. I think it is time to think of a complete re-build as it appears that the spokes are not in uniform tension and may not have been properly de-stressed.

 

[mickle]

gwhite is absolutely right. Your spokes have been ridden on with not enough spoke tension for too many miles. Loose spokes experience movement in the elbow where they sit in the flange. Movement causes wear - and it was just a matter of time before they started failing. Your new spoke and the retensioning of the other spokes in the wheel will simply accelerate the failure of the next spoke, and the next, until all thirty two have been individually replaced. It's a common occurance, I'm surprised the bike shop which replaced the spoke didn't advise you of this.

The way to prevent it happening is to tension the wheel properly during the PDI and check the trueness of the wheel at the bikes' first service after two or three hundred miles.

I'm afraid it's time for a new wheel, or a rebuild if the hub and rim are of good enough quality to justify the expense.

Unless the bike is still within warranty....

 

[mog35]

A new wheel it is then. Hopefully I'll get that sorted either tomorrow or tuesday - I've got a couple of long (ish) rides planned for later in the week.

You know, the other week before the first spoke broke, I remarked to myself how strong the wheel seemed to be - I've done a couple of thousand miles on it and am not exactly light either. Sod's law in action, I suppose.

Many thanks for your replies.