Spokes problem

[G-Zero]

My crosser has been hung up in the garage since I bought my roadie a few weeks ago, but today I decided to give it a run out. It was being used regularly before that point and was in good order when I hung it up.
As I set off, it sounded like I'd picked something up in the back wheel and it was catching the spokes. I got off the bike and checked, but couldn't find anything obvious, spun the wheel and there was no noise ??
I got back on the bike and the noise was back - It sounded like the excess brake cable had gone into the wheel and was twanging off each spoke. On closer checking, there were about 5 spokes loose and it was these that were making the noise.

I don't know how 5 spokes could work their way loose, while the bike was hanging on the garage wall and I certainly didn't notice any noises last time I used it, but they must have been loose when I hung it up.

However, never once having to tighten spokes in the past, with 5 consecutive being loose, is it a simple matter of tightening them up myself, or without anything to check the wheel being true, is it best to drop it in to the LBS.

I don't think it will make any difference, but the the wheels are Easton Aeros and the spokes are the flat blade type, not the usual round profile.

 

[accountantpete]

With 5 adjacent spokes being loose it sounds as though the wheel has had a bang - you didn't hang it by the wheel did you?

Turn the bike upside down and check the trueness by looking at the rim in conjunction with the brake blocks.

It sounds like an LBS job to me - if you want to try it yourself you will need a spoke key for the nipples that are on the wheel (if it is smaller it won't fit and a bigger slot will round the nipples). You will also need a clamp to hold the bladed spoke - I make my own - slot cut in piece of wood.

 

[amaferanga]

That sounds odd. If you've no wheel building experience then I'd recommend you take it to a LBS, especially since you've got bladed spokes and I guess low spoke count as well.

 

[amaferanga]

With 5 adjacent spokes being loose it sounds as though the wheel has had a bang - you didn't hang it by the wheel did you?

Hanging a bike by the wheel doesn't do any harm. All my bikes are hung by the wheel in the garage. No way is that going to loosen spokes.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Hanging a bike by the wheel doesn't do any harm. All my bikes are hung by the wheel in the garage. No way is that going to loosen spokes.

+1

Both my bikes hang from the wheels with no problems, as do many on display in shops.

 

[G-Zero]

With 5 adjacent spokes being loose it sounds as though the wheel has had a bang - you didn't hang it by the wheel did you?

Thanks.

The last time the bike was out was for my usual 'fairly smooth & pothole free' loop around NCN7 and NCN14, but there was a closure on the trail that detoured me though a wooded area and across a short stretch of knarly tree rooted track. This was nothing that bike should not have been able to cope with and there was no obvious noise coming from it on the last 5 mile leg, which is smooth tarmac on shared cycle path.

The bike hangs by its frame, but as per above comments, hanging by the wheels wouldn't normally damage them. Its also well out of the way of my wife, who keeps her daily commuter in there and I really don't think the damage has been done in the garage.

 

[G-Zero]

That sounds odd. If you've no wheel building experience then I'd recommend you take it to a LBS, especially since you've got bladed spokes and I guess low spoke count as well.

Thanks.

I'd probably only make it worse anyway and I suppose it's always an excuse to get back to the shop.