Spokes

[Baggy]

Last year I had two spokes replaced on my rear wheel (non drive side).
One or other of these spokes has now broken twice at the elbow. I know it's these spokes as they are marked differently from the others...and it's making me very cross

All the spokes on the wheel are double-butted, but I've noticed the butted part on the new ones is only about half the length of the old. Is this likely to mean the spokes are weaker?

 

[Smokin Joe]

It means your wheel needs re-tensioning. If you keep breaking spokes the original build was not very good, and the shop should have seen that when they replaced the spokes. The slightly different butting would not cause problems.

I would take it somewhere more reliable and explain the problem.

 

[Baggy]

Ta, I will do.

Shop told me they thought the original build was really good!

 

[PatrickPending]

Hi,
After braking a spoke I now ask the LBS to rebuild my wheel with stainless steel double butted spokes - every wheel I've had rebuilt has not had a single spoke go, but previously I found spokes would start to go at the 2000Km mark. Mind you the wheels were machine built and not really in the expensive bracket anyway.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Spoke breakage is generally a sign of poor wheel building. It was quite revealing a few years ago when a large group of us went on a 'training camp' to some hills in southern Spain where the roads were rough and unkempt.

After a fairly high milage week of day rides, spoke breakages began to be a common occurence. But only amongst those with machine built wheels or those from LBS's without a reputation for their hand built wheels. This was despite these wheels often being 'standard robust' 36 by 3 cross patterns, whilst the more exotic lacings survived unscathed. So the quality of building seems to be everything.

We have loads of wheels at home which have had hard use for everything from long distance camping tours,audax & PBP, commuting, mountain bike racing, enduros and even being hammered on the Paris Roubaix cyclo, but we have never ever suffered any spoke breakages or any wheel problems (except rims wearing out). But all the wheels do say Paul Hewitt on them.

 

[Baggy]

I think it's probably time for a rebuild...the rear rim is a bit worn, but still has enough life to work as a spare.

Am pondering treating Poppy bike to some Pete Matthews wheels at some point soon

 

[Baggy]

Just as way of an update - wheel has gone into the shop, and having prodded the spokes their head honcho thinks it's because the replacement spokes are slightly looser in the hub holes than the originals. The orginals are also hel with Nylox so are very firm, hence the new spokes move around and are more inclined to snap.

We'll see.