What to do if a spoke breaks?

[PaulSecteur]

Hi,

So far I havent had a spoke brake, but I know it can happen.

But what to do if one goes? Can the bike still be riden, at a lower intesity to get back home?

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Last year on the Manchester 100km i had a spoke break 10 km in , i didn't know what to do so just twisted it around the spoke next to it and carried on the rest of the 90km with a slightly buckled wheel (released the brakes so they did not rub).
Later i was told one spoke is ok to ride on as long as you take it easy in the bends and when it breaks the wheel is not to far out of true

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Just read my own reply and "released the brakes so they did not rub" (haha no wonder i finished so fast), just to say it was the back wheel that the spoke went in so was confident with just a front brake , not so sure i would have done the same if it had been the front wheel.

 

[fossyant]

What Diddlydodds said really - the wheel shouldn't go too far out of true.

I've only ever broke spokes on a poorly built set of wheels - machine built, but they were cheap. Every other set, handbuilts and factory Mavic wheels, never had any issues.

 

[gaz]

I once cycled with 2 spokes broken. Wheel wasn't buckled at all but I could feel it in the corners.

 

[fossyant]

PS make sure you either remove the spoke, or secure it.

 

[barnesy]

I had a spoke break when i took my bike off the flight to Paris on a 1000 mile loaded tour, bike shop in paris said they would need the wheel overnight, i had big mileage to do so couldnt stay so i cycled on hoping to find somewhere that could do it on the spot.

I ended up cycling the full 1000 miles with 2 loaded panniers and camping gear with a broken spoke and the wheel remained true.

Get it repaired ASAP but until then ride easy and check the tension on the spokes nearest the broken one and directly opposite

 

[chillyuk]

I heard a bang on my hybrid last year, couldn't find anything and just put it down to a stone or something. When I got home I found a broken spoke in the back wheel. It had gone at the hub but not moved which is why I didn't see it. I wasn't aware of it on the ride home of 20 miles at all. Maybe being hybrid wheels rather than road bike wheels helped.

 

[numbnuts]

I once went 24 miles with two broken spokes, had to undo the brake, now I carry spares and the tools to fix it

 

[smokeysmoo]

Only ever had one break, but it went off like a freakin' shotgun and made of mess of the cf frame I had at the time! It wasn't far out of true, I snapped it off and rode a few miles back to where I knew their was an LBS, he stuck a new spoke in and away I went

 

[Sittingduck]

It depends on the wheel (quality of and #of spokes) and the rider (weight of).

 

[Red Light]

Before I learnt to build wheels myself and banished broken spokes forever, I have cycled around on rear wheels with several spokes broken including three on a tandem with a freewheel. Getting a freewheel off a tandem is a real grunt job best done in a workshop, not on the road, so the spokes stayed broke for the last 100 miles of the tour. Now I have a freehub fitted which is much easier but since I built that wheel myself its never broken a spoke.

 

[ianrauk]

broke a spoke 20 miles into a 100 miler. Wheel (Easton) was only slighty out of true so caried on with the ride no problems.

 

[Alien8]

Unless it's a low spoke count wheel I wouldn't worry too much about riding on it but obviously you'd want to replace it asap. And carry a spoke key in your tool kit if you want to minimise any brake rub.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

i was told one spoke is ok to ride on as long as you take it easy in the bends and when it breaks the wheel is not to far out of true