Wheel roundness problem.

[Jhey]

Hello, recently I broke a spoke on my rear wheel about 10 miles from home, I took it out and carried on cycling home. Once I got home the wheel was still true and round but I sent my wheel off to a local bike mechanical who fitted a new spoke but now I've got it back I've noticed its no longer round and has a slight hop near where the spoke broke near the valve. It's not huge but I as I've noticed it, it will bug me. Is it safe to still ride on? Can't afford to pay more out for it to be redone as I'm getting married very soon and just had to buy other bits for the bike, fiancee will kill me lol. Also the spoke was replaced with a single butted spoke, rest are double, the wheels are shimano wh-r501.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Take it back to the shop, who ever fitted the spoke should have made sure the wheel was true. Easy for a mechanic to correct in minutes.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Refitted spoke was too long. Take it back and have a word.

 

[Jhey]

I think he put a 286mm spoke on there, anyone know the required length? Also it being a single butted spoke instead of a double, does that affect it ?

 

[fossyant]

It's not been trued correctly. If you just tighten a spoke it will "egg" the wheel. Take it back if you don't know how to correct it.

 

[ChrisEyles]

I've recently trued up a couple of rather bent wheels myself and been left with a very slight hop at the end, and they're OK to ride as long as it's only very slight... but if I'd paid to have it done at a workshop I'd expect them to get it properly round. I don't think it'd be at all out of order to take it back and ask them to finish the job.

 

[accountantpete]

Check that the tyre is seated properly near the valve.

 

[Ian H]

By 'hop' you mean vertically out of true, not sideways?

 

[Jhey]

By 'hop' you mean vertically out of true, not sideways?

Yes exactly that, I can fix a normal untrue wheel but never had to deal with the roundness before, the spokes are pretty stiff (not sure the correct term) around the hop area compared to others which are slightly more flexible, also the tyre is seated correctly, it's the rim that hopa.

 

[Ian H]

Surprised that one replacement spoke results in that. It sounds from your description as if the guy was trying to remedy an out-of-round rim. Was the broken spoke caused by an impact?

 

[Jhey]

Surprised that one replacement spoke results in that. It sounds from your description as if the guy was trying to remedy an out-of-round rim. Was the broken spoke caused by an impact?

The rim was round and true even without the spoke that broke before I sent it off, it didn't break from an impact, luckily it happened when I was slowing down at a stop, was only doing like 5mph luckily.

 

[Ian H]

Weird. Given all that, I can only think that they gave it to the inept apprentice.

 

[Jhey]

Weird. Given all that, I can only think that they gave it to the inept apprentice.

I think it's only him that works there tbh.