Wheels and loose spokes

[Pjays666]

Hi all I am after some advice I keep breaking spokes and loose. This problem happens on my diamondback contraflow which I only use on road and towpaths. I am not sure whether it is my weight (15st 7lb) or just rubbish stock wheels but I have had to replace about half a dozen, all on rear wheel, in the last year over about 2000 mile. Any advice please

 

[raleighnut]

Hi all I am after some advice I keep breaking spokes and loose. This problem happens on my diamondback contraflow which I only use on road and towpaths. I am not sure whether it is my weight (15st 7lb) or just rubbish stock wheels but I have had to replace about half a dozen, all on rear wheel, in the last year over about 2000 mile. Any advice please

Probably crap spokes but if the hub is OK I'd try getting a wheelbuilder to handlace a wheel to 4 cross pattern. He might suggest a better rim as well.
The longer spokes used on 4 cross are better able to resist stretch and have much higher loadbearing capability although 15& a half stone ain't that heavy but you may be putting a lot more torque through the wheel than these flyweights can.

 

[Broadside]

When each previous spoke has been replaced has the entire wheel been trued/retensioned? Sounds like there is uneven tension, until you sort that out you will probably continue to chase individual breaking spokes all around the wheel.

 

[Pjays666]

All my spokes have been changed at lbs although as it has happened when I've been out riding I have used 4 different shops due to location. Whilst I believe they have been checked for tension/trueness I cannot guarantee. Is thre a way to check

 

[albion]

The break because you have loose spokes. I just broke the first ever spoke on my new old bike and that was just after a cassette change to a low hill gear.

I also suspect I never check my spokes for tension and tightened them enough too. Its not just hills where low gear torque will stress spokes, its rough or boggy ground too.
Before injuries I used to tour with load and that had the same problem so I carried a NBT cassette remover with me. They only ever break drive side.

 

[Pjays666]

Mine only ever break on drive side too

 

[Spoked Wheels]

Hi all I am after some advice I keep breaking spokes and loose. This problem happens on my diamondback contraflow which I only use on road and towpaths. I am not sure whether it is my weight (15st 7lb) or just rubbish stock wheels but I have had to replace about half a dozen, all on rear wheel, in the last year over about 2000 mile. Any advice please

Where the spokes are braking would give s good clue as to why that is happening. My guess is that they are braking near the head of the spoke and that would suggest metal fatigue caused by spokes having uneven tension. Most factory wheels aren't tensioned enough so they have this type of problems.

All my spokes have been changed at lbs although as it has happened when I've been out riding I have used 4 different shops due to location. Whilst I believe they have been checked for tension/trueness I cannot guarantee. Is thre a way to check

Are you saying all spokes, including unbroken spokes have been changed? If so then more information is needed to diagnose the problem.

Basically, if the spokes are of a good quality, sufficiently tensioned and evenly tensioned then (assuming you have enough spokes) you would need to look at other areas for answers.

 

[Pjays666]

Sorry meant to clarify the spokes that were changed were only the broken ones and seem to be breaking near the hub

 

[Pjays666]

Checked my spokes again today and surprise another one was broken and the rest were loose so I removed the rear wheel off and took it to my lbs to have it re-spoked. Collect on Friday so hopefully will be okay then

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Pj, was it On Yer Bikes by any chance?

 

[Pjays666]

Pj, was it On Yer Bikes by any chance?

I have had a couple done there yes but just put my wheel into ride on for a respoke

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Good because they really let me down on my last rebuild it was absolutely awful and they had 3 attempts. I ended up doing it myself in the end.

Loose spokes was a problem everytime they built it.

 

[Pjays666]

I decided to go to ride on as you commented on another thread that they had rebuilt a wheel for you and you were pleased. I have just got a new road bike off them so took wheel there.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Yep rideon are one of the better local ones. I used on yer bike because I was working in burnley so it was convenient...well that was the plan.

 

[Old Plodder]

To test for spoke tension, just hold a screwdriver lightly against the spokes as you spin the wheel, you should hear a high pitched 'ting'; if you hear a dull sound more like a 'thud', you have a loose spoke.
When most cycle shops replace a spoke they do not re tension the whole wheel, they only bring it into true, that is why you had been breaking so many.
As a heavyweight myself, been over 15st for far too long, I can ride on 32 spoke 3x wheels with 23mm tyres without any problems.