Having never broken a spoke, last week I broke 4 or 5 (over the period of a few miles) spokes on the back wheel of my rigid mountain bike, which has been demoted to general transport, towpath duties and tourer. Had the spokes replaced, the wheel rebuild and rode 20miles on it tonight. Just at the end of the ride, the now familiar metallic twang – another one gone.

So is that likely to be a crappy build? I’ve no reason to doubt the LBS, they build one for me a while back and have no issues.

Wheel coming to the end of its life? Its a good 10 (or more) years old XT with XC717.

Some other problem, ie bent frame?

Or just coincidence/bad luck?

Thoughts on what to do next, just replace the latest broken spoke and cross fingers or something more drastic?

It’s not coincidence, the wheel probably needed a rebuild with all spokes replaced.

Did you have all the spokes replaced? Or just the broken ones? Normally when a few go like that the rest are normally just as fatigued and 10 years is good innings dude.

On another not just rebuilt my wheels similar age for the same reason (hope xc hubs 717 rims) went and thought it was about time plus the eyelets for the two failed at the same time.

Ah, that’s what I thought. So the hub and rim should be salvageable, just a new set of spokes etc.

Yep as long as the rim and hub aren’t damagedand the spokes are loosened off before snipping out so you don’t whap the rim should be rebuild able.

Sounds like good old fashioned spoke fatuige

4 or 5 spokes in the space of a few miles?
No crashes or other mishaps and they DIDN’T recommend a compete rebuild?

Sounds like a shop that throws wheels together rather than a wheelbuilder

The wheel was rebuilt with new spokes? Then they really shouldn’t be breaking.

Hubs and rims are reusable, spokes shouldn’t be – once they start breaking, they’ll all continue to break as they’re all reaching their fatigue limits at about the same time.