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Props to @thegeneralist for subbing me his spare and saving an ace ride, but the Fiber Fix Spoke deserves a thread of its own.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/spokes/fiber-fix-emergency-replacement-spoke/
Look at it. I can feel your skepticism. That wouldn't survive two minutes. What a crap fix. Nobody could take that seriously. Just for getting you home in an emergency, right?
Absolute worst use case: 30mm deep carbon rims, tubeless taped, with tyre inserts, straight pull spokes.
Result? Survived 1600m of rocky NW lakes descent, not mincing (except for top of grizedale), and a big boy OTB crash without skipping a beat.
Deserves a place in everyone's 'big day out' kit.
nice idea and I can easily see how it would work well. However, Ihave lost many spokes over the years, and even on 24 spoke set ups i've not had any problem carrying on as if nothing had happened. Eventually the missing spoke gets replaced, but I happily go out again in the following weeks until a spare spoke turns up.
so you put a hole through your rim tape and the clamp goes through the hub?
so you put a hole through your rim tape and the clamp goes through the hub?
No, looks like you just thread the kevlar string through the spoke hole in the hub. Unless you've broken a nipple you should be able to unthread the broken bit and use the same nipple to thread this into.
I can't see myself using one. Major hassle to stop and fit it, more than likely the wheel will be fine for the rest of the ride anyway.
Used a Fiber Fix Spoke to fix a friend's bike in Iceland in 2003.
Kept him going for another week before we finished the trip.
Still sits in my kit bag for big days out.
yeah just carry on riding without replacing the spoke. I've done whole weeks in the alps/whistler on a couple of broken spokes as I was too lazy to fix them at the end of a days riding, and once made it down from captain safety (probably 500m of descending whistler blacks/double blacks) with 6 spokes missing from my rear wheel after a particular incident..
so you put a hole through your rim tape and the clamp goes through the hub?
Well in an ideal world the existing nipple would be intact and you could just wind the broken spoke out of it (I assume) if not then I guess yep, you'd have to knacker the tape and put a tube in. if you've hit the wheel hard enough to snap a spoke there's a chance the tyre is flat now too I suppose... (?)
It's not a terrible product I can think of scenarios where it would be useful, especially of you're off on a big bikepacking adventure or something.
But TBH I would just bend/ziptie the remnants of the snapped spoke to the adjacent one and carry on, although the lower the spoke count the less likely this is to work...
Meh. I think spokes break because that one paticular spoke was out of tension anyway.
Too tight, too loose.
I dont think one spoke will make or break a wheel in a ride.
I dont think you could ever get sufficient tension into a replacement spoke that its going to be doing the job of the spoke it replaces.
Its a no from me.
Have lost plenty of spokes without even noticing til after the ride/some rides later, so it's a no from me too.
ive had once loose spoke (28h rear) and had 6 of them and a wobbly wheel by the end of the ride so it does interest me
Just continue the ride and fix it (properly) when home.
You'd be better using some of the £9 to buy a couple of spare spokes (or more if you have a different length for drive/non drive side) and make a note of them so you can easily replace them when you break one.
Why don't you just build your wheels with Fiber spokes? Then you won't snap them in the first place.
but I happily go out again in the following weeks until a spare spoke turns up.
I just have a box of long spokes and a z bender. Spoke cut to order and the z bend means you don't even have to take the cassette off.
If the nipple snaps (mine did) you are provided a new one to place in.
As a counterargument - I've broken spokes on two different other wheelsets before (this is the third) and both of the others have pulled the wheel out of true and ****ed the other spokes. On a rim brake bike, this caused the bike to become unrideable.
You're correct - it is a hassle. I didn't recommend it for your Tuesday night 30 minute bimble, but for when you go further afield - or on multi day trips. In this case, it was a 30 minute job (worst case scenario) that saved a 6 hour ride.
@olly the Kevlar spoke comes with a tensioner - you can get it tighter than a regular spoke if you try and I'm pretty sure you could break the rim if you put enough tension in.
Well in an ideal world the existing nipple would be intact and you could just wind the broken spoke out of it (I assume) if not then I guess yep, you’d have to knacker the tape and put a tube in
The nipple was rattling around in the rim cavity somewhere.
We put a new one in and set it up tubeless again.
Discovered a broke spoke in Tenerife. Fibrefixed it (tubeless, luckily managed it keeping nipple in place so was a cinch), carried on riding for the week up down Mt. Tiede including the cratered roads up there.
Comes with me on all trips now, never needed it since though, yet.
I can think of scenarios where it would be useful, especially of you’re off on a big bikepacking adventure or something.
When I did the Tour Divide I set up my wheels so all the spokes were the same length. Carried two spare spokes. Didn't need them.
I think my fixie has had a missing spoke or 2 for about 14 years now....
I really should look into that..
DrP
Why don’t you just build your wheels with Fiber spokes?
I did. They’re cool, but a little pricy.
I like it but like others, my fix for a broken spoke is to bend it around another spoke to stop it rattling, and just keep going. With disk brakes it's almost never a problem
(went to fort william on the train. Broke a spoke loading the bike into the crappy rack. Couldn't get a spoke to fit. Spent 3 days riding including 2 on the uplift, all good. And that was on a rather-too-lightweight 28h rear wheel)
I nearly said "could be good for holiday spares" but then realised that just taking spokes makes more sense.
I did. They’re cool, but a little pricy.
Pictures please! Did it save weight?
@joshvegas I wasn't aware of z bend spokes, that looks really useful - thanks
For longer trips I do take spare spokes away with me, either in my toolkit, taped to the frame or shoved down the handlebars.
For the j bend spokes it is a worry on the rear wheel, as I won't have a cassette tool or a chain whip with me when riding!
Might invest in a z bender and some long spokes, as you have.
One of the major benefits of straight pull spokes is that they are easier to fit when out on the trail. Only realised that when I had a spoke fail I was able to fix whilst out, with only a spoke key
I have the same fibrefix spoke. I bought it around 20 years ago. Hope it doesn’t have a shelf-life! 😁
28h rear
theres your problem, right there. 😉
Why don’t you just build your wheels with Fiber spokes?
Isn't that just a Spinergy wheel?
Think this is a bit of "solving a problem that doesn't exist". I've ridden bikes of all disciplines for ages with the odd broken spoke and never had any issues. Just put a new spoke in when you get round to it