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Can anyone shed some light on this for me please?
I have a track ended CX bike, it has a 32hole Alfine hub laced to an open pro rim with what should be DT swiss spokes, I’ve been using it for just over 3 years to commute ~60 miles a week, tootle to the pub and tow the kids in a trailer around the local woods in the summer months. Not jumped, not raced etc but I am 220lb and the roads are not great (but I avoid potholes etc), the off road stuff is fireroad kinda level.
2 months ago in the pouring rain a spoke snapped at the rim and threw the wheel way out of shape leaving me with a big walk.
2 weeks ago another spoke snapped at the rim 20 yards from my door and put the wheel out of shape.
At the weekend I had to tow the trailer with the kids in it with a shredded tyre (I’d forgotten my puncture repair kit and didn’t have a 20” tube) for about 6 miles. I may have lost my rag and hooned it back to the car, the kids thought it was great fun.
This morning another spoke went, this time about 3-4” from the rim, but luckily the wheel stayed in shape.
The snap area is odd isn’t it? It is about the area of the spoke reflector thing I have added, but I made sure I added them all carefully.
My questions are:
Can/should I cycle this home? (15 miles)
Aren’t alfine wheels supposed to be stupidly strong because there is no dish?
Should I get the whole wheel rebuilt?
Should I take all the reflector spoke things off?
Edit to say - all non-drive side spokes.
how long have the reflectors been on? Could be corrosion due to trapped water and dirt under them.
And yes, I'd probably get the wheel rebuilt now after what it's been though.
[quote=Saccades ]
Should I get the whole wheel rebuilt?
IMHO - yes. Once you've broken a couple of spokes you've over-stressed the remainder.
reflectors have been on quite a while, but I can't see any corrosion (on aluminium?)
They move pretty easy up and down the spokes and the bike is never stored outside (shed at work, goes into pub etc).
Ally still corrodes especially if you get road salt caught up round the reflector and it then stays there while you are at work etc. I would get it re-laced now given the number of spokes that have failed on it so far. One spoke snapping should not throw the wheel that much out of shape IME. Normally you lose a spoke and the wheel is still true and you just get it replaced when you get back home.
spokes are not aluminium
doubt it is corrosion tbh but i would rebuild the whole wheel personally