I just got back from my first road ride since I arrived home from holidays. Just before I left, I broke a spoke at the end of my ride, and I have just gone and done the exact same thing in the exact same place. The thing is, I know now that it is unlikely to be because I hit a pothole or anything.

I know I am too heavy; that’s one of the reasons I’m road riding in the first place.

Besides my own weight (92kgs), why might I be breaking spokes on every ride? I bought the bike second hand off eBay (2006 Trek 1200), and I assume everything is stock. Do spokes just break because they’re old? Or were they probably crap to begin with?

I can’t keep spending £15 at the LBS to replace spokes, and I don’t really have time to learn how to replace them myself. Should I just buy a new wheelset? 🙁

The wheel has probably be run with loose spokes either now or at some point so they’re now starting to fatigue.

I weigh a good bit more than you and spokes never break on my bikes so it’s not your weight.

You could be lucky and it’s just a couple of dodgy spokes but typically once they start to go it’ll keep happening.

I’d just get the wheel rebuilt with new spokes.

FWIW, replacing single spokes is very easy – thread spoke in (use the others as a guide) and tighten that spoke until the wheel is (near) true again.

Talk nicely to your LBS and see if they can rebuild the wheel?

How many spokes has the wheel got? It might be worth getting a replacement wheel, I’m guessing this is a rear wheel, with more spokes to make it stronger.

Might be a badly built wheel but if the last spoke was ‘professionally’ replaced then I expect it to be fixed. Could be cheap wheels, that’s often a place where corners are cut to reduce costs. Replacing a spoke is easy and learning to do it should take less time than a trip to the local bike shop

Actually, just noticed that you say it’s the same spoke that’s broken twice – that seems odd. Are you absolutely sure that the new spoke that the shop fitted is the one that’s broken again?

Sorry for the misunderstanding. It is definitely NOT the same spoke. Just another spoke on the back wheel that happened at the same spot: the last kilometre of a 30km ride.

Ok, then I refer to my original post. Rebuild with new spokes or get a replacement wheel (may be cheaper second hand)

Personally if I’ve snapped spokes and it’s not been something obvious (pothole, stick in wheel) I would immediately question the build of the whole wheel. If it’s a decent wheel I’d pay (or learn, if you have the time) to have all the spokes backed off and the wheel re-tensioned at the very least. Problem with that approach is old spokes/nipples/threads are going to make it more awkward for the wheel builder to get tensions properly even.

Also, it might just be crappy spokes (I broke one in my Shimano RS11 wheels after six months just by pedalling hard, and I’m no Cavendish…).

Alternatively, get a new handbuilt wheel? Merlin do 105 on Mavic rims for £115 built three cross with decent stainless spokes…

Approx rule of thumb – 3 spokes break then rebuild.

As above it’s not difficult though you do need £25 worth of tools.

have all the spokes backed off and the wheel re-tensioned at the very least

I’d say that’s largely pointless. If they’re already going then rebuilding may delay that very slightly but they’ll still keep going.

Is it a spoke snapping or a nipple ?

The spoke itself simply snaps in two. NOT the nipple.

well, first a few questions…I’m assuming this is a rear wheel?

where are they breaking?

> drive side or non-drive?
> at the elbow or nipple? (assuming j-bend not straight pull?)
> in the middle? (quite unusual)
> how many spokes in the wheel?
> how are they laced? (3-cross, radial etc.)
> what hub/spokes

If drive side and at the elbow make sure you check the chain hasn’t been over the back of the cassette and graunched the outside spokes, it’s unlikely to be this as if it was the LBS would have told you and recommended changing the other damaged onesat the same time but it is work checking *just in case*

You’re not that heavy, and spokes won’t be breaking just due to your weight unless the wheel is massively inappropriate, ie: <28 spoke and/or using very light/thin gauge spokes

If they’re going at the elbow it could be fatigue related, and if you’ve broken 2 it’s possible more are on the way out, quite what has caused the to fatigue would be difficult to say without seeing it, could be the wheel has been run loose in the past, could be a poor build or match of hub and spokes, could just be crappy spokes but unlikely really.

I would normally say have a feel around the spokes and check if they are even and tight but if you’ve already had one break and had it fixed by your LBS I would hope they have both checked over the wheel, and also alerted you to any obvious issues…

You’ve been unlucky with 2 broken ones, it’s up to you if you want to see how it goes and if any more go, or sort out a rebuild or replacement wheel. FWIW, replacing one spoke is dead easy, the 15 mins watching a video or reading will be well worth it to you in the long run but I can understand your reluctance, but really it’s quite easy!

On a stock Trek 1200 of that age it will likely be either the bottom rung Bontrager wheelset using OEM (probably Formula) hubs, basic rims and plain guage spokes or maybe something a bit better, either way, they should be sturdy enough so don’t discount them as rubbish, glamorous and light they may not be, but decent and reliable they should be.

If you break any more in the near future then it’s rebuild time to be safe, which may or may not be cost effective compared to a new wheelset depending on your LBS prices and the condition of the hubs and rims.

For general riding at your weight I’d recommend a decent 32spoke build , 3-cross onto some nice tough but boring rims like Mavic Open Pros, or equivalent from another rim manufacturer if you like but no need to go too posh, couple that to hubs of your choice and budget, Tiagra upwards form Shimano if you can look after cup and cone, or Novatec, Hope etc. if you want cartridges. They should see you through many many miles if built well.

I weigh 10kg’s more then you and in nearly 20yrs have never ever broken a spoke, not even when I weighted 20kg more than you do.
Its either a result of a badly tensioned wheel, general degradation of the spokes or they have been damaged in some way, typically (on the drive side) by badly set up gears letting the chain go down between the cassette and the spokes.

nemesis – Member
The wheel has probably be run with loose spokes either now or at some point so they’re now starting to fatigue….

Agree. Secondhand wheel with unknown history – once one spoke goes, it can be a bit like a zip, the others follow one by one as the fatigue gets them.

Only rebuild if the hubs and rims are good quality, otherwise a new wheel can be a better bargain.

I had the same problem on a similar bike (Trek 1000 or something i think).

I gave the wheel a good inspection, and the Alex rim seem to have suffered from significant salt corrosion which allowed the spokes to pull through slightly.

I just bought some new wheels, Tiagra hubs with Mavic Open rims.

Buy my Hope Pro III hubs on Mavic Open Pro CD rims. £185.
Campagnolo freehub though.

I don’t know about your budget, however you can buy a pair of wheels for the price that you’re paying for 4 1/2 spokes, e.g. Merlin Shimano offer. These cover 8-10 speeds and support my 14 stone on the winter commute
I would learn to replace spokes, it’s not too tricky (I can do it) with a few basic tools and Youtube. The biggest timewaster is finding the correct spokes in the right colour

That wheelset on Merlin looks like a good deal.

I have had a similar experience like this, the wheel was old and had been used a lot. The spokes just started to go, one after the other, about one every week or so. I’d agree with cynic-al, once three have gone its probably time to replace the wheel 🙂

Someone on the classifieds was selling a set of Aksiums for £60 yesterday, the rear had been rebuilt. Hora or Naffa was the seller I think…sounded good value from a regular poster.