New wheels, 2nd ride out – so they’ve done about 30-40 miles

I noticed a loose spoke mid ride – loose enough to be able to spin the nipple with my fingers – and tightened it up
After I got home I adjusted it to bring it back to true

Anyway, do they need to go back to the builder or am I likely to have sorted it?
i.e. is it likely to be a fundamental issue with the wheel that needs sorting?

I’m no expert but I would guess it could be the builder just forgot one spoke or might be uneven spoke tension. Can’t really say for sure at this stage, other than keep your eye on the tension of the wheel.

Learn to build your own, once you get into it and learn the basics it’s not the ‘black art’ you think it is.

if its stright and all spokes similar tension then it should be OK. I’d be tempted to return them tho to be checked and trued. Was it a mail order?

Learn to build your own, once you get into it and learn the basics it’s not the ‘black art’ you think it is.

I’ve built wheels before just never really bothered analysing what I was doing too much, just followed the instructions
I didn’t do too bad a job TBH
Didn’t have the time or inclination this time though

Was it a mail order?

It ended up that way as I couldn’t collect as planned
I was working in Sheffield so ordered them while I was there

bit of a PITA to box up and send back

If the wheel was badly built and the spoke tensions are all over the place you’ll keep on getting loose spokes but it’s easy to forget one spoke when tensioning the wheel up so could be that. Trouble is if it’s badly built returning it to them to sort it out is imo a waste of time.

Cheers, I may just wait till I’m around Sheffield again and drop it into them for a check-over, they’re nice guys so it shouldn’t be a problem

How do the spokes sound when plucked ? Should be roughly the same I’ve always thought. Works for me anyway.

Really it should be all loosened off and re-tension it

Really it should be all loosened off and re-tension it

the whole wheel? Why? If you had to replace a single snapped spoke from a branch/crash would you do the same?

I suspect it was a case of spoke wind up which was not taken care of resulting in the one spoke becoming a little loose then flexing in the wheel making it more loose. It might just be one spoke or the entire wheel may a tweak. I expect it’s just the one spoke so just re-tension to the same tone as similar spoke on the same side (or as close as while keeping the wheel true).

but it’s easy to forget one spoke when tensioning the wheel

Is it hell.

If a spoke comes that loose so quickly it’s a shoddy wheel. End of. If it was me I’d be wrapping it round the wheelbuilders head until he sorted it. 😉

I build my own. Done maybe 10-15 wheels now and AFAIK all if them are still fine and dandy and one of my earlier efforts has done 10 days Alpine riding and not been touched. A properly built wheel won’t even ‘bed in’ when first used. Mine don’t!

but it’s easy to forget one spoke when tensioning the wheel

Is it hell

Roger Musson, one of the most highly recommended wheel builders in the uk recommends in his book to always keep masking tape to hand while building wheels, ‘Have a piece of tape handy ready to mark the next spoke to tighten if you are interrupted midway or drop the spoke wrench (and also remember how many turns you were giving it). If you lose your position you are in big trouble.’ If it’s good enough for him…..

PP +1, I taught myself from sheldon brown’s online guide over a decade ago and no wheel I have built has had any problem. “Bedding in” normally the sound of spokes pinging is usually wound-up spokes unwinding as they are detensioned in use, and should be cured in the stress relieving stage of wheel building.

Anyone here build wheels for other STW’ers ?
Might be interested in getting a pair of 29er wheels build if I can source the parts cheaper here than say Merlin or Just riding along ?

Thanks

Yeah, I wouldn’t really be very happy with that, unless you’ve flat spotted the rim off a root or something (I’ve already done this to the new wheels on my Whyte 🙁 ) you shouldn’t really have just one random spoke coming loose on a new build.

Also ‘forgetting to tighten it’ doesn’t wash. In a good build you should be applying to tension evenly and gradually, so if he forgot to tighten one spoke he would catch it again next time round, it shouldn’t be flapping about loose, unless he forgot to tighten it several times.

Def take it back – unlikely the rest of the spokes are OK if one has gotten that loose, and no way the wheel was properly built if one was much looser than the rest.

You can’t forget to tigthen a spoken. At very worst you’d notice it when stress relieving it after the build. I hope it went out of true when that spoke slackened off?

Dodgy wheel (maybe wheels)Wheels shouldn’t come loose or go out of true unless they have had a proper bashing. Having built wheels for a living over the past 16 years with no returns I can assure you that this shouldn’t happen when handbuilt. When the wheels are factory fit off one of the big brand bikes then these tend to ping about and come loose as they are built at a price and when in the tolerance they pass QC. All good shops will check these before you get the bike however.

“Bedding in” normally the sound of spokes pinging is usually wound-up spokes unwinding as they are detensioned in use, and should be cured in the stress relieving stage of wheel building.

Exactly what I said. To see wind up build a wheel with bladed spokes! I did have a little tool especially for helping with bladed spokes but I’ve lost it. Personally the best way I find to deal with wind up is to to two steps forward on step back on the last run of tensioning this works much better than just “de-stressing” alone.

bunnerscj – Member
Anyone here build wheels for other STW’ers ?
Might be interested in getting a pair of 29er wheels build if I can source the parts cheaper here than say Merlin or Just riding along ?

Thanks

I do but it all depends on where you are based because p&p makes it uneconomical. I used to build loads of wheels when I was living in London but none since I’ve moved to an area where no mountain biker in their right mind would live! I’m in-between B’mouth and Southampton by the way just in-case your one of those people!