Just had a broken straight-pull spoke on an XT mtb wheel replaced at my LBS. Didn’t look at the repair until i got it home as was in a rush. The spoke they have used is not the same as the rest (it has a slot in the end of the hub end bobble bit and the rest don’t) and sticks a mm or two out the back of the socket the SP head sits in. All the rest of the spokes sit flush in their socket (hub end again). At the rim end the thread is more exposed than pretty much all the others.

Looks to me like they’ve tried to fit the wrong spoke…but i’m no expert. It just looks *wrong* to me. Planning to take it back tmrw but wondered what bods here think?? They have replaced a spoke on another wheel before but it was a normal J spoke and repair was fine. They knew it was SP before i booked it in and said it was no problem.

I add some photos tomorrow so you can see what i mean.

It might not be a perfect match, but if it works it’ll be fine.

Maybe as the wheel was covered in dirt when you took it in (?) they thought you wouldn’t be that picky?

Personally I would drop my bike off a bit cleaner, tend to get more respect from mechanics

Personally I’d rate them pretty highly for having a suitable spoke in stock, many shops would have taken one look at that and said you’d have had to buy a whole box of straight pull spokes so they could do a repair.

From the shop’s perspective this is awkward but understandable, straight pull spokes are still pretty unusual and few shops would want to spend £50+ on a box of spokes that they’re unlikely to ever use again in order to carry out a £15 repair.

Top marks for getting you rolling again at a minimal cost, if you’re that worried about the appearance of your bike… clean it!

tbh if its more than 5 minutes old the standard response from the importer is “we dont carry stock for stuff of that age”

rendering your wheel scrap.

much like trying to get cones for an ultegra wheel that was 2 generations old.

Wheel is only 18 months old. Bikes are kept generally clean…but scrubbing hubs with a toothbrush is unnecessary IMO. Close-up detail makes it look worse than it is and wheel was wiped down before repair.

Spoke was NOT in stock. They had to order one in so should have been a match. Spoke, true and labour was £20.

Not following the cost of a box of spokes as being an issue, the spoke needed is ordered individually from Madison, the consumer site shows this, the LBS would need to check the B2B to confirm stock availability. Would not expect a LBS to carry this as a stock item though. (link is for a front spoke but the process the same for a rear)

Would personally be unhappy with a LBS for not fitting the correct part, if the part was available, as they should have been able to tell you when you dropped it of, if it was or not, and given you options at that time for alternatives.

Personally I would drop my bike off a bit cleaner

This, always this. It shows you have respect not only for youself and therefore your bike but it clears the way for the mechanic to do his stuff.

Anyway, the hub end looks OK to me, the rim end not so much. Functionally it should be fine.

Bikes are kept generally clean…but scrubbing hubs with a toothbrush is unnecessary IMO.

Several LBS I know would have charged you for cleaning up the wheel before working on it, and I would not have blamed them. No one asking for you to get the toothbrush out, but mud like (that ain’t due to a close up) that, on the main item that needs fixing is a poor show. AS such I’d rate your LBS highly for putting up with it.

This, always this. It shows you have respect not only for youself and therefore your bike

This should get singletrack bullshit of the week award.

Come on jambo don’t be a nob all your life.

Apart from what other people have said, why are you even asking the question OP? It would appear you couldn’t care less whet your bike looks like anyway. Just leave it covered in crap & you’ll never know the difference.

looks like the spoke is too long, however, these spokes and hub nuts (the bit sticking out of the hub) are notoriously hard to get hold of, so you may need to ride it as is for a while until they get a replacement. Assuming they dont have the correct size.

What’s the red stuff around the spoke at the hub? Have they sealed it with wax? 🙂

It’s the wrong spoke, but it fits. If you want to make a fuss do, be polite about it.

Bikes are kept generally clean…but scrubbing hubs with a toothbrush is unnecessary IM

Says the person not working on it 🙄

30 seconds clean would have been nice.

Same as really, I’d have charged £10 for cleaning it, get a bog brush from IKEA 60p !
Rattle the bristly end inbetween the spokes once a fortnight and then it doesent look like you don’t give a shit, which you obviously do, as long as it doesent involve you havering to do anything ?

1) Tells badly explained story with few technical details that, unfortunately, doesn’t really make much sense
2) Shows close-up picture of unclean bike to STW massive
3) STW massive focus on the ‘unclean bike’ heathen

…I think you were sunk before you’d even started with this one 😉

You’re paying for a service. The shop can refuse to accept a dirty wheel, charge you for cleaning it or leave it dirty.

None of these options include doing a poor repair.

I wouldn’t care about a mis matched spoke but I would be annoyed if the shop didn’t warn me about it first.

Madison don’t always have stock of the exact parts , but often other buts can be made to work , maybe they Should have explained what they did.
Just ask them ,
As for dirty parts showing no respect for the shop – get a life

It’s not about giving respect for the shop, well it is a bit, it’s showing whether you give a shit about your bike or not!

It’s not about giving respect for the shop, well it is a bit, it’s showing whether you give a shit about your bike or not!

He definitely doesn’t – I’ve seen him ride it in the mud, the rain, off drops, over jumps, down rocky things and he even crashes on it. It’s appalling behaviour.

He definitely doesn’t – I’ve seen him ride it in the mud, the rain, off drops, over jumps, down rocky things and he even crashes on it. It’s appalling behaviour.

Does he clean it occasionally, oil & lube it and keep it maintained as well?

A slotted spoke strikes me as an improvement. Straight pull spokes can be hard to tension as the whole lot can turn if the nipple and spoke suffer any corrosion as the spoke is not fixed in the same way that a j bend spoke self anchors. I’d be content with what they have done myself.

I was on your side, until i saw your brown moccasin. Not any more.

I was on your side, until i saw your brown moccasin. Not any more.

Tempted to maintain my side of things but decided against simply fuelling the particularly vicious STW Massif today, however…i feel compelled to point out that is a slipper, not a moccasin. A very comfy slipper. 😉

i cant see the problem with some dirt on your hub, how many car mechanics have clean cars to work on when they change brake pads, but i give full marks to the bike shop for not charging you more for a spoke that they wouldnt normally stock, too much pussy footing about on this forum with bike mechs, its a job get on with it, if you dont like the pay or the work then get another job, ive never had a car mech moan at me when taking my car to be fixed why sholud bike mechs be any different, btw i used to work in a bike shop as mech

Is the wheel now running true? Even spoke tension?

Then they’ve used an appropriate spoke.

Bet you can’t identify which one it is when You’re riding…

Took it back explaining (very politely and respectfully) i was expecting a replacement spoke same as rest of wheel and asked for their perspective. Bit of umming and ahhing and some acknowledgement they had some issues getting the part/s then said no spoke to replace like for like exists, so they had to use what Madison have supplied. Fair enough (if that is the case? wheel is only 18mths old?) but if i was providing the service i would have called to explain before carrying out the work. Ho-hum.

Sue them ,or Susan them ,just do something to let them know how much this has really bothered you.
Really,don’t let this dig away in your mind,you need closure and a way of knowing you can trust that wheel again.
Next time it could be a ….

🙂

Did you wash properly before you popped back in? The male grooming Nazis will be along in a minute, best get a statement ready, woe betide you if you’ve used the incorrect razor

How would the end result be different if they had explained before you went in to collect the wheel? Would you really so – no, I’ll buy a new wheel! Actually a pair because I want them to match.