Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)
  • re-spoking a wheel
  • mdavids
    Free Member

    Had a couple of spokes break on me recently and I’ve been told by my LBS that the wheel will probably need re-building with all new spokes. Its not that expensive but I quite fancy having a go myself.

    My plan is to do one spoke at a time, get the wheel true then move on to the next spoke.

    Is there a flaw in my logic?

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Genius.

    crispedwheel
    Free Member

    Why do the other spokes need to be replaced? Are they (drive side) scoured from the chain dropping over the cassette? Any other visible damage?

    If you are going to do it, start from scratch – much easier to get a true, evenly tensioned wheel that way. Your plan sounds like a bit of a faff. EDIT: by that I mean it’ll take forever and probably won’t work.

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    Onzadog
    Free Member

    That would work but if you’re just putting a new spoke in and tightening it until the rim is true again, you’ll not learn much and it will be trick threading some of the spokes.

    Well done for wanting to have a go but if you’re keen, I’d suggest the wheel pro book and give it a proper bash.

    I assume your LBS thinks the spokes are snapping because they’re cheap spokes that came on a cheap(ish) wheel. If they’re decent spokes then odd ones might snap because they’re over tensioned. What you propose will just replicate a badly build wheel, hence the need for a rebuild.

    goog
    Free Member

    one at a time is the best way !

    crispedwheel
    Free Member

    wheel pro book

    Yep, the wheel pro book – straightforward, step by step instructions. Think it costs about £9.

    Speshpaul
    Full Member

    roger’s wheelpro book.
    + many

    mdavids
    Free Member

    Its a decent wheel I think. Its on a 2010 spesh stumpjumper FSR. DT swiss something or other. Only had it since April but its had plenty of use. Couple of google searches suggests its been a common problem with the back wheel on this particular bike though.

    According to my LBS once a couple of spokes have gone theres a good chance the others will have been weakened by riding the bike with the knackered spoke and will probably fail at regular intervals. Dunno how true this is.

    Up to now I’ve managed to replace the broken spokes and true the wheel myself without too much faff.

    I’ll only save a tenner by doing this myself but like I said, its more that I fancy having a go. What I dont want to do is spend all day on it only to find it hasn’t worked and I need to pay a pro to do it properly anyway.

    foxyrider
    Free Member

    I personally wouldn’t bother – however where are they breaking? – nipple or hub flange end?

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    I think part of the problem can /may be an overtensioned /poorly built wheel. Redoing everything one by one may just keep the problem but with new spokes. Personally I would take it apart and restart
    Wheelpro book is your starting point

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    According to my LBS once a couple of spokes have gone theres a good chance the others will have been weakened by riding the bike with the knackered spoke and will probably fail at regular intervals. Dunno how true this is.

    Rule of thumb: if 3 spokes break, they all will (unless due ot chain damage or similar). Prob due to cheap spokes or poor build.

    OP sorry I thought you were trolling. As above, give lacing & building a go. I lace in 4 sets of 8/9 but do whatever the videos suggest.

    thomthumb
    Free Member

    I quite fancy having a go myself.

    to replace each one in turn you won;t really learn much. I’d be much more inclined to do it fromn scratch. if you are willing to have a go it really is quite easy.

    buy roger’s wheelpro book +1

    mdavids
    Free Member

    They are breaking at the nipple end. Think you’re probably right about not bothering as to be honest, I don’t know whether they are correctly tensioned to start with.

    mdavids
    Free Member

    Thanks for the comments guys. I’ll look into that wheelpro book but I’ve always assumed I’d need a trueing stand and tension-ometer to do it properly from scratch which makes it not very cost effective.

    crispedwheel
    Free Member

    You dont need a tension-ometer – pluck the spokes and go by ear. The wheelpro book also has plans in it to make a trueing stand – mine cost about £4 in wood and bolts. Give it a go, i find it quite rewarding.

    thomthumb
    Free Member

    trueing stand

    maybe

    tension-ometer

    no way

    Earl_Grey
    Full Member

    Is it the nipple breaking? Those wheels use alloy nipples which fatigue easily and snap. Plus they round when you try to tension them.

    The spokes are DT Swiss (at least mine were) so fairly good quality. I just rebuilt mine with the same spokes and brass nipples following the wheelpro book, cost about 10 quid for 100 nipples.

    foxyrider
    Free Member

    I have a cheap truing stand (minora) and is nice – you don’t need a tensiometer as said above. Its up to you – rebuild or leave and just replace spokes as they bust?

    BTW I have some Mavic Aksiums and I have had 2 broken spokes on the rear – replaced and nothing for a year!

Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)

The topic ‘re-spoking a wheel’ is closed to new replies.