I’m after some opinions on these spokes on a new wheelset. I didn’t notice anything wrong during a quick inspection on their arrival. I’ve now had them a month and a half. The bends are quite subtle. I did notice something a while back but was uncertain due to way the spokes need to bend where they cross each other.

The company’s returns page says damaged items should be returned with 7 days so they can blame courier if necessary. Box was perfect. There’s no markings on the spokes. It looks to me like they were bent when built.

Are the wheels true?

Have you used them in those 6 weeks?
I’ve got a couple of spokes on my wheels like that, just dings I’ve picked up.

Front has about 1~2mm lateral wobble. Rear has 0.5~1mm radial wobble. Unused. They’re for a bike build which I’ve been buying the parts for over the last few months, and setting the tubeless wheels up was the first thing I’ve started last night.

Maybe just need tensioning /truing a bit?

Do new wheels need to bed in a bit? Not really sure.

I wouldn’t be happy with even slightly bent spokes on a new build. Most of my purchases are s/h hence I expect new to be perfect.

Maybe try tension relieving them. Do one side at a time, just grab 2 spokes that are next to each other, then squeeze them together as hard as you can with one hand. Repeat all the way round, then do the other side. It might settle them down a bit, but also may need re truing afterwards.
Get Roger Musson’s e book, its all explained, plus you could learn to build, repair, true your own wheels.

To me that looks like a badly machine built wheel, could be wind-up on the spokes or just where the builder bent them during assembly. Where did you get it from?

Quick test, rest the axle on a block of wood and put your weight on your arms on opposite sides of the rim (be gentler on a road rim, but an mtb rim should take almost your full ‘press up’ weight). If you hear any ‘pings’ then the spokes are badly wound up which means the tension is all over the place.

If it were mine I’d get a truing stand and tension gauge, loosen off all the nipples until the thread just begins to show then bring the tension up gradually truing as you go. The Sheldon Brown website has a good guide to building wheels, just skip past the assembly bit to the truing/tensioning bit. Worth doing as well built wheels feel much nicer and last a lot longer, badly built wheels at best go out of true, worst fall apart.

I’ll try contacting supplier see what they say. Not very happy with the wheels. Wheel truing/building is one of the few jobs I’ve not worked up courage to try. Though I did buy RM’s book last year, still apprehensive. Thanks for input.

If you get no joy from the builder and can get them to Salisbury, I’m happy to have a look at them, if you are miles away its probably not worth it though.

Planet X said I should have reported them within 7 days in order for repair/replacement/refund under warantee. I explained why it took me so long (because they were for a build I wasn’t ready to start work on, and the faults are pretty subtle and I didn’t notice them at first). Not interested. From what I told them, they say the spokes are loose, and getting them tensioned will remove the kinks.

So I left them with LBS over w/e to look over them and tell me what’s what. The wheels are structurally fine, it’s only aesthetic. Would appear to them that the spokes would have been bent during lacing. Drive side of rear wheel couldn’t be tensioned further without causing problems (which is where the most kinked spoke is). £40-45 to replace all spokes, less if I just get the worst of them done.

Pretty hacked off that Planet X are now selling these wheels at £99 (rrp £400) but I’m going to have pay to get wheels fixed before I’ve even ridden them, which all in will be near to double that.

FWIW I had exactly the same with Superstar earlier this year- wheel had been built with bent spokes, no idea how that gets past QC. But they fixed it quickly and without a grumble because they knew they’d ****ed up.

But this is PX, even lower standards. I know it’s not helpful right now but, you shouldn’t be shocked, they’re known thieves.

buy another set?

learn to build your own wheels?

do both?

win

win

(subtle bend in a steel spoke is surely no big deal – though I’d check for major bendy marks but I bet it’s just the YTS lad not being cautious when lacing)

Buy another identical set, hope they turn up fine.

Send these old ones back for refund under warranty…