CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

Broken spoke - repair wheel or just replace?

(13 posts)
  • Started 5 years ago by crowriver
  • Latest reply from Snowy
  • This topic is not resolved
  • poll: Repair or replace?
    Repair the wheel : (8 votes)
    67 %
    Replace the wheel : (1 votes)
    8 %
    Upgrade the transmission to 8 speed or higher : (1 votes)
    8 %
    Just buy a new bike : (2 votes)
    17 %
    Downsize the stable and get rid of this bike : (0 votes)
    Cycling at your age? : (0 votes)

    12 votes

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  1. crowriver
    Member

    I was all set to go on a day ride in the Borders this morning, but I just needed to adjust the rear brake on my tourer. I noticed on Saturday it had been rubbing.

    Adjusted brake, checked back wheel, still rubbing. Then eventually I noticed a broken spoke, snapped off at the hub. Okay then, no day ride for me - could manage pottering around town but potentially catastrophic on a steep descent in the Moorfoots.

    The wheel is "vintage": nice Mavic rims, but the hubs and spokes are nothing special: bolt axle, loose ball bearings, 6 speed freewheel. It's not a job I'm confident to do myself without nagging worries about the wheel not being correctly tensioned. My LBS (Eastside) charges £15 plus cost of new spoke to true a wheel, but I was thinking while I'm at it may as well get the hub serviced - another £15. Total bill - £30, but I'm still running a wheel that has had quite a bit of use these past 8 years or so. There may be other spokes about to go, or issues with the rim so far undetected.

    For not much more I could pick up an inexpensive new replacement, maybe not Mavic rims but a new hub and freewheel, new spokes. Or upgrade and get a slightly nicer back wheel, though the choices for six speed are not great. I don't want to start replacing the transmission just so I can get a fancier wheel - the original SIS six speed derailleur seems to be pretty bulletproof and reliable, I'm loath to replace with a modern plastic thing which will wear out after a short time.

    So the question is: repair or replace?

    Comments welcome while I try to decide one way or the other.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  2. urchaidh
    Member

    @iwrats (very generously) gave me a lesson on replacing spokes and truing wheels using the stands at the Bike Station. It's quite an enjoyable and rewarding task, so since then I've been doing it myself.

    I'd had a run of broken spokes, but none since I started checking and truing the wheels every few months.

    I did end up buying a truing stand, so not sure if I've broken even yet. It's not as good as the ones at the bike station, but you're welcome to borrow it if you want to try.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  3. wishicouldgofaster
    Member

    I was going to vote new wheel as my experience is that more spokes will probably go soon. Then I noticed your bike was 8 years old so I think you should teat yourself to a new one :)

    Posted 5 years ago #

  4. crowriver
    Member

    @wishicouldgofaster: the bike's a lot more than 8 years old! I've been using it for that long, previous owner just left it in the garage for 15 years or so. I don't think I actually own a bike that is less than 8 years old...

    @urchaidh, I actually have a truing stand, which I have used for replacing rims (like for like) and tweaking wheels which were out of true. However I'm just wondering whether it's worth the bother of repairing this wheel. Also as it's at the rear of a touring bike which I expect to carry reasonable loads, I don't feel confident I can re-build the wheel to sufficient strength.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  5. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Rim brakes I take it? Wear on the rim will be the decider at this age. Sounds like it's done well.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  6. Baldcyclist
    Member

    I'd probably repair the wheel myself, a spoke's a quid. Even if you do end up having to buy a new one, you're no (almost) worse off.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  7. stiltskin
    Member

    Think of the planet. New spoke.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  8. le_soigneur
    Member

    If you've been happy touring with heavy loads on this wheel before, then just 1 new spoke ain't suddenly turn it into a wafer wheel. Sounds like you're well experienced already to fix it.
    (assuming the rims aren't already past the wear marks).

    The hub might benefit from some oil.

    In fact if it was me heading out on a long spin and I found a broken spoke, I'd just have carried on (taking a spoke key, chain whip and spare spoke with me in case another drive-side spoke failed on the ride.)

    Posted 5 years ago #

  9. crowriver
    Member

    @le_soigneur, point taken. I did consider just soldiering on, but the fact it's already affecting the braking was a decider. The wheel is well out of true, and riding back over the Moorfoots from Innerleithen I reckoned might just lead to a few more broken spokes and at minimum an emergency taxi home...

    @IWRATS, yep. The rims are from an era before wear indicators were common. They've had some use but don't look worn out.

    @stiltskin, well I would but it will be a faff. It's drive-side, which means most likely having to remove the screw-on freewheel in order to feed a spoke through the hole in the hub. If I can get the freewheel off at all: it's been on there for quite a long time. Given that I've been riding with a broken spoke for a couple of days (though not very far) I may have weakened other spokes too in the process.

    Maybe I'll just repair it myself. Balance of opinion in the wee poll seems to favour this outcome. Just the general faffage putting me off. Buying a new wheel (or even a new bike) is quite tempting it must be said...

    Posted 5 years ago #

  10. Trixie
    Member

    I'd give the repair a shot. Meaning I'd pay someone to do it.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  11. crowriver
    Member

    Thanks for the views folks.

    After reading through these, and having mulled things over, I am going to do the following:

    - Buy a new wheel. A straight replacement for what I have costs the same as paying the LBS to repair it and service the hub. That includes a new freewheel and new, unworn rims.

    - Order some spokes of the correct length to a) repair the old wheel and b) keep as spares for other wheels. Repairing the old wheel will be a good test of my freewheel removing, spoke fitting and wheel truing skills (or lack of, depending on the outcome).

    - Look at purchasing a new tourer in the future, probably something with disc brakes as I understand that is all the rage nowadays, plus no more worn rims. Then I might possibly turn my existing tourer back into a hybrid by converting back to non-drop bars. Still have some north road bars sporting thumb shifters in the garage somewhere.....ultimately I'll still need a "park anywhere" bike so this could be a prudent move.

    - Reschedule the day ride and do it on a different bike.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  12. crowriver
    Member

    So the new back wheel arrived today (Parcelforce deliver on a Sunday it seems!).

    I duly removed the old wheel and fitted the new one, re-using the old tyre and tube. Adjusted cantilever brakes very slightly for the new rims. Adjusted the rear derailleur to the new freewheel, which seems very slightly further to the left on the biggest cog. Got it shifting nicely, so bike off the stand and a quick spin to check everything is okay.

    Shifting while riding is not quite so assured, and there's a bit of what sounds like chain rub on the freewheel cogs while pedalling. Adjusted cable tension on the rear derailleur, which seems to have improved shifting, but the chain rub noise is still there.

    Is it possible the derailleur is still not quite aligned properly? Or is it that the old 6 speed chain is a bit chunky for the new 6 speed freewheel? Certainly seems to be engaging properly on the stand, but why the skittishness when riding? Is it just new freewheel cogs are sharper, less worn and a bit noisier?

    Any thoughts from the assembled collective?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  13. Snowy
    Member

    If it's low-level noise and consistent across the cassette, I'd probably agree it might just quieten down after some mileage.
    Are the jockey wheels in reasonable nick?

    Posted 5 years ago #

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