First breakdown yesterday - standard stuff?
Discussion
I'm pretty new to roadbikes, bought myself a nice (well nice for beginner!) Giant Defy Composite 2 back at the start of May and I've been enjoying it ever since.
I'm primarily a runner, but 3 months of injury during which I could still cycle has meant the bike has stopped me going stir crazy at times.
Completed my first 100mile Sportive last month (Wiggle Yorkshire) and went out for my first ride since yesterday - I was going to cycle over to support friends in the York Marathon (circa 60mile round trip) but thankfully I decided to just do a shorter local loop as 23miles in a spoke on the rear wheel snapped.
Now I was lucky really;
1. It wasn't during the sportive.
2. I was only 2 miles from home.
3. It happened right outside a really good pie shop
It's knocked my confidence in the bike a little though, and I do worry about the chance of it happening in the absolute middle of nowhere
Early on, I had to have the bike back as I had trouble with a couple of spokes coming loose in that wheel - so is it a fairly common issue we just need to deal with? Have I got an iffy wheel? Or is it bad luck and unlikely to happen again?
Cheers
I'm primarily a runner, but 3 months of injury during which I could still cycle has meant the bike has stopped me going stir crazy at times.
Completed my first 100mile Sportive last month (Wiggle Yorkshire) and went out for my first ride since yesterday - I was going to cycle over to support friends in the York Marathon (circa 60mile round trip) but thankfully I decided to just do a shorter local loop as 23miles in a spoke on the rear wheel snapped.
Now I was lucky really;
1. It wasn't during the sportive.
2. I was only 2 miles from home.
3. It happened right outside a really good pie shop
It's knocked my confidence in the bike a little though, and I do worry about the chance of it happening in the absolute middle of nowhere
Early on, I had to have the bike back as I had trouble with a couple of spokes coming loose in that wheel - so is it a fairly common issue we just need to deal with? Have I got an iffy wheel? Or is it bad luck and unlikely to happen again?
Cheers
There's a device called Fibre Fix (or similar) which is a thin, kevlar string to take the place of the knackered spoke and is good enough to get you home. Haven't used one myself, but was talking to a chap who had to use it on his rear wheel and it had covered nearly hundred miles down the Trans Pennine Trail without a problem.
How out of true was the wheel? How Many spokes does the wheel have? How heavy are you?
Wheels on most bikes under 2 grand arent that great (there are exceptions) , I have seen loads snap in a similar way. You should be able to get a year out of them at least though with maybe one or two snapping.
I snapped a spoke on my OEM wheels, was fine managed to do 40 miles home, including a high speed chain gang section downhill. The wheel only had 20 spokes as well. I just loosened off the brake, checked the rest and bent the spoke round another spoke
Another guy I know snapped one and it was so out of true it rubbed his frame and ate into the carbon!!!
You could always carry a spare spoke and a nipple key, but most wheels now have their own proprietary spokes, which is a pita . You could buy some decent hand made wheels with a high "standard" spoke count, meaning they are less likely to fail, if they do due to the high spoke count the wheel will be fine to ride and replacement spokes will be easy to get.
Wheels on most bikes under 2 grand arent that great (there are exceptions) , I have seen loads snap in a similar way. You should be able to get a year out of them at least though with maybe one or two snapping.
I snapped a spoke on my OEM wheels, was fine managed to do 40 miles home, including a high speed chain gang section downhill. The wheel only had 20 spokes as well. I just loosened off the brake, checked the rest and bent the spoke round another spoke
Another guy I know snapped one and it was so out of true it rubbed his frame and ate into the carbon!!!
You could always carry a spare spoke and a nipple key, but most wheels now have their own proprietary spokes, which is a pita . You could buy some decent hand made wheels with a high "standard" spoke count, meaning they are less likely to fail, if they do due to the high spoke count the wheel will be fine to ride and replacement spokes will be easy to get.
I like that term Thanks guys, some decent advice and it seems it's not an unheard of.
To clarify, I've just checked spoke count and weight;
28 spokes
14st 11lb (I'm a runner, but I'll never be a skinny runner and I've put at least a stone on while I haven't been running).
I think it's clear that on my bike the wheels should be the first item on the 'upgrades' list, but we're having some work done on the house at the moment so not really ideal timing.
How much would I need to spend and what would you recommend?
Oh and I went for the 'wife extraction' option yesterday
To clarify, I've just checked spoke count and weight;
28 spokes
14st 11lb (I'm a runner, but I'll never be a skinny runner and I've put at least a stone on while I haven't been running).
I think it's clear that on my bike the wheels should be the first item on the 'upgrades' list, but we're having some work done on the house at the moment so not really ideal timing.
How much would I need to spend and what would you recommend?
Oh and I went for the 'wife extraction' option yesterday
I've had three spokes go in the same wheel on separate occasions, on a 20spoke front, it was a crisp each time and unrideable. After the third wife extraction, I decided to rebuild it with a complete set of spokes. did it myself with a spoke key and a spare fork. Just went round the wheel, loosening 1/4 turn each until they were all slack, replaced 1 for 1 each spoke and binned the old ones, then re-tensioned it.
To be fair, it was a second-hand wheel, given as a gift by a buddy - "if you can straighten it, you can have it" which I did, but it kept popping spokes. I just assumed they were all stressed and needed to start over. I only did it because, Free, and Easton rim and hub in wonderful condition. came up nice.
Your wheel though on a new bike - claim if you can - why not. it should do 1000's of miles if it was built properly.
To be fair, it was a second-hand wheel, given as a gift by a buddy - "if you can straighten it, you can have it" which I did, but it kept popping spokes. I just assumed they were all stressed and needed to start over. I only did it because, Free, and Easton rim and hub in wonderful condition. came up nice.
Your wheel though on a new bike - claim if you can - why not. it should do 1000's of miles if it was built properly.
I think spokes, cables, tyres, tubes, bearings, bar tape etc would be consumables.
If you have a spoke snap whilst you're out then there are a few options:
1. Don't fix it. You can easily bend the remaining bits of spoke around the nearby good spokes to keep it from catching on the frame/forks. Then open up the brakes using the toggle thing you use to open them when removing the wheel. Of course you can't then use that brake, but you have the other brake so just take it easy.
2. Temporary fix. If you have a spoke tool then you can adjust the adjacent spokes. You'll want to add tension to the ones on the side with the snap and loosen the ones on the other side. This will bring the wheel nearer to true. You may then be able to get away with leaving the brakes in position (instead of opening them right out). You may need to take a bit of tension off the brakes using the barrel adjuster in case there's still some run out, but at least you'll have partial use of the brake.
3. Proper fix. This only really applies if it's on the front, or the non drive side of the rear. If you carry a spare spoke taped to your frame then you can whip off the wheel, tyre, tube, rim tape and feed the remains of the old broken spoke out and replace with the new one. If it's on the drive side of the rear wheel this isn't really possible because the cassette will be in the way.
I'm sure there's a video on the GCN channel about this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJahexpTlr8
If you have a spoke snap whilst you're out then there are a few options:
1. Don't fix it. You can easily bend the remaining bits of spoke around the nearby good spokes to keep it from catching on the frame/forks. Then open up the brakes using the toggle thing you use to open them when removing the wheel. Of course you can't then use that brake, but you have the other brake so just take it easy.
2. Temporary fix. If you have a spoke tool then you can adjust the adjacent spokes. You'll want to add tension to the ones on the side with the snap and loosen the ones on the other side. This will bring the wheel nearer to true. You may then be able to get away with leaving the brakes in position (instead of opening them right out). You may need to take a bit of tension off the brakes using the barrel adjuster in case there's still some run out, but at least you'll have partial use of the brake.
3. Proper fix. This only really applies if it's on the front, or the non drive side of the rear. If you carry a spare spoke taped to your frame then you can whip off the wheel, tyre, tube, rim tape and feed the remains of the old broken spoke out and replace with the new one. If it's on the drive side of the rear wheel this isn't really possible because the cassette will be in the way.
I'm sure there's a video on the GCN channel about this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJahexpTlr8
mrmr96 said:
I think spokes, cables, tyres, tubes, bearings, bar tape etc would be consumables.
If you have a spoke snap whilst you're out then there are a few options:
1. Don't fix it. You can easily bend the remaining bits of spoke around the nearby good spokes to keep it from catching on the frame/forks. Then open up the brakes using the toggle thing you use to open them when removing the wheel. Of course you can't then use that brake, but you have the other brake so just take it easy.
2. Temporary fix. If you have a spoke tool then you can adjust the adjacent spokes. You'll want to add tension to the ones on the side with the snap and loosen the ones on the other side. This will bring the wheel nearer to true. You may then be able to get away with leaving the brakes in position (instead of opening them right out). You may need to take a bit of tension off the brakes using the barrel adjuster in case there's still some run out, but at least you'll have partial use of the brake.
3. Proper fix. This only really applies if it's on the front, or the non drive side of the rear. If you carry a spare spoke taped to your frame then you can whip off the wheel, tyre, tube, rim tape and feed the remains of the old broken spoke out and replace with the new one. If it's on the drive side of the rear wheel this isn't really possible because the cassette will be in the way.
I'm sure there's a video on the GCN channel about this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJahexpTlr8
Really informative, thanks.If you have a spoke snap whilst you're out then there are a few options:
1. Don't fix it. You can easily bend the remaining bits of spoke around the nearby good spokes to keep it from catching on the frame/forks. Then open up the brakes using the toggle thing you use to open them when removing the wheel. Of course you can't then use that brake, but you have the other brake so just take it easy.
2. Temporary fix. If you have a spoke tool then you can adjust the adjacent spokes. You'll want to add tension to the ones on the side with the snap and loosen the ones on the other side. This will bring the wheel nearer to true. You may then be able to get away with leaving the brakes in position (instead of opening them right out). You may need to take a bit of tension off the brakes using the barrel adjuster in case there's still some run out, but at least you'll have partial use of the brake.
3. Proper fix. This only really applies if it's on the front, or the non drive side of the rear. If you carry a spare spoke taped to your frame then you can whip off the wheel, tyre, tube, rim tape and feed the remains of the old broken spoke out and replace with the new one. If it's on the drive side of the rear wheel this isn't really possible because the cassette will be in the way.
I'm sure there's a video on the GCN channel about this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJahexpTlr8
Just one thing to be careful of riding a bent wheel (and I don't normally support carbon scaremongering) - if it's a composite frame, be careful it isn't rubbing against the frame. You'd be surprised how quickly that can do significant damage to the frame.
Otherwise, what everyone else said.
Otherwise, what everyone else said.
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