Anybody keep a spare back wheel?

prj45

I go through back wheels like the cookie monster goes through cookies.

After pinging a spoke last week I've not had a chance to get it to the LBS for a fix, so after staring wistfully at some beautiful mornings from the window of a tube train whilst my bike languishes in the shed I'm consdering getting this wheel repaired, and also buying a spare.

I figure if I buy a spare wheel with a cluster/block on it, and ensure I check my chain for wear and "stretch" I should be able to swap the wheels around without too much trouble (I get through chains every couple of months).

Or should I only have one the cluster/block and move it when when I swap the wheels out?

Anybody else keep a spare back wheel?

redddraggon

prj45 wrote:

Anybody else keep a spare back wheel?

I've got 3 sets of wheels, though one of the back wheels maybe a bit knackered. Each rear wheel has a cassette on it. I change my chain regularly aswell.

craker

I've got a spare bike.. (well 4 if you include the unicycle).

My latest, a 12 speed 80s Raliegh ,came from the rubbish dump, complete. I pumped up the tyres, they stayed inflated. :-)

e999sam

After recently destroying 2 back wheels I considered getting a spare pair but then I saw that Decathlon did a pair of wheels for £90.(They are not the best wheels around but they would do as temporary measure.) I thought why bother buying a pair when Decathlon are open 7 days a week so if I need another rear wheel I can just go down and get one.

BentMikey

Crikey mate! How much do you weigh, and what sort of mileage are you doing to go through that many rear wheels?

Shadowduck

As with mr_si, I have a spare bike - or rather I have two and use both. I can't afford to be stuck without transport and this way I don't have to faff about trying to fix an overnight p*nct*re (you know the ones - it's fine when you leave it and flat in the morning) or some other mechanical before I can go to work!

ademort

Hi i keep a spare set of wheels for each of my two racing bikes. I have a Gazelle racing bike for work with shimano wheels and cassette. Its really handy if you brake a spoke and do not have time to repair it. I can just change the wheel and fix the other wheel when i have time. I do the same with my Carbon racing bike, Campag wheels just change the wheel and do the repair when it suits me. Of course it means having a full set of wheels with tyres, tubes and cassette so it is rather expensive.and for some people they have no room in the house for more gear. However if you have the room and your budget allows it then a spare set of wheels complete, is definitely worth the investment.I would like to add that for me personally i need my bike for work, its an absolute must in my case, so a spare set of wheels gives me piece of mind. regards ademort

Drfabulous0

I can't bring myself to throw away a working wheel so I have various spares kicking about, comes in handy to have one available in a pinch.

Brains

For £90 you could get a decent 2nd hand bike, so rather than buy a spare wheel, go the whole hog and get a spare bike, as you never know what is going to fail next

prj45

BentMikey wrote:

Crikey mate! How much do you weigh, and what sort of mileage are you doing to go through that many rear wheels?

22 stone (will go down to about 17), 110 miles a week.

prj45

Well, I did buy a spare wheel today (as well as getting my current one fixed), however, I think the shop has given me one that's too wide as when I fit it, the brake rubs on it, and there's no adjustment room left to resolve this.

I'm going to check the specs of the rim tomorrow.

Thinner pads with less of a shoulder might sort it; at the moment the brake lever stops because the top of my (freshly grrr) fitted pads rests against the frame, but I'm a bit pi55ed off to be honest cos I explicitly asked for a wheel I could simply swap around, and I'd taken my other wheel in to make sure this happened.

alfablue

That is poor service from yourt LBS, you should (unless your original is an obscure brand or size) be able to replace it with no brake adjustmnet. They must take it back!

prj45

alfablue wrote:

That is poor service from yourt LBS, you should (unless your original is an obscure brand or size) be able to replace it with no brake adjustmnet. They must take it back!

Yup, the wheel I handed in for repair is 662-14 and the new wheel they sold me when I said I wanted a wheel I could swap around is 622-19, which is too wide for the frame unless they sell 3mm width brake blocks.

Bluddy hell.

redddraggon

prj45 wrote:

alfablue wrote:

That is poor service from yourt LBS, you should (unless your original is an obscure brand or size) be able to replace it with no brake adjustmnet. They must take it back!

Yup, the wheel I handed in for repair is 662-14 and the new wheel they sold me when I said I wanted a wheel I could swap around is 622-19, which is too wide for the frame unless they sell 3mm width brake blocks.

Bluddy hell.

Take it back! When I had a collision with a car I took the bike to LBS for repair and they fitted a silver front wheel, I told them to get a black wheel instead.

You're the customer!

prj45

redddraggon wrote:

Take it back! When I had a collision with a car I took the bike to LBS for repair and they fitted a silver front wheel, I told them to get a black wheel instead.

You're the customer!

Ah, they did that to me as well a few weeks back. I said I was disappointed that they hadn't matched the black back wheel, but he just fobbed me off and said the rim was better anyway.

I was so keen to get back on my bike I let it go.

BentMikey

prj45 wrote:

22 stone (will go down to about 17), 110 miles a week.

That doesn't seem bad, certainly not enough to be writing off wheels left right and centre. Some decent quality well built wheels should last you for years really. How's your route, very bumpy as well?

neslon

I agree with mikey, you seem to be eating wheels at an astonishing rate. My winter Ridgeback hybrid is from the dawn of time, and is still on the original boolaz (admittedly, with some new bearings and a bit of spokery). I want to change them for some lighter stuff, but I'm too mean to not wear something out first. Perhaps you could pop up to the toon & put in a week or so for me....

prj45

This is what I did to some good quality Mavics after about six months or so, the cracks started appearing even earlier: -

Drfabulous0

That's just poor building and/or maintenance, keep your spokes well tensioned and it won't happen.

prj45

Well, after quite a long wait (my stars Evans were a bit crap there), I've got my spare wheel.

My other wheel has just popped its second spoke in as many weeks, snapped right where they start curving round to go into the hub. Don't know if it was the same spoke or not, so got to get scientific on that (I'm suspicious that some burs on the hub where the spoeks have pulled into the metal are doing the popping, but it might just be I need it completely re-spoked).

My new wheel though is a Mavic Open Sport 622 x 14, with a Shimano Tiagra 36 hole hub, I've booted it up with a Nimbus Arrrmadillo 700 x 28c pumped up to 130psi.

Going to put it on tomorrow and make my other wheel the spare.

Wonder how long it'll last before: -

a) I pop a spoke
b) I crack the rim

redddraggon

prj45 wrote:

I've booted it up with a Nimbus Arrrmadillo 700 x 28c pumped up to 130psi.

130psi is rather high for 28mm tyres. I use 110 - 120 psi for 23mm tyres. I wouldn't be surprised if that contributed to the failing rims.

prj45

redddraggon wrote:

130psi is rather high for 28mm tyres. I use 110 - 120 psi for 23mm tyres. I wouldn't be surprised if that contributed to the failing rims.

I did consider this, I might go down to 110 on the back, the rims are rated to 147 though. It does feel a slightly slimey on the back at 110 and I'm worried about pinch flats (I'm 22 stone but ride racer boy fast).

I fitted the wheel today, and to my amusment segments of the thicker armadillo tyre rub on the back of the front derailer collar, only a kiss mind you, so I'm hoping as the tyre wears out a bit this will go away, very tight clearence though, no tolerance at all really.

prj45

prj45 wrote:

My new wheel though is a Mavic Open Sport 622 x 14, with a Shimano Tiagra 36 hole hub, I've booted it up with a Nimbus Arrrmadillo 700 x 28c pumped up to 130psi.

Going to put it on tomorrow and make my other wheel the spare.

Wonder how long it'll last before: -

a) I pop a spoke
b) I crack the rim

Four months. Changing my tyre out today (the rubber had come off in patches) and noticed two cracks in the rim, diametrically opposite each other eminating from the spoke holes. I didn't notice anything last time I cleaned the baike about four weeks ago, so they must've made an appearence since then.

I'm gong to keep riding on it and monitor, but I don't think it's got too long.

ho hum, another £70.00, still cheaper than the tube though, but not much

attica

Sometimes the good folk of your LBS will prioritise the sale over everything else, it's Bl**dy annoying but worth watching out for.

When I bought my first pair of shoes I got sold a pair that were half a size too small - when I queried it I was told "I always screw my feet up in a sprint, you'll be fine" by Joe LBS.
I was young and foolish enough to believe him. Spent years in those shoes before I could afford another pair (I saved for months for those damned things too)

A couple of weeks back I went into the Bristol branch of Evans, I asked if an SRAM chain link could be fitted to a 10 spd Ultegra chain, the reply "this 8 speed link will work, it might affect the shifting a bit but it will work" this for a sale of less than a tenner, I declined this time!

PRJ45 - Get yourself a chain whip and a cassette removal tool, very easy to use, you can swap the cassette between wheels saving you the wear issues.
As for getting through a chain every couple of months, do you lube at all? how about cleaning your chain too.

recommend one of these http://www.zyro.co.uk/product_detail.asp?pid=903

I degrease and relube about every 200 miles or so or more often if it's wet.