Re-spoke or New Wheel?

zanelad

Hello All,

I ride a Ridgeback Velocity to lose some weight and get a little fitter. The good news is that it is working, the bad news is that I keep breaking spokes in the rear wheel. I ride on the road, don't bounce up or down kerbs and avoid potholes etc.. but the spokes keep breaking.

Th bike has the original wheels and I am wondering if it would be better to buy a new wheel that is suitable for a larger rider (16 stone, if you must know :oops: ) or have the damaged spokes replaced.

The spokes that are breaking are the original ones. The replacement ones have a steel finish and the originals are black.

Can one get "stronger" spokes? The originals seem very thin.

Any advice, piss takes and funny comments welcome.

Thanks in anticipation.

Crapaud

According to the spec on CycleSurgery you've got 36 hole rims, so the wheels should be robust.

First, I'd check the spoke tensioning; twang each spoke like plucking a harp. They should all make the same sound, if not, the spokes need re-tensioned, and probably trued - a job for the LBS.

I'd base the decision on whether or not to buy new wheels on how old the bike was; if it's fairy new I'd persist with the present ones to get some wear out of them and then upgrade when they were worn.

I doubt your weight's got anything to do with the spokes breaking, it's more likely that, as the bike's at the cheap end of the spectrum (nowt wrong with that), that economies have been made in the wheels. Keep cycling and it won't be an issue.

Welcome to the forum, Zanelad.

zanelad

Thank Crapaud,

The bike's 16 months old and used 5 or 6 days a weelk to a 16 mile circuit. I have the spokes replaced and the wheel trued at the LBS. I just wonder if I'd be better off spending the money on a new wheel rather than keep repairing the old one. The other idea is to have the LBS replace all the spokes in one go.

I guess I'll pop aloong and see what they recommed and what the costs are.