Breaking spokes..Am I too heavy?

Wozmon

Hi all.

This is my first post here after lurking for quite some time.

I'm the proud owner of a Cannondale Quick CX Hybrid which I'm using as a fitness/weight reduction tool. Up until last week I've had no issues with the bike at all until I broke a single spoke on the rear wheel. I stopped riding, took the wheel to where I purchased the bike from and they replaced the spoke. However, I've just got in from a 16 mile ride this morning and I've found another broken spoke on the rear.

I'm wondering about a couple of things, and I thought I'd ask the much more experienced riders here of their opinions.

Am I too heavy to be riding? I currently weigh a touch under 21 stone and am 6'3. (Working on the weight loss!)

Should I take the wheel back to where it was repaired and complain?

I've no idea if these things just happen, or if the wheel wasn't tensioned correctly.

Any advice you might be able to give would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.

ollyridesfirst

how many spokes does the wheel have? make/model of wheel? or is it a stock set?

Wozmon

The wheels are 32 spoke Maddux TC 5.0 that came with the bike when I purchased it.

Mr Bungle

mmmmm
I have a cannondale CAAD 8 with Madux wheels

In 2 years I have broken 3 spokes all in the back wheel. The LBS ended up rebuilding with better spokes.

Im no expert, but from what I am told , once you have broken a spoke, a repeat is more likely unless you rebuild as it puts loads of stress on other spokes.

Maybe this is why the LBS ended up rebuilding (at no cost to me).

horrible feeling isnt it - the worry of going too far and ended up stranded I would advise rebuilding with better spokes if the problem repeats as I have not had the problem since doing this..

cougie

I think you may be straining the spokes a tad there. But mist people break spokes - even at half your weight they Still occasionally break.

I'd take it back and get some spares and learn to replace them yourself. It's very easy to do.

sungod

as above, if one spoke breaks, it increases the load on adjacent spokes

so if you only replace the failed spoke, the chances are that one of the others will go, mechanic in a bike shop ought to know this!

best is to replace failed spoke, plus the adjacent spokes

as to why it broke in the first place, many possibilities, including...

i) spoke tension was uneven, it can happen over time, but new wheels can be way out as well
ii) weight, although for 32 spoke wheels i'd think you'd be ok as long as they're built/tensioned correctly
iii) spoke damaged by something
iv) corrosion
v) stuff just fails

you don't say how long you've been riding the bike, if it's fairly new then i'd go for the first one

wishitwasallflat

Hi if it helps I am same sort of weight as you and I rode a Carrera Crossfire hybrid with the specced wheel for about a year with no problems. Then a spoke broke and I thought little of it and got it repalced at an lbs. About a monht later another broke and then I got five replaced - the one that broke and a couple either side that looked a bit ropey (chain is spoke damage probably) and it was ok after that for another 2-3 months.

I replaced the wheels with other 32 spoke types after a while and have never (touch wood had any problems with those) once I put an extra half turn on each spoke over what the lbs set them at. I just bought a new bike a few weeks ago - 32 spoke wheels and it seems fine. I read a post elsewhere that its only real top of the range super lightweight wheels where rider weight is a real issue.