un-fooooooking-believable! Need Wheel repair!

iclestu

Bit of fencing wire attached to one of those tension things got kicked up by my front wheel, caught up in my chain and sent it + the wire round my rear wheel taking out 5 spokes!

1 in a million chance!!! absolutely unbelievable. How I never came off I dont know - Rear just locked up instantly. Never saw it coming at all

testament to the rim and wheel build on the dawes that I managed to hobble and wobble the remaining 8 miles (!) home.

Have pinched the rear wheel off the Boardman for tomorrow but fooking hell. what are the chances!?



I got no car to drop the damaged wheel off anywhere. Anyone know of a mail-based wheel repair shop?

cyclingprop

Where are you based?

iclestu

cyclingprop wrote:

Where are you based?

Barnsley-ish

cyclingprop

You could attach the casualty with bungee cord to your back and bike to a builder - have seen it done in London. Otherwise look at how much a can to a wheel builder would be; must be about the same a postage?

rolf_f

Spa Cycles at Harrogate are an obvious option - they do a good touring wheel and do repairs.

iclestu

Rolf F wrote:

Spa Cycles at Harrogate are an obvious option - they do a good touring wheel and do repairs.

You never saw my previous post about them (or you did and are making fun). Maybe I burned my bridges!

Harrogate is a long way from Barnsley anyways....

SimonAH

If five spokes (unless weird super skinny aero things) got taken out then that was a SH1T load of force. How is the rim? I'd be tempted to write off the damage, save the hub (if it's a good one) for a future build and just buy a new wheel. 80/90 quid will buy something good, and a bike shop isn't going to charge much less to rebuild the wreckage I wouldn't have thought?

iclestu

SimonAH wrote:

If five spokes (unless weird super skinny aero things) got taken out then that was a SH1T load of force.

def not super skinny aero things. it got all mangled up between wheel and drive train and caused havoc. Wasn't going particularly fast.

SimonAH wrote:

How is the rim?

very much out of true but seems ok other than that to the untrained eye

SimonAH wrote:

I'd be tempted to write off the damage, save the hub (if it's a good one) for a future build and just buy a new wheel. 80/90 quid will buy something good, and a bike shop isn't going to charge much less to rebuild the wreckage I wouldn't have thought?

but its brand new and shiny and matches the front one!

veronese68

Once again I agree with SiAH. If the rim is that far out of true it may be fubar. Keep the hub, I'm sure you can get another wheel built around it.

rolf_f

iclestu wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Spa Cycles at Harrogate are an obvious option - they do a good touring wheel and do repairs.

You never saw my previous post about them (or you did and are making fun). Maybe I burned my bridges!

Harrogate is a long way from Barnsley anyways....

I can't remember where I lived yesterday let alone who posted what last month etc but something rings a bell! Mind you, Harrogate is eminently cycleable from Barnsley though possibly not with a wheel on your back!

You could order a replacement identical rim and transfer the hub and spokes one spoke at a time. Then, if it needs it, get it fettled by an LBS.

iclestu

the consensus of opinion here is that the rim is goosed?

in which case SimonAH is probably right. May as well get a new wheel...

Bollcocks and gargoyles

Monkeypump

Or see it as an opportunity to upgrade both wheels?

rolf_f

SimonAH wrote:

80/90 quid will buy something good, and a bike shop isn't going to charge much less to rebuild the wreckage I wouldn't have thought?

Hmmm, not sure about that. The Deore LX, Rigida Chrina, Sapim spoked wheels I got from Spa cost £80 an end.

The rim and hub count for £30 and presumably the spokes another tenner. So the build is about £40. Even if all the spokes need replacing, you'll still only be down for £65 at that rate (and if you did it yourself maybe £35). Depends really if the existing wheel was any good.

Jay dubbleU

Try Spa Cycles at Harrogate - they can be a bit abrasive depending on who you talk to but they build excellent wheels and not overly expensive

UndercoverElephant

A lot of wheel-builders won't even touch a wheel repair unless the wheel has been properly built from quality components in the first place, it's not worth replacing a broken spoke even on some builds, as the customer will just come back and complain when another one goes in a week or so.

If you've taken out five spokes completely, chances are you've pretty much goosed a few more. I would be building a new wheel, but buying a hand-built would work out well.

Spa cycles have a good name.

iclestu

this conversation, and my stubborn determination to avoid spa, is leading inescapably to the following question:

how difficult is it to build/repair wheels and how much do the associated truing stands/dishy sticks/nipple clamps cost?

UndercoverElephant

iclestu wrote:

this conversation, and my stubborn determination to avoid spa, is leading inescapably to the following question:

how difficult is it to build/repair wheels and how much do the associated truing stands/dishy sticks/nipple clamps cost?

Dead easy actually. If you can tune a guitar you can build a wheel. Buy Roger Musson's eBook and learn all there is to know. It even contains plans for a truing stand made out of MDF that works really well.

http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php

apreading

I guess it would be very cheap for you to try it out - you have a donor wheel, which is already knackered. You could just get a few spokes and a spoke key (if you dont already have one) and give it a go without all the special stuff?

If you want to do it on the cheap, you have a makeshift truing stand - its called a bike! Put the bike upside down, wheel in, and spin it to see if it is true. Of course, this wont be as accurate as the pucca thing, but it allows you to try it out and see how you get on before deciding whether to invest in a truing stand.

see here for a simple explanation http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outd ... cycle3.htm

Ben6899

Kendell Cycles in Castleford. Gary is a master wheel-builder so he'll be able to advise.

veronese68

iclestu wrote:

this conversation, and my stubborn determination to avoid spa, is leading inescapably to the following question:

how difficult is it to build/repair wheels and how much do the associated truing stands/dishy sticks/nipple clamps cost?

Go for it. Has anybody mentioned that if you buy the hub and rim from Spa Cycles they'll work out what spoke length you need?

mudcow007

i got wheels built by Chainreaction which are sweet as a caramelised nut....could be an option?

rolf_f

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Dead easy actually. If you can tune a guitar you can build a wheel.

Damn, I was counting on trying out wheelbuilding myself but if I have to learn guitar first then I'm out

woodnut

If you decide to bungee the wheel to your back this place isn't far for you......
http://www.justridingalong.com/

sufferingpete

If South of Barnsley then JE James or JF Wilson can should be able to repair it.

To see if the Rim is FUBAR then loosen all the spokes and see if it goes flat i.e. into its proper shape.

There is a good chance that this will happen since the chain damaged the spokes - the rim did not take a hit from a pot hole or something.

If the rim is ok take out a drive side and a non drive side spoke and measure them. Obtain replacements and enjoy your first attempts at truing a wheel. A good introduction to wheel building without having to lace from scratch.

I have now built 4 from scratch and re-rimed another 3 having started from mending them.

Also check your frame for damage.

davis

I'm not sure trying to rebuild your own wheel is a good idea for your first wheel build.

I've heard it's a hell of a lot easier to build a good wheel well when starting with new components, rather than trying to true a bent/dodgy one. Therefore, don't try a repair as your introduction to wheelbuilding.

rolf_f

Trying to straighten the rim if bent is probably not a good idea given that a new rim shouldn't cost much. Otherwise, I don't think it should be too bad. Close enough to get the LBS to finish the job cheaply if need be.

UndercoverElephant

Like I said, a lot of wheel-builders wouldn't attempt it, as the wheel will probably have other problems.

iclestu

would i be right in measuring spoke length as straight line length from outside of bend at hub end to tip?

Any simple means to find out the gauge?

Seems to be getting awfully complicated this wheel repair lark!

iclestu

mudcow007 wrote:

i got wheels built by Chainreaction which are sweet as a caramelised nut....could be an option?

so far as i can see they only build 26inch wheels? no? (might well just be me)