The risk of a loose spoke?

Flâneur

Hello, quick question.

What is the risk of a loose spoke on the short term?

Just cleaned the bike after today's ride and found a loose spoke, I don't have a key (prefer to get it all done by someone who knows what they are doing) but tomorrow I am supposed to be going 80 miles of hills.

I would prefer not to cancel but if it's that or the risk of a screwed rear wheel! I'd cancel and take the bike in for the service it is due.

Thanks for any help and advice

Ima

wishitwasallflat

Depends a bit on how loose and how far out of true the wheel is - but- personally I wouldn't ride it without fixing it first (but I would tighten it up and ride it - it's not that difficult if its just one spoke) the main consequence is that it will cause imbalanced forces across the wheel so other spokes will loosen off too and suffer excess strain. At worse one or more may snap but your wheel will go increasingly out of true and either rub or at worst may be unridable. Read up on hoe to true a wheel and do a temporary fix yourself and then get a wheel builder to check it over if you aren't confident or happy with the outcome.

Flâneur

Thanks for the response

sebo900

You could take the tyre/tube/rim tape off and just tighten it up with a flathead screwdriver for the time being its by no means a complete fix but would be ok to ride on

desweller

I'd not do an 80 on it. If you lose any other spokes then the wheel could buckle beyond the point of being useable and you would be at the farthest point from home, according to Article 15 of The Law Of Sod.

Subsection c) of the same article also states that it will be sleeting down at the same time.

Moonbiker

Also depends on spoke count, if its a 36 spoke wheel probably be ok if its 24 spoke not good.