Broken Spokes

redvee

Had my bike 14 months now and in the first 12 months one spoke broke on the back wheel which I got replaced FOC, in the last week I've had two spokes break on me. I know the breaking of spokes is a sign of a badly tensioned wheel and only a full retension can sort it.

Should the shop I got the bike from sort this for me FOC?

The situation might be in my favour cause the owner of the shop when I bought my bike sold it and I'll be dealing with the new owner so might be able to convince him to do the work FOC.

dgunthor

no harm in asking but i'd be impressed if you get it fixed FOC

imatfaal

Might be worth a try, but like dgunthor, I will be impressed if you get it. In your favour is that spokes don't tend to break when in a evenly and well tensioned wheel (youre not jumping on and off pavements on teeny wheels are you?) and that they have been doing so since soon after buying the bike.

1. Your consumer rights would suggest that you are entitled to receive goods which are without defect for the purpose intended - spokes breaking that regularly suggests a manufacturing fault; that is to say that the goods they sold you had a fault upon delivery to you.

2. Six months is past so technically you have to show that the fault existed at time of sale (rather than them prove it didn't which is the case for first six months) - but you can kinda wing that especially if the first break was within 6 months.

3. Your remedies would be repair, replace, refund - at the shops discretion. As they have already attempted a repair on the wheel (at their cost which make me think they accepted the goods were faulty upon delivery) and this repair was substandard (ie more spokes broke) then I would require them to perform a proper repair as they should have done first time around

redvee

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19700774#p19700774]imatfaal[/url] wrote:

Might be worth a try, but like dgunthor, I will be impressed if you get it. In your favour is that spokes don't tend to break when in a evenly and well tensioned wheel (youre not jumping on and off pavements on teeny wheels are you?) and that they have been doing so since soon after buying the bike.

It's a CX type bike so should be built to suit, not that I go off road with it, cyclepaths are the worst surface I've ridden it on. As the wheel is a machine built wheel I'm guessing the tension isn't going to be brilliant. From memory the first spoke when after approx 11 months which the shop replaced, second spoke went last week which I replaced and trued the wheel back up then the third spoke went on Tuesday, the first ride after replacing the second spoke, when I was 30 miles from home. Luckily I've got disc brakes so a slightly out of true wheel wasn't a hindrance.

redvee

Quick update:

New spoke fitted loosely and rest of spokes loosened off and dropped in LBS that I've had good wheel truing from previously only going to cost £10 and I'll have peace of mind having the wheel tensioned properly.