Mavic Aksium One loose spoke rear wheel

ben-----
ben----- Posts: 573
edited December 2016 in Workshop
When cleaning my bike last night, I noticed one of the spokes on the rear wheel of the Mavic Aksium Ones was loose – quite a bit looser than the others. Should I just tighten it? Up to a similar amount to the others? Thanks.

Comments

  • Man Of Lard
    Man Of Lard Posts: 903
    It would be a start... I find it worth checking spokes on a reasonably regular basis - nothing too onerous, just a drag over them lightly with a screwdriver (ding, ding, ding, dunk, ding...) and tightening where necessary (don't over do it of course)
  • ben-----
    ben----- Posts: 573
    > It would be a start...

    Right, thought so, just wanted to check. I know that seems silly/obvious but there was something in the back of my mind saying: just possibly don't do that, wrong thing. OK, thanks.
  • Alex99
    Alex99 Posts: 1,407
    ben----- wrote:
    When cleaning my bike last night, I noticed one of the spokes on the rear wheel of the Mavic Aksium Ones was loose – quite a bit looser than the others. Should I just tighten it? Up to a similar amount to the others? Thanks.

    How old is it? Spokes shouldn't just come loose unless there is something wrong with the wheel. Most likely candidate is incorrect spoke tension. If you bought it recently, I'd take it back. Randomly tightening spokes is too, er, random.
  • ben-----
    ben----- Posts: 573
    Alex99 wrote:
    How old is it? Spokes shouldn't just come loose unless there is something wrong with the wheel. Most likely candidate is incorrect spoke tension. If you bought it recently, I'd take it back. Randomly tightening spokes is too, er, random.

    I bought the bike with those wheels in Feb this year. 2nd hand. And I've used it *a lot* since then. So definitely not new now.

    I ended up tightening three spokes, not just one, and the wheel is a bit more buckled now that it was before. I haven't actually ridden it yet, just spun the wheel. It was a little bit buckled before but more so now :/
  • Man Of Lard
    Man Of Lard Posts: 903
    Well you didn't mention the buckling - that will be the source of the loose spoke... rather than the cause. Perhaps a little light reading into wheel truing is in order.

    May as well practice on the Aksium, probably won't be too long before the freehub (which I think is made of Camembert) starts the "Mavic squeal of death"...
  • arthur_scrimshaw
    arthur_scrimshaw Posts: 2,596
    Be a bit careful, Mavic hubs are made of cheese and very easy to pull a spoke through the hub (don't ask how I know) I'm fine truing wheels and replacing spokes and I think i have good mechanical 'feel' but I wouldn't go near a Mavic wheel now.
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    Before you go on too much I would just check the rim with your thumb and see how concave it is. IIRC then I don't think there are wear indicators so you have to rely on feel (or a sprung caliper set, which still never give and accurate mid-rim reading due to the rim construction). If the rim is noticeably concave then it's really time to move on and get another set of wheels. Rim wear can greatly accelerate at this time of year so something on the edge (~0.7mm) in October can be close to the danger width of 0.5 or less in a very short time.
  • Alex99
    Alex99 Posts: 1,407
    ben----- wrote:
    Alex99 wrote:
    How old is it? Spokes shouldn't just come loose unless there is something wrong with the wheel. Most likely candidate is incorrect spoke tension. If you bought it recently, I'd take it back. Randomly tightening spokes is too, er, random.

    I bought the bike with those wheels in Feb this year. 2nd hand. And I've used it *a lot* since then. So definitely not new now.

    I ended up tightening three spokes, not just one, and the wheel is a bit more buckled now that it was before. I haven't actually ridden it yet, just spun the wheel. It was a little bit buckled before but more so now :/

    'fraid there's a bit more to it than tightening the spokes that feel a bit loose. If you think the rim has more life in it, then maybe take it to a bike shop that builds wheels, or ask around any cycling nutters that you might know. Maybe you'll find one that builds his/her own wheels and can help out.
  • ben-----
    ben----- Posts: 573
    Man Of Lard wrote:
    Well you didn't mention the buckling - that will be the source of the loose spoke... rather than the cause.

    It wasn't at all serious buckling, about 2mm of wobble I reckon. Bit more now though :/ No I didn't mention it, nor as it turned out, that there were more than one spoke loose.
    Man Of Lard wrote:
    Perhaps a little light reading into wheel truing is in order.

    Yes, I suppose so.

    I should have marked which ones I tightened, then at least I could semi-put it back to how it was.

    The rim seems OK so it's worth me continuing with it.

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