Busting spokes on Dahon 20" wheels

bikin mike · May 2007

I have a Dahon Vitesse D5 with 20" rear wheel, running 5-speed Sturmey Archer hub gear. I've used it for 2 mile e.w. daily commute for last 6 months. 3 times I've had to take rear wheel to shop to get busted spokes(s) replaced and wheel re-trued - the latest repair lasted only 100 miles. Ok so maybe I'm overweight (85 kilos), treat it badly (but I don't think so) and the LBS doesn't do a good repair job, but I'm starting to get the feeling that these wheels/spokes are cr*p - or at best, do not suit me. The spokes are described as "14 G, stainless steel, brass nipples", but LBS seems unable to offer/locate alternatives to the standard Dahon product.

Anyone else similarly dissatisfied on this score, and - more importantly - found a solution?

piedwagtail91 · May 2007

i've had lot of trouble with spokes breaking.everyone said it was my weight(95 kilos) but i've found out that it was spokes working loose. i'd tighten,true and re tension them after every breakage, then after about 300 miles another would break.on checking all the spokes had worked loose. my solution was to tighten them all again and loctite them to keep the tension. it seems to have worked so far.
may not be the answer to your problem but it's worth checking.

hubgearfreak · May 2007

it's not your weight, either of you.
jobst brandt gives a figure of 270-329 kgs to break a spoke, however, if they're loose they'll soon start fatiguing...i guess that they all break at the elbow/bend?
it's poor machine built wheels to blame.
a machine just hasn't got the human touch to build a strong wheel.
once they start to break spokes, you're poor LBS is fighting a loosing battle

the wheels i built, take an 18kg bike, my 13 kilo babyson, and an 85 kilo me, and sometimes a fair mass of shopping aswell...nothing broken or even gone out of true in a year.

if i were you, i'd get a new set of spokes, also maybe it's time for a new rim?...then read sheldon brown (or buy a book) about wheel building and have a go yourself.[:)]
you'll be amazed at how satisfying and succesfull it is.

good luck, and try spa cycles for spokes, if your LBS can't help

bikin mike · May 2007

Hubgearfreak - I'm not going to disagree with your assessment. And yes, mine do all break at the elbow. In fact, I'm amenable to your proposed solution as well, and would happily replace these spokes.

Trouble is, with these 20" wheels, there doesn't seem to be much choice when it comes to getting some new (better) spokes...maybe this is true for the rims too. If anyone out there in has some specific suggestions - let's have 'em. Please!

hubgearfreak · May 2007

don't replace just the broken ones[:0]

bin the lot and start again.

here's some
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-SJSC ... s-3145.htm

Arellcat · May 2007

Perhaps I ought to add that my Helios SL came with the lovely lightweight Rolf rear wheel, and one of its spokes went 'bang!' in fairly short order. I built a 2-cross rear wheel with a 32-hole Alesa rim and I bought the spokes from SJS (and used the spoke length calculator on the DT Swiss website, checked against the Spokecalc spreadsheet).

The wheel is bombproof for my less than featherweight self and Edinburgh's awful roads.

gad · May 2007

My Speed-Pro broke them on piece. The rim has offset drilled holes and some fool had laced them all the wrong way. A œ10 relace at a LBS and no more broken spokes! That's 5 in 100 miles before relace none in 3500 miles after! Note I'm 95 kg and carry loads of stuff as well.

Elephants are people too!

Cunobelin · May 2007

There are some quality wheels and rims around. Don't think folder, think recumbent - there are some hot wheel combinations in folding sizes.

Most LBS should be able to source a rim and spokes.

He that buys land buys many stones.
He that buys flesh buys many bones.
He that buys eggs buys many shells,
But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.
(Unattributed Trad.)

Arellcat · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Cunobelin

Most LBS should be able to source a rim and spokes.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Wanna bet? [:(!]

That was why it took me four months to source that Alesa rim, after Kinetics having nothing, West Country Recumbents having nothing, London Recumbents having nothing, Biketrax at home having nothing but pestering AVC and Pashley to no avail, Velocity being prohibitively expensive to import from Oz...and Bikefix having one rim in stock (mine).

Probably the best place is ICE, and the Alex DV-15. Even if it isn't aero or particularly lightweight.

--
Windcheetah 202
2001 Speedmachine

Busting spokes on Dahon 20" wheels

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