Spokes breaking
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Just done a 5 day mini tour in France (excellent weather)
2 relatively new Dawes Galaxies ( both 3 years old done about 3000 miles)
4 spokes broke in 4 days - that's one about every 80 miles! Are Dawes using useless wheels - this
seems a ludicrous breakage rate. 3 were on one bike (back wheel - 1 on freewheel side 2 - on other
side) One on other bike broke by the nipple on the straight part.
2 Questions:
Does anyone have any suggestions for preventing this (other than buying a new wheel)?
If you break a spoke how long can it be ridden for before more damage is likely to occur?
Any advice would be much appreciated
Cliff Griffiths
"Clifford Griffiths" <clifford.g@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:6UYBa.7480$Sk.1455@news-binary.blueyonder.co.uk...
>
> 4 spokes broke in 4 days - that's one about every 80 miles! Are Dawes
using
> useless wheels - this seems a ludicrous breakage rate. 3 were on one bike (back wheel - 1 on
> freewheel side 2 - on other side) One on other bike broke by the nipple on the straight part.
2 on the looser non-drive side is particularly worrying.
>
> 2 Questions:
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions for preventing this (other than buying a new wheel)?
I'm afraid I'd bite the bullet and relace them with new spokes.
>
> If you break a spoke how long can it be ridden for before more damage is likely to occur?
Only ridden road bikes the bare minimum distance (curtailed ride and headed home) so don't know but
I have ridden mtbs on very rugged terrain with one broken spoke for some distance with no long term
effects. The only true answer is as little as possible until you can effect a repair and if I was in
your position I'd carry spare spokes with me, even if you're not ace at trueing wheels a close
approximation is better than a missing spoke. (And based on your rate of attrition you'll soon
become a dab hand at trueing them ;-)
Pete
Hi, my wife had the same problem on her 'Super Galaxy'. We were out riding when I could here a
clicking and rubbing sound from her rear wheel. Checked the wheel over and found a number of spokes
had unwound and where slack as hell, we were due to go to France the following week. I took the
wheel to a local bike shop and had the wheel re-trued and have had no problems since and that was
about two years ago.
Thanks, John.
"Clifford Griffiths" <clifford.g@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:6UYBa.7480$Sk.1455@news-binary.blueyonder.co.uk...
> Just done a 5 day mini tour in France (excellent weather)
>
> 2 relatively new Dawes Galaxies ( both 3 years old done about 3000 miles)
>
> 4 spokes broke in 4 days - that's one about every 80 miles! Are Dawes
using
> useless wheels - this seems a ludicrous breakage rate. 3 were on one bike (back wheel - 1 on
> freewheel side 2 - on other side) One on other bike broke by the nipple on the straight part.
>
> 2 Questions:
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions for preventing this (other than buying a new wheel)?
>
> If you break a spoke how long can it be ridden for before more damage is likely to occur?
>
> Any advice would be much appreciated
>
>
> Cliff Griffiths
Sounds like your wheels were not upto the job. I had some heavy duty wheels made for my world tour,
no breakages in 6000 miles of loaded touring. The were made at COndor Cycles in London in 1989.
Deore hubs, Mavic Mach3 CD rims, double butted spokes. The chap at Condor (Monty I think he was
called) had me fetch them back after 100 miles to get them re-tuned. They were and still are
excellent wheels though I don't use that bike so much at the mo,
"Clifford Griffiths" <clifford.g@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:6UYBa.7480$Sk.1455@news-binary.blueyonder.co.uk...
> Just done a 5 day mini tour in France (excellent weather)
>
> 2 relatively new Dawes Galaxies ( both 3 years old done about 3000 miles)
>
> 4 spokes broke in 4 days - that's one about every 80 miles! Are Dawes
using
> useless wheels - this seems a ludicrous breakage rate. 3 were on one bike (back wheel - 1 on
> freewheel side 2 - on other side) One on other bike broke by the nipple on the straight part.
>
> 2 Questions:
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions for preventing this (other than buying a new wheel)?
>
> If you break a spoke how long can it be ridden for before more damage is likely to occur?
>
> Any advice would be much appreciated
>
>
> Cliff Griffiths
Speaking from an off roaders point of view, when one spoke breaks get it replaced as soon as
possible. About 2 or 3 years ago my spoke broke on the front down a particular heavy trail. I
removed offending spoke and decided to return home to make repairs. 2 more failed on the front
before I got off the trail.
Gadget
Clifford Griffiths wrote:
> 4 spokes broke in 4 days - that's one about every 80 miles! Are Dawes using useless wheels
Yes - they use poor machine-built wheels. The wheels on Dawes bikes I've bought and seen have been
bad to appalling - generally not enough tension, and plain guage spokes (instead of double butted),
and wheels out of round.
> Does anyone have any suggestions for preventing this (other than buying a new wheel)?
Retension and stress relieve spokes, or replace all spokes.
> If you break a spoke how long can it be ridden for before more damage is likely to occur?
Possibly immediately.
~PB
>>4 spokes broke in 4 days - that's one about every 80 miles! Are Dawes using useless wheels
>
>
> Yes - they use poor machine-built wheels. The wheels on Dawes bikes I've bought and seen have been
> bad to appalling - generally not enough tension, and plain guage spokes (instead of double
> butted), and wheels out of round.
I have been slightly disturbed by the quality of dawes wheels. I know several people with Dawes
bikes, and I seem to spend a lot of time truing their wheels for them!
I trued a friends bikes wheels around xmas time. He recently broke a spoke and when I saw the wheel
I wasnt surprised as all the spokes seemed completely loose. You could waggle the rim around. It was
as if someone had laced the wheel without tightening anything!
Is this really the fault of straight gauge spokes? I have now stress relieved the wheel so shall see
how it performs now :)
--
-Alex
----------------------------------
alexpg@btinternet.com
http://alexpg.ath.cx:3353/cycling.php http://www.westerleycycling.org.uk (http://www.westerleycycling.org.uk/)
----------------------------------
On Sat, 31 May 2003 23:08:12 +0000 (UTC), Alex Graham <alexpg@btinternet.com> wrote:
>>>4 spokes broke in 4 days - that's one about every 80 miles! Are Dawes using useless wheels
>>
>>
>> Yes - they use poor machine-built wheels. The wheels on Dawes bikes I've bought and seen have
>> been bad to appalling - generally not enough tension, and plain guage spokes (instead of double
>> butted), and wheels out of round.
>
>I have been slightly disturbed by the quality of dawes wheels. I know several people with Dawes
>bikes, and I seem to spend a lot of time truing their wheels for them!
>
>I trued a friends bikes wheels around xmas time. He recently broke a spoke and when I saw the wheel
>I wasnt surprised as all the spokes seemed completely loose. You could waggle the rim around. It
>was as if someone had laced the wheel without tightening anything!
>
>Is this really the fault of straight gauge spokes?
I wonder.
Love to see a performance/durability/longevity test between two wheels of equal 'build experpise',
one made with the superior double-butted and one with naffo straight-gauge spokes.
Just out of interest, of course :-)
bobf
Alex Graham wrote:
> I have been slightly disturbed by the quality of dawes wheels. I know several people with Dawes
> bikes, and I seem to spend a lot of time truing their wheels for them!
>
> I trued a friends bikes wheels around xmas time. He recently broke a spoke and when I saw the
> wheel I wasnt surprised as all the spokes seemed completely loose. You could waggle the rim
> around. It was as if someone had laced the wheel without tightening anything!
>
> Is this really the fault of straight gauge spokes?
Partly (reason for breakage) - double butted are more fatigue resistant. Dawes bikes deserve d/b
anyway - at least for their road bikes.
I'm sure the wheels are crap because they're machine built and probably not stress relieved, plus
the machines aren't being setup properly, plus the quality control afterwards is poor.
~PB
Pete Biggs wrote:
> Partly (reason for breakage) - double butted are more fatigue resistant. Dawes bikes deserve d/b
> anyway - at least for their road bikes.
>
> I'm sure the wheels are crap because they're machine built and probably not stress relieved, plus
> the machines aren't being setup properly, plus the quality control afterwards is poor.
Out of interest is advisable to rebuilt wheels with d/b spokes, using the same hub and rim? Because
I have a dawes road bike, and do find the wheels a bit poor (nowhere near as bad as the Discovery
301 with no spoke tension I came accross!) . If I was rebuilding the wheels I would be using a
cassette hub on the rear rather than the current freewheel one, but will the hubs and rims be happy
with new spokes? Provided I build the wheels to be identical? ie replacing one or a few spokes at a
time to be sure of keeping the same pattern...
--
-Alex
----------------------------------
alexpg@btinternet.com www.westerleycycling.org.uk http://alexpg.ath.cx:3353/cycling.php
----------------------------------
"Alex Graham" <alexpg@btinternet.dot.com> wrote in message news:bbdpl4$qmg$1@titan.btinternet.com...
>> Out of interest is advisable to rebuilt wheels with d/b spokes, using
> the same hub and rim?
Yes.
Pete
Alex Graham wrote:
> Out of interest is advisable to rebuilt wheels with d/b spokes, using the same hub and rim?
Yes if not happy with wheel build quality and rim is in good condition. Might be worth replacing rim
if it's had lots of wear from braking or hard life hitting a lot of potholes, etc.
> Because I have a dawes road bike, and do find the wheels a bit poor (nowhere near as bad as the
> Discovery 301 with no spoke tension I came accross!) . If I was rebuilding the wheels I would be
> using a cassette hub on the rear rather than the current freewheel one, but will the hubs and rims
> be happy with new spokes? Provided I build the wheels to be identical? ie replacing one or a few
> spokes at a time to be sure of keeping the same pattern...
That should be fine but you may need different length spokes for the different hub. Bear in mind
that cassette hub axles are usually longer than freewheel hubs, typically: 130mm v 126mm for road
bike hubs. Might need to get frame spread* to accommodate it (if steel), although it might spring
open enough as is*.
* http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html
(now includes photos)
~PB
"Pete Biggs" <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote in message
news:bbe0pd$89t37$1@ID-144931.news.dfncis.de...
> That should be fine but you may need different length spokes for the different hub.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/index.html
You forgot another of Sheldons links Pete.
T'other Pete
"Peter B" <peter28@btinternet.com> wrote in message news:bbg068$1lj$1@sparta.btinternet.com...
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/index.html
>
> You forgot another of Sheldons links Pete.
Which was totally irrelevent to the topic. The link I should have posted is this:
http://www.dtswiss.com/index.asp
Which has nothing to do with Sheldon but all to do with accessing a spoke length calculator which is
relevent to the topic. (I put it down to the warm weather causing mental confusion for me :-)
Pete
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