Brommy Spokes



S

Sam Salt

Guest
Whilst giving the Brompton a bit of spit and polish this afternoon,I
noticed the rear wheel appeared out of true rapidly followed by the
realisation that there was a broken spoke on the non-drive side at the
hub end.

A feel around the other spokes showed that some others were loose and
two others just about snapped in my hand inside the nipple.

The bike is only about 18 months old and has in no way been abused or
used off road or the like.

Is this an Achilles heel of Bromptons or am I just unlucky?

Meanwhile it's off to the LBS in the morning for what I imagine is a
wheel rebuild.

Sam Salt
 
Whilst giving the Brompton a bit of spit and polish this afternoon,I
noticed the rear wheel appeared out of true rapidly followed by the
realisation that there was a broken spoke on the non-drive side at the
hub end.

A feel around the other spokes showed that some others were loose and
two others just about snapped in my hand inside the nipple.

The bike is only about 18 months old and has in no way been abused or
used off road or the like.

Is this an Achilles heel of Bromptons or am I just unlucky?

Meanwhile it's off to the LBS in the morning for what I imagine is a
wheel rebuild.

Sam Salt
 
Sam Salt wrote:

> Whilst giving the Brompton a bit of spit and polish this afternoon,I
> noticed the rear wheel appeared out of true rapidly followed by the
> realisation that there was a broken spoke on the non-drive side at the
> hub end.
>
> A feel around the other spokes showed that some others were loose and
> two others just about snapped in my hand inside the nipple.
>
> The bike is only about 18 months old and has in no way been abused or
> used off road or the like.
>
> Is this an Achilles heel of Bromptons or am I just unlucky?


Probably "rustless", i.e. galvanised, spokes, which are stronger than
stainless when new but deteriorate badly in all-weather use. Does a
magnet stick strongly to them - it will only stick weakly, if at all, to
stainless?
 
Sam Salt wrote:

> Whilst giving the Brompton a bit of spit and polish this afternoon,I
> noticed the rear wheel appeared out of true rapidly followed by the
> realisation that there was a broken spoke on the non-drive side at the
> hub end.
>
> A feel around the other spokes showed that some others were loose and
> two others just about snapped in my hand inside the nipple.
>
> The bike is only about 18 months old and has in no way been abused or
> used off road or the like.
>
> Is this an Achilles heel of Bromptons or am I just unlucky?


Probably "rustless", i.e. galvanised, spokes, which are stronger than
stainless when new but deteriorate badly in all-weather use. Does a
magnet stick strongly to them - it will only stick weakly, if at all, to
stainless?
 
Sam Salt wrote:

> Whilst giving the Brompton a bit of spit and polish this afternoon,I
> noticed the rear wheel appeared out of true rapidly followed by the
> realisation that there was a broken spoke on the non-drive side at the
> hub end.
>
> A feel around the other spokes showed that some others were loose and
> two others just about snapped in my hand inside the nipple.


This could be a consequence of the broken spoke?

> The bike is only about 18 months old and has in no way been abused or
> used off road or the like.


No pavement cycling then?

:)

> Is this an Achilles heel of Bromptons or am I just unlucky?


18 months isn't a ridiculously short time for getting a broken spoke.

> Meanwhile it's off to the LBS in the morning for what I imagine is a
> wheel rebuild.


Or perhaps just a single new spoke will sort it out.

--
Chris

"The C Programming Language -- A language which combines the flexibility of
assembly language with the power of assembly language."
 
Sam Salt wrote:

> Whilst giving the Brompton a bit of spit and polish this afternoon,I
> noticed the rear wheel appeared out of true rapidly followed by the
> realisation that there was a broken spoke on the non-drive side at the
> hub end.
>
> A feel around the other spokes showed that some others were loose and
> two others just about snapped in my hand inside the nipple.


This could be a consequence of the broken spoke?

> The bike is only about 18 months old and has in no way been abused or
> used off road or the like.


No pavement cycling then?

:)

> Is this an Achilles heel of Bromptons or am I just unlucky?


18 months isn't a ridiculously short time for getting a broken spoke.

> Meanwhile it's off to the LBS in the morning for what I imagine is a
> wheel rebuild.


Or perhaps just a single new spoke will sort it out.

--
Chris

"The C Programming Language -- A language which combines the flexibility of
assembly language with the power of assembly language."
 
Sam Salt wrote:
> Whilst giving the Brompton a bit of spit and polish this afternoon,I
> noticed the rear wheel appeared out of true rapidly followed by the
> realisation that there was a broken spoke on the non-drive side at the
> hub end.
>
> A feel around the other spokes showed that some others were loose and
> two others just about snapped in my hand inside the nipple.
>
> The bike is only about 18 months old and has in no way been abused or
> used off road or the like.
>
> Is this an Achilles heel of Bromptons or am I just unlucky?
>
> Meanwhile it's off to the LBS in the morning for what I imagine is a
> wheel rebuild.


Sounds like you have ridden with an undertensioned wheel. This will
knacker the spokes in short order. I've yet to meet a new Brommie which
doesn't benefit from a hefty application of the spokekey at the PDI.
Maybe your shop 'forgot'

---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl
 
Sam Salt wrote:
> Whilst giving the Brompton a bit of spit and polish this afternoon,I
> noticed the rear wheel appeared out of true rapidly followed by the
> realisation that there was a broken spoke on the non-drive side at the
> hub end.
>
> A feel around the other spokes showed that some others were loose and
> two others just about snapped in my hand inside the nipple.
>
> The bike is only about 18 months old and has in no way been abused or
> used off road or the like.
>
> Is this an Achilles heel of Bromptons or am I just unlucky?
>
> Meanwhile it's off to the LBS in the morning for what I imagine is a
> wheel rebuild.


Sounds like you have ridden with an undertensioned wheel. This will
knacker the spokes in short order. I've yet to meet a new Brommie which
doesn't benefit from a hefty application of the spokekey at the PDI.
Maybe your shop 'forgot'

---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl
 
Sam Salt wrote:

> Is this an Achilles heel of Bromptons?


Not intrinsically so: small wheels are /potentially/ stronger than
bigger ones. No trouble from mine (which cae from Kinetics, Ben
built the current front for me when I had a SON fitted).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
I am regularly plagued by broken spokes with my Brommie. The first
time several went at once, and it was claimed that there was a dodgy
batch of wheels. Now its back to the one going every now and then
routine.

Richard Webb
 
Richard Webb wrote:

>I am regularly plagued by broken spokes with my Brommie. The first
>time several went at once, and it was claimed that there was a dodgy
>batch of wheels. Now its back to the one going every now and then
>routine.


But then you are built like the proverbial. Perhaps you ought to
investigate tougher spokes.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"
 
Phil Cook wrote:
> Richard Webb wrote:
>
>
>>I am regularly plagued by broken spokes with my Brommie. The first
>>time several went at once, and it was claimed that there was a dodgy
>>batch of wheels. Now its back to the one going every now and then
>>routine.

>
>
> But then you are built like the proverbial. Perhaps you ought to
> investigate tougher spokes.


thinner spokes, washers and a beter wheelbuild?

--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl
 

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