Repair or replace Bontrager Race X Lite front wheel with broken hub and loose spoke?

[LeonK]

I'm a new rider and I bought a used Trek bike with Bontrager Race X Lite wheels. I rode it last fall and this spring, for probably a total of 250 mi, and the hub on the front wheel recently cracked and a spoke broke off. A piece of the hub broke off completely. I'm trying to figure out what's the right way to fix this. Should I
1) Replace the wheel with the latest Race X Lite wheel? These are about $400 and really too expensive.
2) Fix the hub? I called my LBS and they told me the hub cannot be fixed safely.
3) Replace the wheel with a cheaper version - a Bontrager Race wheel, about $180? This seems to be the best option, but I'm a heavier rider (190 lbs) and I'm worried the wheels aren't built for someone my size. The previous owner was much smaller than me, probably around 155 lbs.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[danfoz]

I would follow the shops advice and ditch the hub. 190lbs is heavy for a TDF guy but it's not that out of the ordinary for the folks who ride bikes and for the most part, whom the tolerances were set for. It's certainly an available option - provided it fits within the manufacturers rider weight parameters which they often have on the website.

The other option is to have a custom wheel built up. A mismatch yes. Cheaper and stronger, also likely yes. I prefer matching wheels but that's just me.

 

[alfeng]

FWIW. I recommend that you REPLACE the damaged front wheel ...

Buy a hub ([COLOR= #808080]e.g., Shimano, DT, Campagnolo, Formula, White Industries, [/COLOR][COLOR= #808080]etc[/COLOR].) + rim ([COLOR= #808080]e.g., Ambrosio, MAVIC, Velocity, etc.[/COLOR]) + spokes ...

• many claim double-butted spokes are better ([COLOR= #808080]I doubt that I will ever be convinced of THAT) [/COLOR] [COLOR= #808080]BUT, after decades of lacing my own wheels ([/COLOR]yes, I have wheels which I have laced with double-butted spokes ... because it is what I had previously bought[COLOR= #000000]), I prefer straight 14g ..[/COLOR] [COLOR= #008000]why pay more? [/COLOR]

[COLOR= #000000]and, lace up your own front wheel ...[/COLOR]

[COLOR= #000000]OR, buy a ready-to-ride 28h wheel from COLORADO CYCLIST, EXCEL, CAMBRIA, NASHBAR, whomever built on the hub of your choice with the rim of your choice with the spokes of your choice.[/COLOR]

[COLOR= #000000]If you need a "matching" wheel, then either choose a hub & rim which are more-or-less similar OR simply sell the existing rear wheel & have a matching rear wheel laced up.[/COLOR]

[COLOR= #000000] [/COLOR]

 

[alienator]

Race X Lite wheels are not particularly robust, and if you've got one of the paired spoke versions, they're prone to having hub flange failures, although usually the failures are drive side on the rear hub. No matter the case, I don't think the wheel is worth rebuilding, so I'd recommend starting from scratch and having a custom wheel made. You can have that done from $100 - 200 or so.