rBOB wrote:
> Are you sure it's coming from the spokes? If it is the spokes, maybe
> the wheels were not stress relieved. This should be done as the last
> step of wheel building and then the wheel must be touched up (trued)
> again. Anyone who has ever built more than a few wheels should know
> this. If the builder did not do this, it's a mark against him.
If the wheels weren't stress-relieved, they'll usually go through one
round of "pling pling pling" before settling in- after which they're
quiet. On a trike, pling pling pling in corners indicates the spokes
are moving against one another, which is usually caused by insufficient
tension.
You can
> read more here:
>
> http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html
>
An excellent reference.
> >>>Before a wheel is ready for the road it must be stress relieved, because the bend in the spoke has to accommodate itself to the shape of the hub flange and vice versa, and a similar process may go on where the nipple sits in the rim.
>
> >>>After you do this, you will probably have to do some touch-up truing, then repeat the stressing process until it stops making noise and the wheel stops going out of true.
>
> If the wheels get trued properly, there no reason not to go on your
> ride.
Yes and no. The wheel may true up properly, but sthe spokes may still
be fatigued to the point where they will fail early. There's no reason
why a set of spokes can't last 10's of thousands of miles if properly
tensioned. On the other hand, they may start to fail in less than 500
(I've experienced both ends of the spectrum).
It's tough to tell from the other side of the planet. I'd say that if
the original builder is willing to tension and true the wheels then you
should take advantage of the service. They won't all fail at once- but
once two or three go, it would be time to consider replacing all of the
spokes.
Jeff
