[I Are Baboon]

So last night as the wife and I were at the trailhead about to start our ride, I noticed my rear wheel was missing a spoke. Seeing how I don't carry spare spokes, nor would I know how to put one on and true the wheel, I said "Screw it" and rode the nine mile loop with a missing spoke. I'm just curious how bad of an idea that was. I figure it was just one spoke...the wheel's got a bunch more to pick up the slack.

I did take it easy on the ride, i.e. no hucks, drops, or playing on stunts.

 

[binary visions]

Back when I was a broke high school student and unable to afford very much, broken spokes got wrapped around the spoke next to it and ridden.

Not sure how much it compromises the wheel's strength but my buddy and I often had upwards of three broken spokes on our bikes at a time and never had a problem because of it.

 

[I Are Baboon]

Yeah, I figure even if the wheel decided to fail, what's the worst that would happen? I'd fall.

After the ride I told the wife that I think I need a new wheelset. She wasn't too warm to that idea.

 

[binary visions]

It's too bad she's a mountain biker. Otherwise, you could give her the old, "What? No, you can't just replace one spoke. You need to replace the whole wheel. And you have to buy wheels in pairs."

 

[stosh]

I guess it depends on the riders weight a lot too.

 

[I Are Baboon]

I guess it depends on the riders weight a lot too.

I'm 175 but it's ALL muscle!

 

[stosh]

I'm 175 but it's ALL muscle!

I'm just thinking in my phat a$$ case the one time I rode with a bent spoke I bent more.

 

[Wumpus]

I've ridden with a missing spoke for a few rides. The only concern is that if you lose one then you throw the tension of the reamining spokes off, but if you check them and make sure the rest are tight it shouldn't be an issue.

And learn to true a wheel, it can save your ride one day.

 

[binary visions]

And learn to true a wheel, it can save your ride one day.

Truing wheels is much, much less of a mystery than most people think it is.

Easy mechanical interaction: half the spokes are pulling the rim one way, half the spokes are pulling the rim the other way. If you loosen the nipples on one side and tighten them on the other, the rim will move in the direction of the tightened spokes.

 

[I Are Baboon]

I've been meaning to learn how to true. I mean, I own a truing stand so I might as well learn how to use it.

 

[jacksonpt]

I rode the bulk of a season with a busted spoke. I don't think it's crucial if you keep half an eye on the tension in the other spokes.

 

[MMcG]

I've been meaning to learn how to true. I mean, I own a truing stand so I might as well learn how to use it.

You do??

 

[DHracer1067]

I had 2 broken spokes on the rear wheel of my dirtjump/street hardtail and it was like that for around a year before I got around to doing anything about it and the wheel was still true and pretty much fine. I'm only 130 pounds though.

 

[urbaindk]

It will totally throw your wheel out of true. Not too big a deal if you have disc brakes. Just make sure that your tire does not rub the frame. That is a sure fire way to ruin your frame really quick.

The trail / trail head fix is to loosen the 2 adjacent spokes by 1/4 or 1/2 a turn. This will relieve the tension and the wheel will come back into true and will get you out of the woods (or into the woods in your case).

Just don't do anything stupid like huck to flat or something and you'll be fine.

 

[Ciaran]

Truing wheels is much, much less of a mystery than most people think it is.

Easy mechanical/spritual interaction: Light five black candles. Find a live chicken and sacrifice it to Biker Fox by plunging the broken spoke into it's heart, but save the blood. Paint your rim with the blood and spin it counter clockwise. If you loosen the nipples on one side and tighten them on the other, the rim will true on it's own, powered by satan.

It's a black art, I'm tellin ya!

 

[Dartman]

It's a black art, I'm tellin ya!

Really! You can't go tellin' folks how easy it is. How else are us "wheelbuilders" gonna get free beer!

Mike

 

[johnbryanpeters]

I'm just thinking in my phat a$$ case the one time I rode with a bent spoke I bent more.

Bent spoke?

 

[vibiker]

I've been meaning to learn how to true. I mean, I own a truing stand so I might as well learn how to use it.

Do it. I finally put my 2 year old truing stand to work and built myself a DH wheel last month. Much easier than I thought. Just a little time and patience. And the finished product is pretty sweet, IMHO.

 

[SilentJ]

I've done some pretty hard DHing for an entire 3 day weekend with 3 spokes gone from my front wheel. I did need to tweak the tension a little to keep things straight, but I didn't have any problems. I weighed about 210# without gear at the time. Personally, I wouldnt do anything about one spoke missing until I had to take the tire off.

 

[BrandonWatts]

i am 265 and have 2 broken spokes right now on my rear wheel and ride some pretty had dh and have no real problem with the wheel. it needs trued and 2 new spokes but that is about it.

 

[RenegadeRick]

Truing wheels is much, much less of a mystery than most people think it is.

Easy mechanical interaction: half the spokes are pulling the rim one way, half the spokes are pulling the rim the other way. If you loosen the nipples on one side and tighten them on the other, the rim will move in the direction of the tightened spokes.

You are a brilliant man.

Tonight, I used your simple, easy to understand technique to true my wheel today after replacing my broken spoke. It got a wheel that was way out of whack nearly true in about 5 minutes.

You should film an infomerical and sell this knowledge. Certainly people would make 3 easy payments of $19.95 to have the wheel truing skills you could provide.

 

[MOVIN]

Oh Just Fix It!!!!!


If You Don't It Will Only Get Worse.....
When I Break Spokes On A New Rim I Just Rebuild It With Stailess Spokes And Do A Cross 4 Pattern.then They Last Forever

 

[cheetaprowlerDH]

ive gotn 3 missing on my back wheel and its been that way for months- not much has happened, i have noticed that the rest of my pokes are loose though... what do i do to fix them, just tighten the nipples or what?
i weigh 165 and i do a very mixed style of riding- from hucking to enduro through ravines on a 43 pound bike- the rim only has slight hops in it around the areas where the spokes are missing

 

[binary visions]

Tonight, I used your simple, easy to understand technique to true my wheel today after replacing my broken spoke. It got a wheel that was way out of whack nearly true in about 5 minutes.

You should film an infomerical and sell this knowledge. Certainly people would make 3 easy payments of $19.95 to have the wheel truing skills you could provide.

If you act now, the first payment is FREE!

I'm glad I could help. The fine tuning is a little tougher because it's sometimes hard to judge how many spokes need to be tweaked, but you can get a wheel roughly true in no time at all.

It's a black art, I'm tellin ya!

I don't know how I missed this post before

 

[vibiker]

ive gotn 3 missing on my back wheel and its been that way for months- not much has happened, i have noticed that the rest of my pokes are loose though... what do i do to fix them, just tighten the nipples or what

Well you could wait for a complete failure of your wheel or you could replace the 3 spokes (for starters).

After you replace them, you could just tighten all the loose nipples, but chances are your wheel will be badly out of true. At this point, take your wheel to your LBS, fork over about $15, and have them true it for you.

 

[cheetaprowlerDH]

yeah, i do know how to build a wheel and right now, my bike is a skeleton because i f-ed up the front end and eventually stripped it down to the frame so i guess a little home repair wouldn't hurt... it will also keep me entertained because i go insane when i cant ride...

 

[HELLTACO]

I jussta get my spokes chot out in da hood so I build 'um like dis now.

 

[golgiaparatus]

Not sure how much it weakens the wheel as a whole but I know that when I bust a spoke and then replace it the next few weeks are always filled with a slew of busted spokes, usually the ones around the original spoke that broke. Probably best to replace and tension the 2-4 supporting spokes around the one that initially snapped.