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my first broken spoke... replace 1/replace all?

Feb 13, 2002
1,087
17
Seattle, WA
Huzzah, my first broken spoke.

Wasn't really a crash, just one of those ones where you run down the hill and the bike tumbles down and lands on top of you. A spoke was broken on the rear wheel when I picked the bike up.

These wheels are getting on in years.. I just did a google search to find the ERD for the rim, and found a ridemonkey post where I had asked the same question when I first built the wheels in 2004.

So the question is, do I just replace the broken spoke or do I replace all the spokes? I think the rim is still good. Seems like they might all be about ready to snap.
 

ThePriceSeliger

Mushhead
Mar 31, 2004
4,860
0
Denver, Colorado
Personally, I wouldnt even worry about it. As long as the other spokes kept their tension, just leave it. If that one spoke threw the wheel out of true, then yes, just replace the broken spoke.
 

Sir_Crackien

Turbo Monkey
Feb 7, 2004
2,051
0
alex. va. usa.
yeah the wheel set is getting a little old that is for sure. as a 8 year experienced mechanic i say that you should replace that spoke seeing that it is the first one. if another breaks soon that is the time that i would look into replacing all of the spokes. also see that the rim is that old as well (assuming that you ride regularly) i would look into replacing it as well when you end up replacing the spokes. its just alot more of a hassle to do it then than any other time
 

ThePriceSeliger

Mushhead
Mar 31, 2004
4,860
0
Denver, Colorado
Just replace the spoke and go through all the spokes and tension them correctly and true it up. That should solve all the problems, which is how I'm riding the same wheels on my race bike from 2004 and 3 trips to Whistler.
 

Cult Hero

Chimp
Dec 28, 2007
97
0
Santa Barbara
was it drive side? The only thing I would check is are the other drive side spokes damaged from the chain at all? Where did the spoke break, head, nipple or in the middle? That can help you determine why it broke. Still I would just replace the broken one, but knowing why it broke can give you insight into whether you have any others waiting to go.