Weird Experience

I was riding my bike on the trainer. When I was done, I was off the bike taking off my shoes. I heard a loud sound of a spring breaking, but because my bike was just sitting there, I didn't think it came from the bike. I looked arount the basement, and didn't see anything. The next time I went to ride it, the back wheel wouldn't turn and it looked to me like there was a problem with the brake. I undid the cable and spread apart the calipers and it was fine. I figured the sound I heard was something with the brake. I took it into The Bike Shop in East Aurora (I love them) and I showed it to Dianne. I told her I thought there was a problem with the rear brake. She said "Maybe, or it could be that broken spoke." I was shocked. I'm very observant about my bike and i couldn't believe I didn't notice this. It got me to thinking, what do you do if a spoke breaks while you're out on a ride?

I guess that depends, where did the spoke break? You could alwasy deflate the tube, strip the tire, tube and rim strip and hopefully undo the connection to the spoke to take it off (most multi-tools come with a flat blade that you can take the spoke connector off). You can the fish the rest of the spoke away from the hub assembly. You then have to re-assemble everything and limp home with missing spoke. The alternative is to bend the broken spoke around another spoke and limp home. I don't advocate this because you may end up damaging a 2nd spoke.

The alternative is to call a friend to pick you up from the side of the road.

Just an update on my spoke problem. The same thing happened a few weeks later. I went down to ride on the trainer and the spoke was broken. So I brought it in to the shop and they found all the spokes were corroding where they overlapped. So, they put new spokes on the wheel.

Interesting. I've always wondered if that were possible. I can't ever seem to get them clean where they overlap, so I've been worried that water will get logged in there and start rusting.

"Luckily", I destroy wheels far before the spokes start rusting, but eventually I'll be at a point where I'm not so tough on them and this will become more of an issue...

As to the original matter; I've had spokes break on a few rides before. My wheels are all so overbuilt that I've always been able to continue the ride with no problems, not even a brake rubbing. On one lucky ride last year, I had 2 break on the same ride, but continuing that one may have been a mistake because after that incident I ended up with a broken spoke on the next 3 rides after that (after it was fixed each time); continuing to ride the wheel after the 2 spokes were broken most likely ended up over-stressing the spokes to a point where they all became compromised. I had to have the wheel rebuilt at that point.

Most quality spokes are stainless..rusting isn't an issue. Corrosion might be if one rides in the winter with the salt on the roads.

Spokes that arn't tensioned correctly can flex at the point of cross and wear against each other but I've never experienced it..Usual problem I've had was the spoke head breaking (DTs mainly)at the bend.

I sometimes have a strange clicking sound on the road that I ascribe to microshocks where the spokes cross and have "locked" together, The noise comes when the spokes break free and slip as the wheel turns. I drip a bit of light oil on the crossings and it seems to quiet them down for a time.

Ok..On the bladed spokes, one seems to have a leg up on the wheel staying true (or true enough to get home) The rear wheels with the offset lacing seem to have little issue when a spoke breaks.

On the traditional round spokes I have carried a spoke wrench with me for...ever. On the front hub you can actually remove the spoke. On the rear you may have to simply wrap it around an existing spoke and true as well as possible.

Most spokes break right at the elbow to the spoke head. My rule of thumb has been to replace em all (I do my own wheel building so...)

Rich Parker had that strange clicking sound..Toms Pro Bike found it was the smooth (non threaded)valve stem hitting the rim due to a small bit clearance between the two.

I've never broken a spoke, but last year I noticed an annoying creaking noise coming from my front wheel, especially when standing while riding uphill. Turned out I hadn't trued the front wheel in a long time, and several of the spokes had lost tension. They weren't hanging loose or anything, just not quite tight. I suppose like all metal under tension they stretch over time. I tightened them all about a half turn and trued up the ones that needed it and the wheel stopped creaking. I check them now and again, just by sort of "flicking" them with a finger. Properly tight spokes ring, loose ones just make a thunk.

Tom

What do you do if you have a broken spoke while out on a ride? Keep riding.

If the spoke breaks near the hub, unscrew the rest of the spoke and just leave the nipple in place. It won't go anywhere. If it breaks near the nipple (threads) and you can, remove the spoke from the hub flange. If it's on the inside between the cassette and the hub, and you can't get it out, wrap/bend it around other spokes so that it won't flap around.

The wheel will probably now be out of true. If it's only a little and you can still ride, great. You may need to open up the brake on that wheel a little so that it doesn't rub.

If it is so bad that it rubs the frame or brake even when opened, you will have to tighten a couple of spokes on the opposite side of the wheel to pull it back into line. It doesn't have to be perfect, just good enough to get you home. You do carry a spoke wrench in your tool kit, don't you?

Finish your ride and take the wheel to your bike shop for repair. Be aware that unless you have a reason the spoke broke (hit a pothole, etc.) if one spoke breaks spontaneously, you will probably have more break down the road. It might be time to look into a new wheel, especially if you are a heavier rider.