How often do spokes break?

Ian F · Mar 3, 2005

When I raced DH, that bike would easily go through at least one or two spokes a season... providing the wheel lasted that long... front or rear... but usually rear... Not helped by the fact my DH wheels were usually built by me with my meager wheel-building skills.

On the XC hardtail, I've broken a few... mainly because it's a light wheel built with super-light 15/17g spokes... and they're going to break. My XC and raod wheels I always have pro-built by someone I trust.

If you're breaking spokes often, but not riding the bike very hard, something is definitely wrong with the build. Mostly, the tension is off... way off... have the wheel rebuilt using all-new spokes by somebody who knows what they're doing.

If the wheel came with the bike, then it's probably a machine-built wheel. Sometimes these wheels can be good and last for years... sometimes, they're crap...

Echo · Mar 3, 2005

Lots of times when you break one spoke, it indicates a problem with the tension of the wheel. And as soon as that one spoke breaks, the problem gets worse because it stresses the spokes around the one that broke. If you are getting lots of broken spokes in the same wheel, it's probably a good idea to rebuild the wheel, or at least retension it.

jdcamb · Mar 3, 2005

What part of the spoke is breaking? Where a spoke is breaking will tell you a lot about why it broke. Also are you breaking new spokes each time or different ones? Wheelsmith or DT? .....jdcamb

N8 v2.0 · Mar 3, 2005

I seem to bust 2-3 a season. They always break on my back wheel oppsite the casette.

Wumpus · Mar 3, 2005

How old is the wheel?

I don't usually have any problem on new wheels, but as they start to get two or three years old spokes start breaking. I use it as a sign that it is time to rebuild.

golgiaparatus · Mar 3, 2005

If you dont have a spoke break you are likely not to have a problem... but once it starts its usually chronic. 1 spoke breaks and puts stress on others which in turn break and but stress on others etc etc.

I had a wheel that snagged a branch and snapped a spoke in the middle (Tripple butted spokes, never again) and I repaired it but the problem just snowballed from there, I would break another (at the threads) and replace it, and another (again at the threads) and another, then one day I broke 3 in one ride so I relaced the wheel with the thickest straight guage spokes that DT makes and I havent broken a spoke since, even after hitting rocks, branches and who knows what else with the spokes. As a matter of fact that wheel rarely goes out of true at all.

DÃR · Mar 3, 2005

like Echo said, breaking spokes off like that is symptomatic of spoke tension issues. Generally it's b/c the spokes are too LOOSE; they break easier when they're loose.

I generally break 2-3 per year, but only b/c a bent/smashed derailleur sends the chain into the spokes. I never get those phantom breakages that seem totally random.

dexter · Mar 3, 2005

hmm in the past 5 years that i remember, from learning to huck stairs, to upgrading to semi pro, learning 360's, riding xc and generally beating my bike i have not mbroken one spoke that i can remember. knock on wood

edit* and i have always run dt swiss competitions, revolutions, or on front race wheels supercomps

=[Stinky]= · Mar 3, 2005

Echo said:
Lots of times when you break one spoke, it indicates a problem with the tension of the wheel. And as soon as that one spoke breaks, the problem gets worse because it stresses the spokes around the one that broke. If you are getting lots of broken spokes in the same wheel, it's probably a good idea to rebuild the wheel, or at least retension it.

Correct..

Yeah, I have only broken a few on the mtb. Maybe one a season if that. Properly handbuilt dh wheels rule. 14g spokes, and brass nipples.

stinkyboy · Mar 3, 2005

I've broken 5 rear spokes since December on a new Stinky. I have them use black spokes to replace the silver to keep track of the breaks... My wheels and hubs suck (Mavic 321's on Deores...) I weigh 220, but don't do any drops bigger than 5'-6'. My LBS told me to beat the Sh1T out of them and then they'll give me a smoking deal on a real wheelset: DeeMax's or 832's with King's. Suggestions?

-dustin · Mar 3, 2005

never broken a spoke.

blue · Mar 3, 2005

Darkreaper said:
I bought the bike new in october, and I believe the wheels were handmade by the lbs mechanic. The spokes break in different places, although now I think about it they seem to be in roughly two areas, one near the valve and one opposite. Always break off right at the rim

Is your bike a frameset custom built from the ground up, or is it a stock complete bike? If it's a stock complete, the wheels were likely built by a machine. When a complete comes into a shop in a box, the wheels are already built, along with most of the bike. Usually putting together new bikes involves a small amount of time putting some parts on the bike (Seatpost, pedals, front wheel), but most of the time is consumed adjusting everything. Don't blame the shop wheelbuilder, in this case. Have the wheel rebuilt with new spokes. When one goes, it becomes a terminal illness for the wheel.

jacksonpt · Mar 3, 2005

I've only broken 1 spoke in the 4 or so years I've been riding. However, I taco a rim about once a summer.

johnbryanpeters · Mar 3, 2005

blue said:
...When one goes, it becomes a terminal illness for the wheel.

I have not found that to be so.

Every time I have lost a spoke or spokes it has been because of a derailleur or a branch stuck in the rear wheel, and not all the time when that happens. When it has happened (infrequently), I have had spokes replaced and the wheel has been fine.

I think that the crucial thing is that the wheel be tensioned and trued by a wheel builder who knows what they're doing.

J

Chunky Munkey · Jun 1, 2006

Nice Avatar Stinky Boy... Christy Canyon rocks!

As to spokes, I kept my Rolfe's so tight for five years to the point where I was stripping the threads and had to replace a nipple here or there. But I never broke one until I tightened one too far and pulled the nipple through the aluminum rim. Anyone need a Rolfe rear 24 hole hub and spokes?

But my new rims although are extremely true, I'm noticing them making creaking noises so I think it's time to put them back on the stand and brake out my spoke wrench. Hey I made a joke. BRAKE out the spoke wrench...

Has anyone addressed the point he makes, he does have a HARD tail. Having suspension takes off some of the hit when jumping. I would take it a hard tail would break spokes more than a soft, yes? :think:

I was looking at the DEEMAX but decided against it due to low funds.

macko · Jun 1, 2006

Closest I've come to breaking a spoke was when my rear-der was somehow sucked into the spokes and bent a couple of 'em & tweaked the rim.

Skookum · Jun 1, 2006

i haven't broke a spoke for years. i suppose you can say luck is part of it, but if you have a good wheel builder as people say that goes a long way. Right now i'm running factory stock rims on my Enduro (just some Suns w/XT). If i pop some spokes on this rim from just riding along, i woulnd't be "incredibly" suprised. But i'm probably more likely to fold it.

Just some tips that might help prevent this in the future. Spend more money on rims. Don't focus on super light, buy for a little more sturdiness.

i'm assuming your problems stem from having a real low end product to begin with. It may be time to set aside some cash for a decent pair of rims that will last you for years without getting small changed.

*Hmm after reading more closely it sounds like you need to find someone else build you a wheel.*

Goddy43 · Jun 1, 2006

I am a heavier rider (6-4/225) so I have a habit of breaking them pretty often, I also ride some very technical cross country trails daily and those are hell on a bike. I have 14g spokes on my MTB and have had good luck with those, my road bike was breaking spokes almost every ride before I had the wheel relaced.

narlus · Jun 1, 2006

man, i saw a DBR post (formerly sub6) and wondered what dragged him out of the woodwork, then i saw the original posting date.

i think i've only broken one spoke in about 12 years of biking.

DirtyMike · Jun 1, 2006

I Ride a KHS i am 250 and i am running Sun Single tracks laced with DT comp 14 guage spokes tight enough you can pretty much play a Banjo on my wheel. Never broken a spoke on these wheels, or the last set which were SUn double wides, But used to run CR 18's <Came with the bike> And i broke spokes on that bike one time, but i am not sure if it was due to wheel problems, or when i bent the Hanger and Tore my chain across My spokes behind the cassette.

A good wheel build can mean all the difference in the wheels Life expectancy. Trick is fidning a LBS with good wheel builders, i know a few, but i know alot more shops that shouldnt even be trueing.

Dartman · Jun 1, 2006

the Inbred said:
never broken a spoke.

Me neither, at least not from metal fatigue. I just occasionally ram a log or something through my wheel.

Mike

.:Jeenyus:. · Jun 1, 2006

No spokes ever broken here.

How often do spokes break?

How often do your spokes break?

Once or more a month

Once every 1-3 months

Once or twice a year

Less than once a year

I've never broken a spoke

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