Dodgy spokes

[moonlite]

Having broken a drive-side spoke following damage from a derailed chain, I now face the risk of it happening again on a different bike. I bought a couple of used wheels recently to put on my most-used MTB. The bike was built with Mavic Crossrides which I've managed to put out of true, so found something a bit more burly -- XT hubs with Sun Ditch Witch Rims. When they arrived though, I saw that some drive-side spokes had been damaged . . . by a derailed chain.

Question is -- do these look like they're imminently going to fail? It would be better to get them replaced off the bat than finding out the hard way.

 

[Takingabreak]

I would replace them as they do look significantly "gronched"

 

[bikeworkshop]

If the wheel's off, it's only a5 minute job and a couple of quid.
Hopefully you have a shop nearby with large flange 26 length silver spokes

 

[Woz]

Put it this way ..... they aren't gonna get better.

IMHO worth replacing especially if you can do the job yourself and intend to use the bike for some distance.

 

[moonlite]

Thanks all -- that's what I thought you might say! I've never done this job before but it would be a useful one to learn. Unfortunately out in the boondocks here we don't have a supplier of spokes -- will need to order online.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Take a knackered one out and measure it.
I can post you a few of the same style and size if you want to pm me.
(We stock dt)
Then fit first replacement and tighten it up until it rings the same as its neighbours.
Then swap out the next one in the same way.
It will end up the same shape.

 

[moonlite]

Take a knackered one out and measure it.
I can post you a few of the same style and size if you want to pm me.
(We stock dt)
Then fit first replacement and tighten it up until it rings the same as its neighbours.
Then swap out the next one in the same way.
It will end up the same shape.

Brilliant -- thanks! Great advice and a very kind offer. Let me see if the spokes can be had closer to home -- I don't want to dip into your stock unless absolutely necessary.

Bit of a confession: I fitted the wheel today and took it for a 20k ride. It didn't explode on the first bump, but the feeling that it might fail never went away, so the repair must be made. Gotta have confidence in the gear!

 

[minor_LEGEND]

Being the drive side, they are under more tension than the nds & if they fail will send the wheel into a larger buckle than if the nds went. Question is can you cope with the spokes failing on this particular bike? If it's a tourer or for a lengthy work commute I would replace without hesitation. If it's a bike for nipping to the shops, arguably it can be risked.

As said though, an easy & cheap fix. When the same happened to me in 1993 as a teenager, I bought a hyperglide tool, learnt how to remove a cassette, replace a spoke & true a wheel in one lesson.

 

[bikeworkshop]

It's surprisingly rare to see a chewed up spoke break at that point long after the event.
Its nearly always the head pings off or it snaps at the first thread in the nipple. Cheap stainless.
Some 1.6/2 and similar spokes snap at the butt.
Driveside driveside driveside.

 

[moonlite]

All good points. As it's a second-hand wheel and I don't know its history, it seems wise to replace those three or four damaged ones. I got these wheels because this bike gets used a lot on rocky, rough tracks with some fast downhills and even a little bit of air. The Mavic Crossrides I fitted initially have gone out of true from this treatment, so was hoping these would be a bit more robust. Once this job is done, I'll be fiddling with the rear Crossride using their proprietary tool to see if I can straighten that one too.

So many maintenance jobs lined up . . .