Wheel whisperers

fat bloke · 27-02-2022 11:55am #1

I've been singing the praises of my Bontrager Aeolus Comp 5 (carbon faired, aluminium rimmed) wheels, quietly to myself and to anyone within earshot for a good few months but I suffered a broken rear spoke yesterday leaving Dunlavin. Luckily the initial wobbly buckle didn't get any worse and with the massive helping tailwind I was able to soft pedal the 40km home at 30+kph!

Who are the wheel ninjas these days? I've had it before where a wheel starts breaking spokes and then starts to repeat the offence, so I'd like it fixed right and proper, if anyone has any recommendations please?

Weepsie · 27-02-2022 2:45pm

Humphries in glasnevin sorted my carbon wheels when I thought bunnyhopping a bump was a good idea. They also built me 2 sets, and I got 2 years out of the last before they needed any type of truing and they did it free

Lukasz in Apex Cycles( think that's the name) get great recommendations.

Cliff, whereever he is now is another. Possibly in that shop in clonskeagh

koutoubia · 27-02-2022 2:46pm

lukaz in APex cycles in Kidare.

Bambaata · 28-02-2022 11:57am

Timely thread, ive never had many issues with spokes/wheels so perhaps heres a place to ask, ive had 2 spokes go now on a rear wheel & 1 on the front - pair of Primes. Ive had the front and 1 of the rear fixed, second went just last week and no buckle yet but need ot get it sorted. Is 2 going in quick succession a sign that i may need the wheel rebuilt? I only use it commuting so about 60km a week. I see Humphries in glasnevin mentioned, would suit me just just wondering what peoples thoughts are, just get the 1 spoke replaced again or rebuild that rear?

magicbastarder · 28-02-2022 12:17pm

my one experience with humphries was i had a bike with i think 12 or 13 year old wheels, they were making a bit of creaking noise and a spoke popped. got that replaced for €15. then another spoke popped, and i decided to have the wheel rebuilt by them - it was €30. so if they have a similar pricing still (that was probably six years ago), it may be more economical to get the wheel rebuilt than to replace one spoke if there's fatigue building up in them.

ARX · 28-02-2022 12:49pm

I had a spoke replaced in a new wheel, and an old wheel trued, by Joe Daly in Dundrum recently, very happy with the results. They are very good to deal with and did both jobs quickly at a very reasonable price.

Bambaata · 28-02-2022 12:52pm

I assume when rebuilding its a replacement of all spokes job? I should have paid more attention to reviews of the wheels (https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/prime-rr-28-v2-carbon-clincher-disc-wheelset/rp-prod166646), a few seem to have suffered same issue as me.

Ive about 7 other wheelsets and have never had any spoke issues.

fat bloke · 28-02-2022 2:17pm

There must be a damaging ripple effect when one spoke goes and a wheel buckles, putting the remaining spokes under new or extra stresses cos, not that it has happened to me a lot but, I had such a thing happen with a pair of Fulcrum 3's years ago, and then more lately with a set of Giant SLR carbon wheels, and the same again with a pair of mavics belonged to my wife. One spoke went - got it fixed and then a succession of spokes broke. It's a right pain. Not like you can repair roadside. So it's invariably spin-ending.

Weepsie · 28-02-2022 2:39pm

I feel like there are some audaxers who do roadside wheel repairs.

2 or 3 of my wheelsets are 32/36 spoked handbuilt things so I've been able to cycle them with woefully badly damaged spokes in the past with zero issues pretty much.

Had a set of Cero ar30s that were very light and low spoke count that I had to get repaired immediately

easygoing39 · 28-02-2022 2:46pm

Cliff in Harry's Bikes,the best wheelbuilder out there.

Macy0161 · 28-02-2022 2:58pm

I also had the experience - first break was on rough road/ pothole, but then the next one was just a couple of spins later on an innocuous speed ramp. After that one I just went for a rebuild - with the aforementioned Cliff in Harry's Bikes.

Plastik · 28-02-2022 11:49pm

Lucasz @ Apex from all my wheel and weird servicing needs that I can't do myself.

Large bottle small glass · 02-03-2022 10:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118708402#Comment_118708402

A spoke going doesn't have to be spin ending; you are choosing to buy wheels with

*a low spoke count

*probably a combination of bladed spokes/internal nipples/ straight pull/deep section (and therefore short spokes) and whatever other sh1te the wheel manufacturer is pushing

*"interesting" lacing patterns

That's the price if you want sexy super light wheels. Not every needs 36 spoke, 4 cross with a touring rim but there is a middle ground depending on your weight, power, riding type that will give you super reliable AND easy/cheap to maintain wheels.

Rather than waiting for a spoke to break AND if you have access to a good wheelbuilder I'd get him to check wheels before you ever ride them. A spoke breaking typically isn't a problem with that spoke but low build quality from the get go.

If you have half decent components, a non retarded design and good build quality spokes shouldn't be popping at all. I'd rate myself about 3 or 4 out of 10 in terms of mechanical skills and since I started building my own wheels 5 or 6 years ago have not had a spoke go since. If you have decent mechanic and build an appropriate design spokes breaking should be a thing of the past

fat bloke · 02-03-2022 12:31pm

Sure you may as tell the wife to put away the Jimmy Choos and go out in some sensible flats! 😁

Sorry but I'll stand at the side of any road with my cool broken wheels a long time before I hobble my bike aesthetic with 68 spoke wagon wheels. 😛

Wheel whisperers

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