spoke

[pattard]

is it bad to ride with one less spoke for a while? one of mine snapped and i dont want it to hold me back frm riding till i get another one. im not jumping due to my wrist but will impact on the part without the spoke damage or bend the rim?

[Shredded]

i think it should be ok, for a lil while, just go easy on it

[sanrensho]

Take your tire and tube off and head to your LBS pronto. Should be about $5 to have them replace the spoke and quickly adjust the tension.

Personally, I would not ride minus a spoke, except to get back home.

[Hack On Wheels]

Unfortunately, i had to ride my bike (read: chose to ride against the option of not riding) minus a spoke on each wheel as somehow i found i had managed to snap one on each wheel... Anyways, after lots of cased landings and harsh impacts on the bike, there are no flat spots, the wheels are not wobbly or flatspotted or showing any signs of extra stress. You may be okay, i was running an old tioga dh rim and a doubletrack if that matters.

[enduramil]

I have started keeping a bunch of spokes at home for my wheels. I was shown by a mechanic how to replace one spoke if I have to. Though you will need extra tools.

If you do this make sure you keep them in some kind of container. Especially if you have different size front and rear wheels.

[biggles604]

Spokes and nipples are cheap, certainly when comparing them to the price of a new wheel. While you probably are okay, it's not really worth the risk. Just make sure that all your other spokes have good tension. A wheel without adequate spoke tension has no strength at all, regardless of the rim/tyre.

www.sheldonbrown.com
I think that it's required reading for any bike owner. He has some excellent wheelbuilding tutorials.

[Wayne P]

You know what, you can ride a long time with a missing spoke, provided you're using a standard 32+ spoke wheel with good tension. So don't panic, keep an eye on it, and replace it when you need to.

I had a Ryno Lite on an LX hub on my HT years ago. I rode it for about a year straight, all through the winter, 6-8 wheelie drops (don't laugh), lots of riding - with 1 spoke missing from the rear. It held up just fine. Just an example.

[biggles604]

You are right, you can ride a long time. The wheel is a balanced system, losing a spoke means that you are significantly weakening the wheel, there is a good chance that you won't do any damage, but for the amount of work required to replace a spoke, is it really worth taking a chance like that?
I've run wheels without spokes before, and the biggest problem I had was trusting the wheel, not trusting your equipment means you hold back and don't have as much fun. (for me anyway)

[.Robinson]

ive ridden with 3 spokes missing and it was fine

[SkunkworkS]

Replacing a spoke takes about 5 minutes (remove tire, remove cassete, etc.), plus another couple to properly retension and true it all back up. Quite a simple job, provided you have the correct length spoke, nipple, spoke key, and some type of truing stand or none if you're really talented.

[Wayne P]

I'm not advocating not replacing it, I think you should, but its not the same as a cracked frame or anything.

[sanrensho]

We're talking about a $5 repair. Five bucks. Slightly more than the cost of a tube. About the price of a bottle of cheap lube.

Just get it fixed.

[the flying moose]

i think he is wondering because he is from malta and if i remember correctly doesnt have easy access to a bike shop.

[sanrensho]

i think he is wondering because he is from malta and if i remember correctly doesnt have easy access to a bike shop.

Fair enough. Thanks for the clarification.