Andrew Muzi said:I broke a front wheel spoke two days ago (errant cargo in wheel) and
the occasional slapping sound reminds me of "tied/soldered spokes
won't foul on the fork when broken".
Quoted message said:Since it hasn't caught on anything and doesn't look like it will, I
wonder how great a 'problem' broken flapping spokes really are. I
can't recall seeing a wheel actually stopped by a broken
spoke. Anyone here have experience with that?
Quoted message said:(Yes, I'm going to put in a new spoke.)
Tying and soldering or better tying with twine and gluing was
introduced on high wheelers, where a fat crude spoke failure often
caused headers, they being so unstable in the forward direction that
they had no useful brake, one that would send the rider on his face
more often.
It was with the advent of the "safety" bicycle that wheel builders
didn't want to give up a new service that had been introduced shortly
before there were no more high wheelers, so they attributed all sorts
of wheel strength to the procedure, after losing its real purpose.
That fable lasted until publication of "the Bicycle Wheel" where the
benefits were measured and found not to exist.
Tying and soldering spokes, and hard glue for track tires were two
myths that were accepted in bicycling without question. It took me a
while to find the answers to these. Of course, block chain was
another of these. Track riders were sure that only a non roller chain
was strong enough to withstand the force of a good sprinter, and they
were all, all good sprinters. I recall how these guys made fun of my
friend Peter Johnson when he built his ultra light sprint bicycle,
using derailleur chain. It didn't bother them that he won anyway.
Myths don't die easily.
Jobst Brandt
