Problem with Shimano R-535 wheelset

There's reasons alot of people won't ride low spoke count wheels, you just found one of them. 🙂 It
sounds like it's too late to take them back, but you might consider replacing them with some 32 or
36 hole open pros or similar, they'll go out of true if a spoke breaks, but won't leave you
stranded. BTW, you know you are going to start a holy war with that post.
🙂

Lindsay Brambles said:

Last year I purchased a new road bike and after having some problems with the stock wheelset that
came with the bike I opted to upgrade to Shimano R-535 wheels. Now, however, I have had spokes on
the rear wheel break

twice in

Quoted message said:

the space of a few weeks. After I purchased the wheels I heard there were some issues with spoke
breakage and I'm wondering if anyone else has had such problems. This is a concern for me because
on long rides it can be a rather serious issue if I break a spoke far out in the country. Walking

any

Quoted message said:

distance in cleated biking shoes is no picnic, and once a spoke has broken on the R-535 the rim is
so warped that it's impossible to ride. On the two recent occasions when the spokes broke I was
fortunate to be close to a

phone,

Quoted message said:

but I'm worried about this happening on when I may be kilometers from the nearest house. (I know:
I could carry a cell phone, but I really would have no other use for one, so I don't want to incur
the expense just for that. Besides, I'm not always going to be lucky and have some one at home who
can come and fetch me.)

Anyway, if anyone knows about a problem with the R-535 I'd appreciate knowing. Possibly this is
why Shimano brought out the differently laced

R-540?

Quoted message said:

BTW, I'm 160 pounds, so I don't think weight can be an issue; the store I bought the wheelset from
says the R-535 is supposed to be rated for 240 pounds. I also have made it a point of avoiding
potholes and ruts like

the

Quoted message said:

plague, as well as crossing rail lines very, very carefully.

Thanks for any info you may be able to provide.

Lindsay Brambles

--
Lindsay H.F. Brambles | * |\ | ----- * [email hidden] | | | \ | / |
| | | \ | / |
|____ | | \| /____ |

--
Mark Wolfe wolfenet.orgwolfenet.orgOpen ↗ gpg fingerprint = 42B6 EFEB 5414 AA18 01B7 64AC EF46
F7E6 82F6 8C71

Lindsay Brambles at [email hidden] wrote on 8/21/03 12:49 PM:

Quoted message said:

Last year I purchased a new road bike and after having some problems with the stock wheelset that
came with the bike I opted to upgrade to Shimano R-535 wheels. Now, however, I have had spokes on
the rear wheel break twice in the space of a few weeks. After I purchased the wheels I heard there
were some issues with spoke breakage and I'm wondering if anyone else has had such problems. This
is a concern for me because on long rides it can be a rather serious issue if I break a spoke far
out in the country. Walking any distance in cleated biking shoes is no picnic, and once a spoke
has broken on the R-535 the rim is so warped that it's impossible to ride. On the two recent
occasions when the spokes broke I was fortunate to be close to a phone, but I'm worried about this
happening on when I may be kilometers from the nearest house.

'tis the dangers of low spoke count wheels, however, I digress...

I haven't heard much complaints about breaking spokes on those. Checked Google Groups Search to
confirm - ditto... groups.google.comadvanced group searchOpen ↗

I only know one person with those wheels, and he's fine with them.

You have had wheel problems with the factory (presumably standard type) wheelset - now problems with
this set. If you are breaking spokes in both cases, I'd look at the dropout alignment first, then
frame alignment. Bike shops should have the proper tools to confirm that everything. While hanging
out in the bike shop where you got 'em - a Wednesday or Tuesday morning when the owners there is
always best. Politely say, "this really doesn't seem right" and see if they can't get Shimano to
replace them.

Way back in the grey matter, it seems like one of the early runs had a problem, but I just can't
recall specifics.

Quoted message said:

(I know: I could carry a cell phone, but I really would have no other use for one, so I don't want
to incur the expense just for that. Besides, I'm not always going to be lucky and have some one at
home who can come and fetch me.)

Cell phone is worth it, if you ask me. Price of a couple grande burritos and a few cappuccinos per
month. Especially if you ride alone (which might be related to those particular food
combinations...) Make sure you have coverage for the rural areas in which you ride. Make sure you
program in a "HOME" number, so if the paramedics find you unconcious, they can figure out who you
are and let folks know. They are nice if you need a bail out or retrieval, but really stellar for
BIG problems when you need help NOW.

Hope that helps,

-- Jim

As far as I've been able to determine here's the skinny:

The original 535 wheels had a lot of problems with spoke breakage and also with the wheels pulling
to the side when peddled by a really strong rider. This made a grinding noise that some riders would
complain about.

Shimano redesigned the wheels to 540 I believe and were replacing wheels for people who were
breaking spokes on the 535 in at least some cases. However I'm not really sure about that part aside
from the fact that a shop guy said so.

My 165 lb. brother is unable to ride the 535's because of the wheel pulling part and a friend (maybe
180 lbs.) who bought the 540's has begun breaking spokes with precisely the same result you've seen.
His discussions seem to indicate that the 540's are beginning to break spokes at the same rate as
did the 535's.

Low spoke count wheels are not something that should be ridden off of the race course but of course
everyone seems to be doing it these days. The Mavic and Velocity wheels don't seem to have these
failures but then again the really light ones are much more expensive than the Shimano wheels. The
problem is with the spokes and most wheelbuilders will tell you that DT and Wheelsmith are probably
the only truly reliable spokes and DT was failing for a short while in the 90's as well. I'm large
at 200 lbs or so and I was breaking Wheelsmith spokes for awhile but that was because I was trying
to get away with 15-16-15 spokes. When I dropped down to the next size larger that all stopped.

I would think that Shimano would stand behind their product but in cases like this I wouldn't be
surprised it they passed the buck.

"Lindsay Brambles" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Last year I purchased a new road bike and after having some problems

with

Quoted message said:

the stock wheelset that came with the bike I opted to upgrade to

Shimano

Quoted message said:

R-535 wheels. Now, however, I have had spokes on the rear wheel

break twice in

Quoted message said:

the space of a few weeks. After I purchased the wheels I heard there

were

Quoted message said:

some issues with spoke breakage and I'm wondering if anyone else has

had

Quoted message said:

such problems. This is a concern for me because on long rides it can

be

Quoted message said:

a rather serious issue if I break a spoke far out in the country.

Walking any

Quoted message said:

distance in cleated biking shoes is no picnic, and once a spoke has

broken

Quoted message said:

on the R-535 the rim is so warped that it's impossible to ride. On

the two

Quoted message said:

recent occasions when the spokes broke I was fortunate to be close

to a phone,

Quoted message said:

but I'm worried about this happening on when I may be kilometers

from the

Quoted message said:

nearest house. (I know: I could carry a cell phone, but I really

would

Quoted message said:

have no other use for one, so I don't want to incur the expense just

for

Quoted message said:

that. Besides, I'm not always going to be lucky and have some one at

home

Quoted message said:

who can come and fetch me.)

Anyway, if anyone knows about a problem with the R-535 I'd

appreciate

Quoted message said:

knowing. Possibly this is why Shimano brought out the differently

laced R-540?

Quoted message said:

BTW, I'm 160 pounds, so I don't think weight can be an issue; the

store I

Quoted message said:

bought the wheelset from says the R-535 is supposed to be rated for

240

Quoted message said:

pounds. I also have made it a point of avoiding potholes and ruts

like the

Quoted message said:

plague, as well as crossing rail lines very, very carefully.

Thanks for any info you may be able to provide.

Lindsay Brambles

--
Lindsay H.F. Brambles | * |\ | ----- * [email hidden] | | | \ | / |
| | | \ | / |
|____ | | \| /____ |

Lindsay-<< BTW, I'm 160 pounds, so I don't think weight can be an issue; the store I bought the
wheelset from says the R-535 is supposed to be rated for 240 pounds. >><BR><BR>

Pretty funny-240 pounds-. I would say have the wheels replaced by some designed specifially for you
and your needs, built by a good wheelbuilder. The bike shop, who will often say things like, 'we
don't know about the reliability of these wheels...time will tell'. If they have doubts, they should
not sell them, should do someting to get you on reliable wheels. We see few wheels outta boxes that
are reliable.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Jim-<< If you are breaking spokes in both cases, I'd look at the dropout alignment first, then frame
alignment.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

???-Axle problems perhaps, doubt this has anything to do with poor wheel builds..

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

tom-<< The original 535 wheels had a lot of problems with spoke breakage and also with the wheels
pulling to the side when peddled by a really strong rider. This made a grinding noise that some
riders would complain about. >><BR><BR>

Yikes, these wheels, 7700 wheels, SPD-R pedals, SPD-SL cleats, 2003 XTR BB bearings, don't they test
these things??

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

In article said:

Last year I purchased a new road bike and after having some problems with the stock wheelset that
came with the bike I opted to upgrade to Shimano R-535 wheels. Now, however, I have had spokes on
the rear wheel break twice in the space of a few weeks. After I purchased the wheels I heard there
were some issues with spoke breakage and I'm wondering if anyone else has had such problems.

This won't help you but I've got about 3000 miles on a set of R535s with zero problems. The rear was
creaking a bit when I stood on climbs so I tightend the spokes a bit (had to make my own spoke
wrench, none of the local shops had any to fit!).

I weighed 175lbs when I started back into riding a few years ago, I'm 145 now. I'm fairly careful
with equipment but I will wreck badly made rear wheels from standing on climbs. I use a set of
"regular" 32h wheels for normal riding now but the R535s are my bombproof backup wheels. They are
heavy but I know I can't kill them.

Since you had problems with your last wheels, maybe there is something other than the wheels that's
causing the problem?

Quoted message said:

Anyway, if anyone knows about a problem with the R-535 I'd appreciate knowing. Possibly this is why
Shimano brought out the differently laced R-540?

I haven't heard of any problems with the R535s (other than being heavy and having the other
drawbacks of low spoke count wheels, many of which you noted).

Quoted message said:

BTW, I'm 160 pounds, so I don't think weight can be an issue; the store I bought the wheelset from
says the R-535 is supposed to be rated for 240 pounds. I also have made it a point of avoiding
potholes and ruts like the plague, as well as crossing rail lines very, very carefully.

Just guessing, but maybe you are killing your wheels because you are not being careful enough about
road obstacles?

Were the 535s new or used? What happened to your previous wheels?

Who retensioned the 535s when the spokes were replaced? With only 16 spokes, they really need to
have even tension.

Eric

Just out of curiosity, where did the spokes break? Near the threads, elbow, head, or ...?

In my experience, wheels that have had
1. their spoke line corrected and
2. stress relieved seldom break spokes. Not sure if the Shimano wheel's little spoke washer thingy
in the rim allows proper spoke line correction, as in a standard hub or not. But I would think
you could at leaset stress relieve those wheels.

[email hidden] (Lindsay Brambles) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Last year I purchased a new road bike and after having some problems with the stock wheelset that
came with the bike I opted to upgrade to Shimano R-535 wheels. Now, however, I have had spokes on
the rear wheel break twice in the space of a few weeks. After I purchased the wheels I heard there
were some issues with spoke breakage and I'm wondering if anyone else has had such problems. This
is a concern for me because on long rides it can be a rather serious issue if I break a spoke far
out in the country. Walking any distance in cleated biking shoes is no picnic, and once a spoke
has broken on the R-535 the rim is so warped that it's impossible to ride. On the two recent
occasions when the spokes broke I was fortunate to be close to a phone, but I'm worried about this
happening on when I may be kilometers from the nearest house. (I know: I could carry a cell phone,
but I really would have no other use for one, so I don't want to incur the expense just for that.
Besides, I'm not always going to be lucky and have some one at home who can come and fetch me.)

Anyway, if anyone knows about a problem with the R-535 I'd appreciate knowing. Possibly this is
why Shimano brought out the differently laced R-540?

BTW, I'm 160 pounds, so I don't think weight can be an issue; the store I bought the wheelset from
says the R-535 is supposed to be rated for 240 pounds. I also have made it a point of avoiding
potholes and ruts like the plague, as well as crossing rail lines very, very carefully.

Thanks for any info you may be able to provide.

Lindsay Brambles

spam-<< This won't help you but I've got about 3000 miles on a set of R535s with zero problems. The
rear was creaking a bit when I stood on climbs so I tightend the spokes a bit (had to make my own
spoke wrench, none of the local shops had any to fit!). >><BR><BR>

Then i guess the problems you had weren't 'zero'...

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"