Re: Windsor Tourist Bike review addition

[Earl Bollinger]

"GLitwinski" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Bought a Windsor Tourist steel frame touring bike from Bikes Direct
> earlier this year for $590. It's a Fuji Touring by another name. The gear
> shift train is Shimano Tiagra/Deore, brakes Tektro, frame chrome moly
> (which I wanted and which severely limited my choices), tires Kenda Euro,
> wheels/spokes/hubs no-name. Comes with plenty of braze-ons for fenders
> (which I wanted and added) and with an Al rack with stainless hardware.
> It's a heavy beast, just under 30 lb. fully outfitted with
> fenders/rack/speedo/kit bag/cage/Tektro suicide brake levers I added. I
> added clipless pedals to replace the standard clip type, too. I wanted an
> all weather, tough, smooth riding touring bike and that's mostly what I
> got. I have about 400 miles on it now.
>
> The one bad thing about it is that it came with real **** no-name spokes.
> I have broken five spokes on the rear wheel on three different rides (2 +
> 2 +1). This was with just the rider on the bike, no extra load. Had the
> broken spokes professionally replaced each time and the wheel trued after
> first instance and trued/tensioned after the second. All breaks were on
> hub side and all were at the flare that goes against the hub. No breaks
> where breaks almost always occur, at the bend. The spokes are clearly
> ****. Showed the broken spokes to two bike shops and no one had ever seen
> such a break. Finally, after blowing $42 on repairs, I had the wheel
> rebuilt with DT 14/15/14 tapered spokes for $80.
>
> I contacted Bikes Direct about the problem. They said the spokes were not
> defective, but they would replace them with same type if I sent the wheel
> back. Considering that I would end up with the same problem, in my
> estimation, and just be out shipping plus time, I passed.
>
> Anyway, I wish I had just respoked the thing after the first breaks. Given
> how the spokes broke, it was clear, in hind sight, that the spokes were
> bad.
>
> Live an learn. At least now I have a rear wheel I can rely on.
>
> Would I buy another Windsor Tourist? Sure, but I'd respoke the back wheel
> immediately...or even better, have BikesDirect do it pre-sale with DT
> tapered spokes at my cost.
>
> Other than the spokes, I like the bike a lot and would change nothing.
>
> - GRL
>

I have a Windsor Tourist too, and have had spokes break on the rear wheel
too.
My LBS felt that the hub itself was defective in that the spoke holes were
too large or angled incorrectly. Thus it was allowing the spokes to flex too
much or not enough causing the heads to break off. I replaced the rear wheel
with another one, and I haven't broke any spokes since.
So it may not be the spokes or the rim but a defective hub. Since the
difference is maybe one thousandth of a inch you can't really eyeball it.
I suspect there was a number of hubs made with holes too large or angled
incorrectly.
Another LBS mechanic says I could probably salvage the hub when I rebuild
the wheel by using special spoke washers on the hub end.
But I haven't done anything with the old wheel yet. I haven't decided if I
want to bother with it or not.
On my 46 mile round trip commutes to and from work, I have a couple of bad
stretches of road that is really hard on bike wheels. So having a really
good wheel on the rear solved my problems. I haven't had any spokes pop
since.

 

[nopcbs]

Interesting. I guess we'll see if it's a bad hub or bad spokes that
caused my problem as I only replaced the spokes. I do know that none of
the spokes that broke were DT's. The odds were 2 in 18 and 4 in 18, so
statistically that may not mean much, though. If the new ones last a
week of daily 17 mile rides, that should settle the matter.

 

[Earl Bollinger]

"nopcbs" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Interesting. I guess we'll see if it's a bad hub or bad spokes that
> caused my problem as I only replaced the spokes. I do know that none of
> the spokes that broke were DT's. The odds were 2 in 18 and 4 in 18, so
> statistically that may not mean much, though. If the new ones last a
> week of daily 17 mile rides, that should settle the matter.
>

Please let me know how it goes, I may want to get a bunch of DT spokes
myself it it solves the problem.
I originally thought the spokes were defective myself.
I have a big box of Taiwan made spokes, and as a spoke on the original wheel
broke, i would replace it with one of out of my box.
Except other spokes would break later, not the ones I replaced either.
So it could be defective spokes of some sort. In my case the little mushroom
head ends would pop off.
Thanks
Earl

 

[nopcbs]

Sure, In a week or two the matter should be clear and I'll let you
know.

- GRL

Earl Bollinger wrote:
> "nopcbs" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Interesting. I guess we'll see if it's a bad hub or bad spokes that
> > caused my problem as I only replaced the spokes. I do know that none of
> > the spokes that broke were DT's. The odds were 2 in 18 and 4 in 18, so
> > statistically that may not mean much, though. If the new ones last a
> > week of daily 17 mile rides, that should settle the matter.
> >
>
> Please let me know how it goes, I may want to get a bunch of DT spokes
> myself it it solves the problem.
> I originally thought the spokes were defective myself.
> I have a big box of Taiwan made spokes, and as a spoke on the original wheel
> broke, i would replace it with one of out of my box.
> Except other spokes would break later, not the ones I replaced either.
> So it could be defective spokes of some sort. In my case the little mushroom
> head ends would pop off.
> Thanks
> Earl