replacing spokes on 700c wheels

Kim Hawtin said:

hey guys,

on the trip home last night i broke a spoke[1].

i've never changed spokes before.
are spokes readily available to buy from any LBS?

or is it that right time to pop the tyres off and
send the wheels in for truing?

i recently replaced the rear tyre because of a large bulge.
are these things often related?

cheers,

kim
[1] there were two 'bang's, found one, but not the other =/

I have no idea about how to change a spoke. I had one break about a month ago, got it fixed for $10 at the LBS. They would have plenty of spokes there.

Kim Hawtin said:

hey guys,

on the trip home last night i broke a spoke[1].

i've never changed spokes before.
are spokes readily available to buy from any LBS?

or is it that right time to pop the tyres off and
send the wheels in for truing?

i recently replaced the rear tyre because of a large bulge.
are these things often related?

cheers,

kim
[1] there were two 'bang's, found one, but not the other =/

If it's the rear, it's highly likely to be a spoke on the drive side. If so, you have to get the cogs off to poke a new spoke through the hub flange. It has to be a spoke the same length as all the others on that side. If it's the front, just poke a new spoke throught the vacant hole, and lace it up to the existing nipple.

You'll need the tools to get your cogs off (cassette/cluster removal tool and/or chain whip and big spanner/vice) and a spoke key. Take the cogs off, note the order and orientation. Unscrew the broken spoke. You can leave the nipple in the rim and screw the broken spoke out of it, and re-use the nipple (if the spoke hasn't broken inside the nipple - if it has, remove the tyre, tube and rim tape, and get the nipple out of its hole). Replace the spoke (and nipple). Tighten the spoke nipple to approximately the same tension as the others, and see how out of true the wheel is then. Put the cogs back on, tighten them or their lockring right up, and put the wheel in the frame. You can use the brake blocks to see how far out the wheel is. If it is out of true, a probable thing, go to Sheldon Brown's website for a primer in wheel truing.

Cheers,

M "defensible shortcuts" H

http://au.store.yahoo.com/idealcycles/stainspok.html