Running short a spoke

On Tue, 5 Feb 2008 19:59:40 +1100, meb

may have said:

I have a rear with a broken spoke as a result of a broken skewer in a
turn causing the rder to go into the wheel. I have a broken wheel and a
I lack a 2 prong Suntour freewheel puller. This is on an early 70s
Schwinn Super Sport-with 36 spoke aluminum rims. If I true this wheel
missing a single spoke, would the wheel be too flimsy to hold the shape?
I remember with the heavier steel rimmed Varsities, this was usually
not a problem as the rim was strong enough to hold a 230 lb rider or
would it likely warp due the missing spoke?

As a short-term measure, you can probably get the wheel true enough to
allow it to remain in service, but I would put getting the Suntour
tool (or getting your LBS to spin the freewheel off) high on the to-do
list. I would not hesitate to ride the bike (even for several weeks)
with one spoke gone, though you'll need to make sure the nipple is
still in the hole in the rim lest the tube pop the rim strip.
(Assuming it's a typical old Schwinn strip; thin rubber.. Velox will
hold just fine without a nipple. Others vary.)

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