Spokes and prices

Owen Cook said:

Just paid $2 for a spoke at the LBS which I thought was a bit of a rip off
after previously paying 80c or a $1. (unless there a difference in price
between 262 and 295 mm spokes.

Anyway been scouring Google bicycle groups for spokes and all very
interesting.

Anyone recommend a mail order spoke supplier. Now that one spoke has gone
they will start popping regularly I guess. Brand new cheapy Trek, only
3000 km.

Unrelated to your original question, but what wheelset is it and what
trek?
The wheels should be under warranty I think (12 months, from memory?)
and should be fixed as part of that. I'm not sure with wheels though
....

Bleve said:

Owen Cook said:

Just paid $2 for a spoke at the LBS which I thought was a bit of a rip off
after previously paying 80c or a $1. (unless there a difference in price
between 262 and 295 mm spokes.

Anyway been scouring Google bicycle groups for spokes and all very
interesting.

Anyone recommend a mail order spoke supplier. Now that one spoke has gone
they will start popping regularly I guess. Brand new cheapy Trek, only
3000 km.

Unrelated to your original question, but what wheelset is it and what
trek?
The wheels should be under warranty I think (12 months, from memory?)
and should be fixed as part of that. I'm not sure with wheels though
...

The bike has Trek 7.0 painted on the side, 51cm frame with 700cc el
cheapo wheels I suspect.

The LBS's that I have dealt with are pretty crummy as far as service turn
around is concerned. They want your bike for a day and when it is your
only form of transport, that's sort of pretty inconvenient for what is
essentially only a 15 minute job. Better do it your self, and in my case
that allowed me to regrease the rear bearings as the grease had almost
gone hard.

It must be five years from the time a bike rolls out of the twainese
factory to when it gets in the store. Pity they don't service the bikes
before they sell them.

Owen

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Owen Cook said:

Anyone recommend a mail order spoke supplier.

<www.phantomcycles.com.au> sell DT straight gauge @ 60 cents each.

--
Shane Stanley

Owen Cook said:

The bike has Trek 7.0 painted on the side, 51cm frame with 700cc el
cheapo wheels I suspect.

Ok, one of the hybrids, with noname wheelsets.

Quoted message said:

The LBS's that I have dealt with are pretty crummy as far as service turn
around is concerned. They want your bike for a day and when it is your
only form of transport, that's sort of pretty inconvenient for what is
essentially only a 15 minute job. Better do it your self, and in my case
that allowed me to regrease the rear bearings as the grease had almost
gone hard.

that's a shame, but I can understand the delay, as sometimes there's a
lot of work on - we often have to tell someone with wheelbuilds that
it'll be a day before it's done. Small shops, limited staff and time.

Quoted message said:

It must be five years from the time a bike rolls out of the twainese
factory to when it gets in the store. Pity they don't service the bikes
before they sell them.

That's odd, we check (essentially a service) each bike 3 times before
it leaves the shop. Once when it's first built from the box, once when
it's testridden by a customer, and once before we let it go. I think a
lot of LBS's do the same. Maybe you've been unlucky, I'm not sure.

Zebee Johnstone said:

I think this weekend's job will be to bodge up a workstand from
whatever I can find at Bunnings though.

Torpedo7 have one for a bit over $100, which isn't too bad. I'm not sure
how it'd work on the 'bent. You might be better off rigging a couple of
cinder block to keep the back wheel off the ground, but it depends just
how the tubes run.

The offer of having me have a look is still open. I'm also likely to be
heading through Nth Sydney tomorrow at some stage, so can have a 5 minute
squizz if you want. Can't beat that for service!

--
Dave Hughes | [email hidden]
"Assassination is the extreme form of
censorship." -- George Bernard Shaw

Owen Cook said:

Just paid $2 for a spoke at the LBS...
Anyone recommend a mail order spoke supplier.

I usually get mine from either Phantom Cycles http://www.phantomcycles.com.au/product.php?productid=1127 for DT Competitions ($1.50 per double butted spoke) or Branford Bike http://www.branfordbike.com/cgi-bin/perlshop/perlshop.cgi?ACTION=push&thispage=wheels/wheel.html&ORDER_ID=116814455 for the more unusual ones. Straight gauge spokes are cheaper, but I avoid them in favour of double butted ones.

Cheers,

Suzy

In aus.bicycle on 25 Jul 2006 00:55:32 -0700

Bleve said:

that's a shame, but I can understand the delay, as sometimes there's a
lot of work on - we often have to tell someone with wheelbuilds that
it'll be a day before it's done. Small shops, limited staff and time.

I usually try and book in for a while you wait if something's my only
transport.

It has to be something quick and simple though, cos otherwise they
really can't do a good job if they are clockwatching.

Luckily I live in an area well supplied with public transport and an
employer with flexible work hours, so dropping something off to a bike
shop near a train station's easy enough.

I think this weekend's job will be to bodge up a workstand from
whatever I can find at Bunnings though. That rear bloody derailleur
is pissing me off badly and I can't get the time to take up a kind
offer of help as my Saturdays are booked solid. So down to Bunnings
on Sunday to see what inspires me...

Zebee

In aus.bicycle on Tue, 25 Jul 2006 18:12:51 +1000

Random Data said:

Zebee Johnstone said:

I think this weekend's job will be to bodge up a workstand from
whatever I can find at Bunnings though.

Torpedo7 have one for a bit over $100, which isn't too bad. I'm not sure
how it'd work on the 'bent. You might be better off rigging a couple of
cinder block to keep the back wheel off the ground, but it depends just
how the tubes run.

I saw that, but their contact address bounces so I couldn't ask if the
clamp is big enough.

The Bacchetta frame is one long thick beam from the rear fork to the
front deraillieur, any clamp has to take an oval tube about oh...4-5"
high by about 1.5-2" thick. Big ask for most of 'em. Apparently the
Park Tools Extreme clamp does it, but I doubt most will.

(http://www.bacchettabikes.com/images/bikes/giro20_med.jpg)

Won't be easy to rig blocks or milk crates as balancing it will be
hard. I have had some success hanging it from ropes but I think a
stand will be way easier plus I can get to both sides - the only spot
I can hang it from in the shed is very close to the wall.

Quoted message said:

The offer of having me have a look is still open. I'm also likely to be
heading through Nth Sydney tomorrow at some stage, so can have a 5 minute
squizz if you want. Can't beat that for service!

Excellent! Give me a ring on 043 8181 009 and I can bring it to wherever
you are.. I work on Miller St a few buildings up the hill from the
Rag and Famish.

Zebee

Zebee Johnstone said:

In aus.bicycle on 25 Jul 2006 00:55:32 -0700

Bleve said:

that's a shame, but I can understand the delay, as sometimes there's a
lot of work on - we often have to tell someone with wheelbuilds that
it'll be a day before it's done. Small shops, limited staff and time.

I usually try and book in for a while you wait if something's my only
transport.

It has to be something quick and simple though, cos otherwise they
really can't do a good job if they are clockwatching.

Luckily I live in an area well supplied with public transport and an
employer with flexible work hours, so dropping something off to a bike
shop near a train station's easy enough.

I think this weekend's job will be to bodge up a workstand from
whatever I can find at Bunnings though. That rear bloody derailleur
is pissing me off badly and I can't get the time to take up a kind
offer of help as my Saturdays are booked solid. So down to Bunnings
on Sunday to see what inspires me...

You can put a 'bent on a spin trainer, and use that as a stand to
fiddle with gear adjustment. It should work just fine. finding an
elcheapo wind trainer will be pretty easy.

In aus.bicycle on 25 Jul 2006 05:20:56 -0700

Bleve said:

You can put a 'bent on a spin trainer, and use that as a stand to
fiddle with gear adjustment. It should work just fine. finding an
elcheapo wind trainer will be pretty easy.

Interesting idea. About the only thing you couldn't do then is adjust
front brakes.

Zebee

Zebee Johnstone said:

In aus.bicycle on 25 Jul 2006 05:20:56 -0700

Bleve said:

You can put a 'bent on a spin trainer, and use that as a stand to
fiddle with gear adjustment. It should work just fine. finding an
elcheapo wind trainer will be pretty easy.

Interesting idea. About the only thing you couldn't do then is adjust
front brakes.

You don't need to have it on a stand to do that.

Bring the pads in, lift & spin, check for rubbing ... done

In aus.bicycle on 25 Jul 2006 15:43:27 -0700

Bleve said:

Zebee Johnstone said:

Interesting idea. About the only thing you couldn't do then is adjust
front brakes.

You don't need to have it on a stand to do that.

Bring the pads in, lift & spin, check for rubbing ... done

It's the lift and spin bit that's tricky. Doable but tricky due to the
hinged stem on my bike.

A workstand would make life much easier I think, going to depend if I
get inspired at Bunnings 🙂

Zebee