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Kind of expecting a mixture of no, yes, and sometimes, but interested to know people's routines, or not.
My rear wheel - 4 years old, not a crazy no. of miles on it, probably 50/50 on/off road, did this on the way home -
3 spokes, sheared off, all at once. Made for a right wobbly ride home, with worry that it would fold under me (it didn't).
Never have I checked spoke tensions (at the nipple), lubed spokes on any wheels and no wheel has done this before. I just keep em (reasonably) clean... should I be doing more, or is it Mavic shiteness..?
I check spoke tension now and again. But I tend to notice any loose spokes accidentally - for example when putting wheels into the car.
I check for trueness now and again by spinng the wheel in the frame and using a calibrated finger held against the fork/stay to see how much of a wobble there is. Squeeze each pair of spokes even less frequently to just check they feel the same on each side. Even less frequently than that I properly clean the rims & spokes, rather than just washing off the muck after each ride.
ETA - weed that patio!
Can’t say I do really - other than when I have built the wheels myself I check them after use a few times until I know they’re definitely ok.
I have snapped a couple of toad spokes in the last year - bike shop replaced he first one, but I replaced the 2nd and at that point I went round and evened the tensions out as much as I could whilst still getting a straight wheel. My plan is to check them over again periodically but whether that happens or not I don’t know.
Your issue seems very bizarre - snapping 3 spokes at one - and not all on the same side of the wheel either.
Your issue seems very bizarre
I did think this!
My left crank arm broke last week and I thought maybe it had hit and weakened the spokes.. but I checked and am pretty sure it couldn't reach them.
If the wheels are off the bike for a tyre change or a proper clean, then will stick them in the truing stand for a once over. Same with wheel bearings.
About the same really. Give them a once over, give them a clean etc... I don't do much more. When cleaning i'll give the spokes a squeeze in pairs to vaguely check tension.
I've never really checked my wheels (maybe given them a quick spin once in a blue moon to check they are running true) and certainly never lubed spokes on any bike! Nothing bad has ever happened. Looks like you were just very unlucky.
Beginning to sound like I'm quite normal 🙂
BTW, the plastic Mavic spoke key isn't budging those nipples, so maybe a quick check/crop of oil every few months would be wise.
Do the spokes bend sharply at the nipple or curved gradually?
Have the wheels got alloy nipples instead of brass perhaps? If so that’s not brilliant unless they were assembled well with loads of grease / line etc.
Nope, change bearings if / when they go, other than that nowt. But then again I've only ridden DT Swiss wheels long term for a good while now.
Do the spokes bend sharply at the nipple or curved gradually?
Dead straight both ends.
unless they were assembled well with loads of grease / line etc.
They're Mavic Pre-built wheels (Ksyrium Allroads).
It seems to me that Mavic are one of the most frequent offenders, is that correct?
It seems to me that Mavic are one of the most frequent offenders
Anecdotally... All the Mavics I've had have been superb... well, apart from that one there.
On the odd occasion I wash a bike then I'll quickly check spoke tension (by hand/no tool) just for even-ness, and spin the wheel to check alignment/wobbles. Any bearing noise will also be apparent. I'll also check for a side-to-side bearing wobble. Cups and cones will be greased annually(or when I remember).
Oil spokes? I'll apply a little oil on the nipple threads and beds when building the wheel but nothing after that.
Mavic wheel in spoke failure shocker!
Spokes look like they have failed at the classic week point in the root of one of the threads and have probably failed due to fatigue, made worse by the low spoke count which could have increased the max stress beyond the fatigue limit of the steel.
I don't think there is any maintenance that could have been done to prevent this. The cracks might have been detectable with a liquid penetrant inspection?
If you have kept track of how many miles this wheel has done, you now know when to get your wheel rebuilt, if you buy a replacement. Depending on the weight balance between the front and rear the front could be about to fail in exactly the same way.
Have the wheels got alloy nipples instead of brass perhaps? If so that’s not brilliant unless they were assembled well with loads of grease / line etc.
Yes I think they are alloy nipples and spokes. They look like the ones I had on my old Mavic Crossmax wheels (and those wouldn't budge either using the plastic spoke tool). But in fairness those wheels actually held up very well for many years and were still going strong when I sold the bike. Never needed any maintenance, but I reckon the nipples were all seized up so would have been a nightmare had they needed any attention.
Occasionally give the spokes a squeeze test, just squeeze each pair of spokes in turn to check they all feel reasonably tight and same tension. Obviously not very accurate but it flushes out any bad ones quite quickly.
My good wheels are Fulcrum Racing 3s, for some reason I don't check the spokes as often, I guess because they're so tight to begin with and I'm not sure I have the tools to adjust them anyway. They have an easy life though.
Check bearings on the Fulcrum 3s as they are cup and cone and super easy to adjust, seems a waste not to keep them correctly adjusted. They spin beautifully as well so it seems worthwhile for 10 minutes with a couple of allen keys.
The other wheels are relatively cheap stock wheels with cartridge bearings so plan just to run them into the ground and replace with something else, although the bearings are still running fine.
Had exactly the same issue with crossmax enduros a few years ago. The nipples seized as well. I was constantly replacing all the spokes as they snapped. Absolutely awful wheels, cost a fortune at the time. Lost a fortune selling them as spares or repair (albeit working at the time) in terms of maintenance I get my wheels checked annually usually. Service my own bike but prefer a wheel builder to check spoke tension etc. Once a year, if I keep wheels that long as a serial bike changer
Interesting @ballsofcottonwool
Over the years I've had Crossmax (2 types), Crossrides, Crosstrails, Aksiums, Ksyriums, Ksyrium Pro discs, and all are still going, some sold on, some well over 10 years old, untouched! The Crossrides in particular, on my singlespeed have been through all sorts of shite and rarely cleaned or checked and are still fine (used to use the bike to take my dog out every day).
So hmm.. will get n check the others. I swap between the Ksyrium Pros and the Allroads on the same bike.
I regularly check the wheels for true, and when in the stand i'll check the tension as well, unless you've damaged the rim, then going out of true tends to mean tension has gone at some point in the wheel.
If the wheels have been ridden all year on the roads, particularly in winter with salt, then stress corrosion cracking is the likely problem. The salty water gets into the threads, starts corroding which creates a point of weakness and accelerated fatigue failure. Quite common with Mavic and likely that the nipples are corroded solid in the rim so it probably means the wheel is toast as Mavic don't provide any spares support after a few years.
As above, although with the exception of a pair of shimano wheels as a winter set on the road bike I built them all myself. So I've got a drawer full of spare spokes etc. I also use grease rather than threadlock. Which does tend to mean the odd spoke will spontaneously loosen in the first few hundred miles, but the trade off is they don't seize and can still be trued years down the line.
Tend to spot a wobble or loose spoke and give that pair a once over in the stand to check tension and trueness.
Fancy selling the front wheel if you don’t repair the rear?
I’ve just broke 4 spokes in my front Ksyrium allroad pro wheel in an accident, not really worth repairing as most of the nipples have seized and a few more spoke have bent or stretched
Copaslip on spoke threads when I build them and I wipe the nipple washers with a light bit of grease as well as only use brass nipples. I also drill the sidewall of the rim so they can drain properly.
After every ride, the wheels get a spin to check the rotors are straight and not rubbing as well as there being enough pad material. And dry, rough or squeaky bearings are usually picked up at this point. This also allows me to use a finger gauge to check for any rim run out.
Cleaned every couple if rides so the process of cleaning checks rims for obvious cracks or dings as well as checking spokes for any rock strikes/damage or obviously loose spokes.
Cassette is cleaned with degreaser on a cloth rather than letting it run down the back of the cassette to the hub seal.
When changing tyres, I'll check spoke tension with the tensiometer and correct if required.
spokes break, 4 years is a long time. stress fractures and crack propogation go on all the time. put the end of the spoke in an SEM and you'll see where the crack has grown over time along the crystalline structure.
dont worry about it.
threadlocked nipples (ooof) are lazy. I do get the impression mavic want you to buy a new wheel system every couple of years, like an iphone.
the tandem rear wheel gets all the spokes tapped with a spanner every now and then as its under huge stress ad effectively the rim is a service part. Every bike the wheels get spun and checked for loose bearings most rides. Thats it. I don't think I have any cup and cone wheels left. Haven't changed a bearing in years
Mavic wheelset.
Broke 3 spokes in a near new front Mavic on one alpine descent.
Not been near anything with stupid spokes since.
I only have one set of Mavic wheels - Ksyriums on my Cube road bike. They are 11 years (and many thousands of km) old now. I've not had to touch them from new.
Copaslip on spoke threads when I build them and I wipe the nipple washers with a light bit of grease as well as only use brass nipples. I also drill the sidewall of the rim so they can drain properly.
After every ride, the wheels get a spin to check the rotors are straight and not rubbing as well as there being enough pad material. And dry, rough or squeaky bearings are usually picked up at this point. This also allows me to use a finger gauge to check for any rim run out.
Cleaned every couple if rides so the process of cleaning checks rims for obvious cracks or dings as well as checking spokes for any rock strikes/damage or obviously loose spokes.
Cassette is cleaned with degreaser on a cloth rather than letting it run down the back of the cassette to the hub seal.
When changing tyres, I’ll check spoke tension with the tensiometer and correct if required.
Wow, that's a lot of stuff to bother with!
I sometimes check the thru axle is tight. Onzadog clearly has too much time on his hands.
It's not that time consuming. Most of it is done while cleaning or working on the bike anyway. It's more a case of just paying attention or doing normal stuff a little bit differently.
threadlocked nipples (ooof) are lazy.
The tension difference on some highly dished wheels means threadlock can be required/ very helpful on the lower tension side to prevent loosening during use.
Further, the low strength threadlock compounds you'd typically use on a wheel should also offer some protection against the nipple seizing through corrosion. I'd far rather true a wheel that has threadlock than one that had nothing and has corroded.
If thread locking has no benefit why do DT Swiss and Sapim make locking nipples? Why have generations of builders used linseed oil and why do various companies now make spoke lubricating compounds that then set, locking the nipple in place?
I use anti-seize on my own wheels but I wouldn't hesitate to add a wicking threadlock if I had tension loss on the non drive side.
https://www.wheelfanatyk.com/blog/wheel-building-tip-no-2-lubricating-nipples/
The tension difference on some highly dished wheels means threadlock can be required/ very helpful on the lower tension side to prevent loosening during use.
Further, the low strength threadlock compounds you’d typically use on a wheel should also offer some protection against the nipple seizing through corrosion. I’d far rather true a wheel that has threadlock than one that had nothing and has corroded.
krysiums?
brass?
Why have generations of builders......
.
I use anti-seize on my own wheels
A long and reasoned post about how someone is wrong, concluded bu agreeing with them. Peak STW.
But yes, it comes down to the difference between being able to service them myself in the future Vs being able to have a robot make thousands of wheels to be handed over to customers and never touched again.
Update: One of the nipples was completely seized and disintegrated when I tried to remove it. So the wheel is trashed (it’s a UST so you can’t undo from inside the rim).
Anyone want to buy some Allroad spokes? 😐
It's not about anyone being wrong, just pointing out that it's more complicated. There are perfectly good reasons for securing nipples in one way or another other than laziness. To sum it up that way is reductive. This tendency to reduce things to I'm right and your wrong is a problem.
That's why there are locking nipples and specific compounds that are initially lubricating and then set to lock it.
Nice selective quoting btw,
...but I wouldn’t hesitate to add a wicking threadlock if I had tension loss on the non drive side.