Technical > Wheels, Tyres and Brakes

Higher spoke count less distortion ?

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ourclarioncall:
Just saw a video of a guys wheel being spun and wobbling away after breaking a spoke

No idea on specs on the wheel or how many spokes

He was in a bit of a pickle without spare spokes or near a bike shop and his wheel probably wouldn’t last long being ridden.

Just wonder if having a higher spoke count in the 40+ range would stop the wheel distortion as much when a spoke breaks ?

Maybe strong rims help in the equation too?

It’s kind of crazy to me a bombproof bike could have such an Achilles heel like a little fragile spoke

I’ve always liked the idea of over the top 48h rims (even tho I know I don’t need it)

ourclarioncall:
Sorry , think I posted this in the wrong section [Fixed! :) -- Dan]

JohnR:
If you are really worried about breaking spokes then solid wheels are the solution but you might not like the weight. I can only offer my two experiences with spoke problems.

I hit a big pothole about a week before the end of my supported LEJOG in 2021. The pothole was lurking in the shadows on a downhill and I hadn't seen it. I shook me and the bike (Thorn Mercury) up so I stopped and checked for damage but couldn't see any. Subsequently I noticed a bit of wobble in the front wheel and identified that a spoke was loose but was still in place. I did have some spare spokes but decided to wait and see if the wobble got worse. The bike had the disc brake forks so the wobble didn't affect the braking. There was no change during the remainder of the ride so I left the investigation until I got home when I discovered that the spoke was fine but the head had broken off the nipple. Whether or not that was caused by hitting the pothole is unknown.

Last summer, on a coast to coast ride, one of the leaders (on a borrowed bike) had a rear spoke break at the hub end which meant that it was flapping around. He consulted the bike's owner who said no problem so the broken spoke was bent around some of the other spokes to hold it in place and stayed that way until the end of the ride. That bike also had disc brakes.

If you are in the middle of nowhere with a heavily loaded bike then replacing a spoke, provided you have one of the right size, is a delay but not a show-stopper provided you have the tools. The replacement spoke doesn't need to be perfectly tensioned - it's a matter of taking the wobble out of the rim.

martinf:
It is a long time since I broke a spoke. IMO the most important thing is to build the wheels with enough spoke tension. I always check (and correct if necessary) any wheels I have not built myself. In the past couple of decades, the only ones that haven't needed any correction were the wheels supplied by Thorn on my 2012 Raven Tour and the Rohloff wheel they built for my Raven Sport Tour, they must have a good wheel builder.

These 26" wheels dealt OK with up to 123 kg of weight (bike plus rider plus luggage) on a long tour using roads and tracks :

Deore XT hub rear hub, fairly lightweight Mavic 717 rim. Wheel dished for 7-speed cassette. 36 spokes (2 mm stainless steel).
SONdelux front hub, fairly lightweight Mavic 717 rim. 32 spokes (double-butted stainless steel).

A rear wheel for Rohloff will be stronger, as no need for dishing. There shouldn't be much difference in strength between 26" and 650B, 700C.

I have used 28 spoke wheels and light Mavic Open Pro rims for quite a long time with no problems on my old lightweight 700C bike. Max total weight about 105 kg, this bike is only used on metalled roads and bike paths with a good surface.

So I don't think more than 36 spokes are needed, unless the all-up weight is well over 120 kg. 

PH:
It ought to be possible to true a 32 spoke wheel with a single spoke missing well enough to still use a rim brake, though it might need  backing off a bit.  Two adjacent spokes could be troublesome regardless of the count, though spacing is important (Rim diameter/spoke count).  With a disc brake, you only need to clear the frame/forks.  Anyone who's commuted to work at a factory or the like will have seen some shocking wheels still functioning, I'm not recommending it, but people do ride around with multiple spokes missing.  I had a Deliveroo rider ask me if their wheel was fixable, I wasn't sure if they were serious, it had two broken spokes and eight pulled through the rim, it was so far out of true the tyre sidewall was worn down to the canvas where it had been rubbing the frame.
I don't carry spare spokes, I've never had a ride ending wheel issue and I don't ride anywhere so remote that it would be a serious problem if I did.  I do carry one of these fibre spokes, never tried it, they get mixed reviews, though it's going to be better than nothing.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/spokes/fiber-fix-emergency-replacement-spoke/

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