Spoke/tyre wheel questions.

[nicoll]

I have a touring bike bought in the 70's, which I like. I haven't done much
cycling over the past few years but recently started again. I'd appreciate
any advice on the following:

Yesterday at the top of a hill I heard a ping and found a spoke had broken
on the rear wheel on the freewheel side.

Today I went to the shed to change the spoke, I'd bought a spare from my
local bike shop a year or so ago when I last broke a spoke.

The new spoke is 300mm, I've compared it with the broken spoke and it seems
to be slightly shorter looking at the neck of the bend of the broken spoke.
Also I noticed that there is a few turns of thread protruding from the
nipple on the spoke I'd changed before. I think my spokes are 302mm not
300mm.

On taking the wheel off the bike I saw two spokes had broken not one.

The original spokes are not stainless steel, they may be galvanised and
several show signs of corrosion and a couple have odd spots of rust.

I was considering replacing all the spokes on the rear wheel. Does this
sound sensible? Can anyone recommend a online/mail order supplier for boxes
of spokes as I don't want to use by local shop again (at 80p each).

The wheel is 27"x1 1/4" and I wondered if it is easier to get a new wheel
but I don't particularly want to have two different sizes of wheels on the
bike. What is a metric equivalent to 27" x 1 1/4"?

Finally are 27"x1 1/4" tyres and tubes readily available? I checked
www.settlecycles.co.uk and found tyres but not tubes, I don't want to
rebuild the wheel if getting tyres/tubes is going to be difficult.

Thanks for any help.

Ian

[Pete Biggs]

nicoll wrote:
> The new spoke is 300mm, I've compared it with the broken spoke and it
> seems to be slightly shorter looking at the neck of the bend of the
> broken spoke. Also I noticed that there is a few turns of thread
> protruding from the nipple on the spoke I'd changed before. I think
> my spokes are 302mm not 300mm.

The old spokes were slightly too long but you can sometimes get away with
plus or minus one or two mm from the ideal length. It's best to either
take a shop's advice on spoke lengths or find out what the correct length
is by using a spoke calculator (detials of rim & hub are required).

> On taking the wheel off the bike I saw two spokes had broken not one.
>
> The original spokes are not stainless steel, they may be galvanised
> and several show signs of corrosion and a couple have odd spots of
> rust.
>
> I was considering replacing all the spokes on the rear wheel. Does
> this sound sensible?

It won't be strictly necessary but I might consider replacing all of them
(or getting a new wheel) in this case if it were mine.

> Can anyone recommend a online/mail order
> supplier for boxes of spokes as I don't want to use by local shop
> again

www.parker-international.co.uk/wheels.htm - ACI stainless double butted
(for good "normal" db spokes) @ 20p. Other types like DT Apline III from
SJSC will be worth considering if you want extra strength & reliability,
and others again if you fancy ultralight - but none of these should cost
more than 50p each.

> (at 80p each).

Blimey!

> The wheel is 27"x1 1/4" and I wondered if it is easier to get a new
> wheel

Might be a good idea - but your existing wheel should be worth fixing if
the rim and hub is any good or if budget is very tight.

> but I don't particularly want to have two different sizes of
> wheels on the bike.

Won't matter if sizes are very similar......

> What is a metric equivalent to 27" x 1 1/4"?

There isn't a direct equivalent but 700c is close - 8mm smaller in
diameter (hardly enough to notice by eye and not different enough to
feel). Only issue is that brake blocks will need lowering by 4mm. If
lucky, that won't require any modification, but caliper arm slots can be
filed a little if you need just 1 or 2mm more room, otherwise brakes will
have to be changed.

Width: Your bike (and future tyres) will be able to take a range of
widths. 15 to 20mm would probably be good, depending on required strength
and weight and fit in bike and fit/width of tyres, etc.

> Finally are 27"x1 1/4" tyres and tubes readily available?

There are not many good 27" tyres around anymore - which is one big reason
to modernise to 700c.

> I checked
> www.settlecycles.co.uk and found tyres but not tubes, I don't want to
> rebuild the wheel if getting tyres/tubes is going to be difficult.

Tubes are not so critical. I think most 700c tubes will fit 27" as they
stretch enough. Many tubes are actually marked with both metrica and
imperial sizes.

> Ian

Oh :-( Where's Nicoll? :-)

~PB

[Pete Biggs]

nicoll wrote:
> The new spoke is 300mm, I've compared it with the broken spoke and it
> seems to be slightly shorter looking at the neck of the bend of the
> broken spoke. Also I noticed that there is a few turns of thread
> protruding from the nipple on the spoke I'd changed before. I think
> my spokes are 302mm not 300mm.

The old spokes were slightly too long but you can sometimes get away with
plus or minus one or two mm from the ideal length. It's best to either
take a shop's advice on spoke lengths or find out what the correct length
is by using a spoke calculator (detials of rim & hub are required).

> On taking the wheel off the bike I saw two spokes had broken not one.
>
> The original spokes are not stainless steel, they may be galvanised
> and several show signs of corrosion and a couple have odd spots of
> rust.
>
> I was considering replacing all the spokes on the rear wheel. Does
> this sound sensible?

It won't be strictly necessary but I might consider replacing all of them
(or getting a new wheel) in this case if it were mine.

> Can anyone recommend a online/mail order
> supplier for boxes of spokes as I don't want to use by local shop
> again

www.parker-international.co.uk/wheels.htm - ACI stainless double butted
(for good "normal" db spokes) @ 20p. Other types like DT Apline III from
SJSC will be worth considering if you want extra strength & reliability,
and others again if you fancy ultralight - but none of these should cost
more than 50p each.

> (at 80p each).

Blimey!

> The wheel is 27"x1 1/4" and I wondered if it is easier to get a new
> wheel

Might be a good idea - but your existing wheel should be worth fixing if
the rim and hub is any good or if budget is very tight.

> but I don't particularly want to have two different sizes of
> wheels on the bike.

Won't matter if sizes are very similar......

> What is a metric equivalent to 27" x 1 1/4"?

There isn't a direct equivalent but 700c is close - 8mm smaller in
diameter (hardly enough to notice by eye and not different enough to
feel). Only issue is that brake blocks will need lowering by 4mm. If
lucky, that won't require any modification, but caliper arm slots can be
filed a little if you need just 1 or 2mm more room, otherwise brakes will
have to be changed.

Width: Your bike (and future tyres) will be able to take a range of
widths. 15 to 20mm would probably be good, depending on required strength
and weight and fit in bike and fit/width of tyres, etc.

> Finally are 27"x1 1/4" tyres and tubes readily available?

There are not many good 27" tyres around anymore - which is one big reason
to modernise to 700c.

> I checked
> www.settlecycles.co.uk and found tyres but not tubes, I don't want to
> rebuild the wheel if getting tyres/tubes is going to be difficult.

Tubes are not so critical. I think most 700c tubes will fit 27" as they
stretch enough. Many tubes are actually marked with both metrica and
imperial sizes.

> Ian

Oh :-( Where's Nicoll? :-)

~PB

[Zog The Undeniable]

nicoll wrote:

> The wheel is 27"x1 1/4" and I wondered if it is easier to get a new wheel
> but I don't particularly want to have two different sizes of wheels on the
> bike. What is a metric equivalent to 27" x 1 1/4"?
>
> Finally are 27"x1 1/4" tyres and tubes readily available? I checked
> www.settlecycles.co.uk and found tyres but not tubes, I don't want to
> rebuild the wheel if getting tyres/tubes is going to be difficult.
>
> Thanks for any help.

27" tyres are available. 700c tubes will fit 27" as well (there's only
8mm difference in diameter, which is nothing). 27" rims are difficult.
If you're really stuck, I have an unused pair of Alesa (I think)
eyeletted rims laid down for posterity, and two pairs of Conti
Supersport tyres.

Putting 700c wheels on the bike instead may make it look wrong, but more
importantly, your brakes may not reach - if they're deep drop and the
shoes are already near the bottom, you're stuck with 27".

[Zog The Undeniable]

nicoll wrote:

> The wheel is 27"x1 1/4" and I wondered if it is easier to get a new wheel
> but I don't particularly want to have two different sizes of wheels on the
> bike. What is a metric equivalent to 27" x 1 1/4"?
>
> Finally are 27"x1 1/4" tyres and tubes readily available? I checked
> www.settlecycles.co.uk and found tyres but not tubes, I don't want to
> rebuild the wheel if getting tyres/tubes is going to be difficult.
>
> Thanks for any help.

27" tyres are available. 700c tubes will fit 27" as well (there's only
8mm difference in diameter, which is nothing). 27" rims are difficult.
If you're really stuck, I have an unused pair of Alesa (I think)
eyeletted rims laid down for posterity, and two pairs of Conti
Supersport tyres.

Putting 700c wheels on the bike instead may make it look wrong, but more
importantly, your brakes may not reach - if they're deep drop and the
shoes are already near the bottom, you're stuck with 27".