Broken spokes commonly occur secondary to damage while in use, or sometimes even due to an inherent defect in the product from the manufacturers themselves.
Whenever the spokes are broken, frequent flats become a regular issue which you may resolve mainly by going tubeless. It is also known that your spokes can become easily damaged if you are fond of dropping your chain off the back of the cassette.
Can You Still Ride A Bike With A Broken Spoke? Yes, you can ride a bike with some of its spokes broken without the risk of either harming you or the bike itself in the process.
However, when this happens, the first and most advisable thing is to remove the spoke from the nipple so that it does not affect other components of the bike.
Nevertheless, if you have multiple broken spokes, it is best not to ride the bike at all until they are replaced.
What do you do if bike spokes are broken?
Sometimes, it is possible to get your spokes broken even without hitting a curb or anything else. In such a situation, you are strictly advised to simply replace and tighten up the damaged spokes. This measure will most likely lead to a more straight and balanced wheel.
How often do bike spokes break?
You can break a spoke once or more, every so often, such as once after traveling every 5 000 to 6 000 miles. However, this may not be related to the spokes becoming worn out.
This is a little too frequent, even for a new rider with near-average weight and size. When that happens, it should become obvious that something might as well be wrong with either the wheel or the spokes for them to break this frequently. (Read Also: Can A Bike Fit In A Toyota Corolla?)
Can you ride with a missing spoke?
If only one spoke is broken, it is generally safe to drive with it in that state, at least up to a certain limit. On the other hand, if you have multiple spokes, such as 3 or 4 spokes broken, it is highly recommended that you should stop cycling promptly.
This is primarily because when multiple spokes are broken, it can lead to other spokes breaking too, buckling of the wheels, or more expensive repairs. Furthermore, if your bike wheels are a wee bit too light, they can also fall off if many of them are broken.
Can you ride a bike with two broken spokes?
It is never advisable for you to attempt riding a bike with two or more broken spokes. It is alright to some extent if only one spoke is broken, but either two or more can cause the rim to buckle, other spokes to break, or cause more expensive repairs. (Read Also: Will Slime Hurt Tire Sensors?)
How do you ride with a broken spoke?
You should logically understand that when you ride with a spoke or some spokes broken, you are essentially risking a few things, which include possible harm to either you or the machine or both.
To avoid this from happening, especially if you are riding a bike with only one broken spoke, you should ride very gently and not too fast also.
This will reduce any untoward incidents. Secondly, you should as much as possible ply mainly good roads under this condition.
In essence, avoid terrains that are replete with obstacles, potholes, or bumps. Finally, make sure that you do not carry any excessive loads, which will affect the rim some more.
How long can you ride with a broken spoke?
Riding with a broken spoke can be fine, as long as you can secure that broken spoke to the nearest possible spoke either by twisting it around the good spoke, or securing it with a piece of duct tape or Standard, which should be carried by all bikers just in case.
This is most preferable if you are certain that nothing will either get loose or find its way into the derailleur or brake.
With only one broken spoke, it will be alright to go out for a ride or two. Nevertheless, you should not take these rides on any rough terrains or across very long distances.
Trending Searches
- Can I Leave A Flat Tire Overnight?
- Can I Use Fix A Flat For A Slow Leak?
- Can I Leave My Car Parked With A Flat Tire?
What is a straight pull spoke?
As it is possible to intuit from the name, a straight spoke has no bend at its flared end, or alternative of DT Swiss Tricon Wheels, their spokes are threaded at both ends.
Straight Pull Spokes specifically require customized hubs, and they are quicker to build as you do not need to tread the individual spokes via the holes in the hub flanges.
Another obvious benefit of straight pull spokes is that they eliminate any basic weakness that can be discovered at the bend in the spoke.
How do you replace a straight spoke?
To replace a straight spoke effectively, it is very fast and convenient to accomplish with the aid of a DTX Torx nipple wrench, which can be used to screw the nipple counterclockwise for a couple of turns.
When you push the loosened spoke aside, the path is clear for the broken spoke, which can now be easily removed.
How do you fix a broken spoke on a bike?
If you have the right tools and the know-how, it is easy to fix a broken spoke on a bike, but absolute patience and care have to be taken. You are advised to diligently go by the steps explained below in the sequence they are written.
Tools needed:
Replacement spoke, spoke key, and zip ties.
Step 1
First, remove the cassette which will enable you to access the spoke in the flange.
Step 2
Next, you should get your replacement spoke handy.
Step 3
Now, make sure to get the replacement spoke into the hub flange, and thereafter, ensure that you enter the hub flange from the correct side.
Step 5
Be certain that treaded spoke follows its assigned pattern.
Step 6
If installed correctly, the new spoke ought to overlap the end of the nipple, so that you may eventually need to flex the spoke a bit to get it to line up with the open end of the nipple. You would ultimately need to flex the spoke just a little bit to get it to line up with the open end of the nipple.
Step 7
Now, with the aid of the engaged end of the spoke, proceed to tighten up the spoke using the appropriate size spoke key.
Step 8
The moment the new spoke is in place, you can now either finish the truing job using a heel-trying stand or if you don’t have one handy, you can improvise.
Frequently asked questions(FAQ)
What happens if you break a spoke?
What happens when your spoke is broken depends on so many things. First, if it is only one spoke, you can still ride with it like that, but make sure to replace the bad spoke as soon as it is realistically possible. Second, ride carefully, even when your tire has only one broken spoke. Avoid bumps, potholes, and all other obstacles as a panacea against any further damage.
Can you ride a motorcycle with a broken spoke?
Certainly, riding a motorcycle with a broken spoke is not much different from doing it with a bike. First, make sure that you do not have multiple compromised spokes. Next, ride carefully and across fair terrains where you may not have to hit bumps, potholes, or other obstacles that may worsen the situation. Finally, do not carry too much load or cargo and avoid over-speeding too.
Can you ride MTB with a broken spoke?
Yes, you can ride a mountain bike (MTB) with a broken or missen spoke, but it is still not very recommended for obvious reasons. To begin with, missen spoke is going to put pressure on the other normal spokes. This may eventually lead to much bigger problems than you earlier started with if you fail to replace them.
Is it safe to ride a bike with a loose spoke?
Avoid riding a bike whenever you are certain its spokes are loose. If you do that, the friction created will cause the rider to burst into flames and could even cause the Earth to get off its rotational axis. In any case, it is far from safe to ride a bike with loose spokes.
Can You Still Ride A Bike With A Broken Spoke – Conclusion
Bicycle or motorcycle spokes are bound to come loose or even break every so often. Even though this is expected, sometimes it happens so suddenly that you would be grateful to know how to approach the issue.
Even though you can ride a bike with a broken spoke, you must not do so when the number of broken spokes exceeds one.
Similarly, you must not ride the bike if its spokes are somewhat loosened. Luckily, on all these counts, what must be done when any of these problems occur is easy and fast to accomplish.
Knowing that do when anything happens is one thing, and getting the correct tools to use is quite another matter. For this reason, you should get all the required tools within easy reach at all times. For you never know, do you?
This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.
I am passionate about all things automotive and have a deep understanding of the topic. As a mechanic, I use my free time to share knowledge of everyday challenges that any car owner can experience – helping you make informed decisions about tires.