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Post by cusqueno on Jan 8, 2014 16:26:19 GMT
Yesterday I noticed that I had a broken spoke on the front wheel of the Viscount Sport I use for daily commuting. In my experience it's unusual to break a spoke on the front wheel and this one was built by a LBS a couple of years ago using a Viscount hub and a good Mavic MA2 rim. However, the reason for this post is that, being an owner of several bikes (all Viscounts or Lamberts), I did not need to repair it immediately but swapped it for a Lambert wheel with (I think) a Birmalux rim. This wheel has butted spokes - they are thicker at the ends and thinner at the middle. (I can never remember if that is double or triple butted.) So a good quality wheel. But the spokes are all rather rusty. Viscount certainly and probably Lambert, generally used chrome-plated steel spokes, which are virtually certain to rust, more than the (presumably cheaper) galvanised ones. It's due to the different electro-chemical potentials of the metals concerned.
My questions are:
Does this rust seriously weaken the spokes? (I guess I will find out if I continue to commute on it. The Lambert bike I took the wheel from is only a weekend bike because the frame is a bit small and so I have not given it heavy use.)
Is there a good rust treatment that I could use? I have been wary of using any chemical in case it attacked the alloy rim.
I'd like to have your advice.
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Post by velocipete on Jan 9, 2014 14:47:47 GMT
Hi,in my experience the rust can certainly weaken the spokes.
My Aerospace pro had very rusty spokes in the rear wheel,reaching
the very wobbly stage! As my commute then included about a mile of
track shared with sheep,I thought it best to rebuild it.
I chose the cheats way and replaced 1 spoke at a time,thus keeping the
dishing.As the old nipples were rock solid I just cut the old spokes and
replaced with double butted stainless steel.These are much more flexible
making the job much easier.
This wheel is still going strong and was at DFR1.
If you choose to strip all the spokes out at once it'll give you the chance
to really bling the hub and rim!
Remember that most rust converters use phosphoric acid(as does coca cola).
This changes the rust to ferric phosphate which may be just as likely to flake
off with spoke flexing.
Best off luck.
Pete.
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Post by Stella on Jan 12, 2014 22:54:57 GMT
Hi, John.
It's indeed weird that it's the front wheel that gave. Interesting.
Rust can weaken the metal, but it's not a must. Some wheels go strong even though rusty. Often it's only cosmetic. I'd say try riding it until one breaks, then get new spokes (it's most possibly double butted, by the way) Rosebikes does good offers on DT Swiss (Competition for double butted). I'll build them for you for free if needed (so it's just the material you'd need to pay for). In any case, I wouldn't treat the spokes for the rust. It'll take all of the 'coating' off and that certainly make the metal vulnerable to water.
By the way, my Pro has super rusty spokes, too. I plan to tighten/true them and see how far I can go on them. They wheels are true, but make little 'ping' sounds when riding, which I assume is due to the spokes being too loose. Fingers crossed.
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Post by lewisg on May 12, 2014 0:14:17 GMT
...By the way, my Pro has super rusty spokes, too. I plan to tighten/true them and see how far I can go on them. They wheels are true, but make little 'ping' sounds when riding, which I assume is due to the spokes being too loose. Fingers crossed. Saves on buying a bell I suppose. |
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Post by Stella on May 12, 2014 18:49:41 GMT
No, not THAT loud. lol. I've decided to re-build the wheels and while I'm at it try to get the rims cleaned up (eyelets).
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