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My Raleigh dealer told me my spokes keep breaking because China is dumping spokes made with cheap metal on American markets that rust from the inside. I'm being charged $100 US dollars to swap Chinese spokes for American spokes on the front wheel only. He says this is a problem across the country, but especially here in NE Florida. What should I do?

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2  
Ask him why Raleigh doesn't buy better quality spokes. – Daniel R Hicks Aug 6 '12 at 4:06
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Things need oxygen to rust. Spokes, or any solid iron/steel part cannot rust from the inside-out. There's no oxygen. – whatsisname Aug 6 '12 at 5:11
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@whatsisname unless they are hollow or have small holes and have moisture and oxygen trapped inside. – Sam Meldrum Aug 6 '12 at 7:57
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"What am I to do?" Try to avoid crooked dealers. What your "Raleigh dealer" told you sounds an example of most intelligence-insulting dealer scam I heard lately. – AndreyT Aug 6 '12 at 9:08
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I certainly believe that there may be some junk Chinese spokes on the market. The question is, how did they get into this bike? – Daniel R Hicks Aug 6 '12 at 11:56
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2 Answers

up vote 12 down vote

The short answer is, "Find a dealer you trust."

Whether what he told you is right or wrong, you clearly believe he is having you on.

That will not result in a good relationship, no matter whether he is scamming you, or not.

Most likely, he is either poorly educated on the cause of the spokes breaking, and is having difficulty explaining something to you in an effective manner, and is therefore making stuff up, or he is having you on.

Either way, move on.

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up vote 5 down vote

There are a lot of Chinese parts on the market as well as Taiwanese parts but then again, that could be said about any product that is sold in the US these days. Plus, quality of Chinese and Taiwanese parts are respectable for the most part. I would suspect that the real problem is how the wheel is being built and/or how it is being used. I have come across some really cheap and worthless wheels that were made here in the states and super nice wheels that were made in a different country.

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