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What do you think, guys? Or should not I try it at all?

enter image description here

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    On an admittedly much heavier bike, one spoke broke, then a few miles later a second. Less than 200metres after the 2nd went, another 4 went on a small bump. Luckily that was home. We had it professionally rebuilt with new spokes and it's been fine ever since.
    – Chris H
    Commented Sep 29, 2015 at 13:35
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    why would you not get the wheel repaired? It just sems a bit strange to me to be inviting unnecessary risk, especially given the possible consequences.
    – PeteH
    Commented Sep 29, 2015 at 17:03
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    @PeteH Really you would try and repair that wheel?
    – paparazzo
    Commented Sep 29, 2015 at 20:06
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    @Frisbee sorry, my mistake, I'd forgotten how pedantic people on SE can be. I should have been more explicit with my comment.
    – PeteH
    Commented Sep 29, 2015 at 21:01
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    One or two spokes broken and I might try to limp to the next reasonable stopping point. Five broken spokes, on one quadrant of the wheel, means that the wheel has completely failed and can't be trusted to carry you another five feet.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Sep 29, 2015 at 22:54

3 Answers 3

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Nope. Don't ride it. It's hosed. You risk catastrophic failure riding this wheel, Other spokes will snap soon due to more load put on them and uneven tension. That is if it's even true enough to not rub the brakes or chainstays.

You could replace the broken spokes and have a working wheel if your rim wasn't damaged severly like it appears to be. If you've rode on this for a while, there is a chance that the existing spokes are over stressed and should be replaced as well. I would rebuild the wheel with new spokes and rim if it was my bike.

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    Look at the picture more closely... The spokes didn't break, they pulled out of the rim. Also, looking around the rim, the paint seems to be flaking off around many of the other spokes, so it's probably stressed there too, and will fail soon. Trash the wheel and get a new one. I don't think there's any way to bring this one back.
    – JPhi1618
    Commented Sep 29, 2015 at 15:12
  • Yep. If the rim is damaged get a new wheel or rebuild with new spokes and rim.
    – Benzo
    Commented Sep 29, 2015 at 15:36
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Drum & disc brakes do put more stress on the spokes. I can't tell if that's the issue or not, but either way, it's time for a new rim and spokes. You can save the hub.

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    To keep things informative and neutral it is helpful to avoid judge on component selection when it doesn't directly relate to the original question. While I agree, it's best left to a forum venue.
    – Rider_X
    Commented Sep 29, 2015 at 17:31
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    That’s not radial, they are crossing twice.
    – Michael
    Commented Sep 29, 2015 at 17:40
  • My bad about radial. My point about saving the hub stands.
    – David Crowell
    Commented Sep 29, 2015 at 20:02
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Those are paired spokes, and there's a reason they pair them up. If that was a rear wheel, I might ride it a mile or two if I had to. But not a front wheel.

I'm really curious how you managed to break five spokes in one 90 degree section of that wheel. That's not normal behavior. There is something really wrong with that wheel.

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  • I had that many spokes snap while hanging on the wall. Maybe I just over-tensioned them when truing the wheel at some point. However, If one spoke breaks, it changes the tension on other spokes, and can cause a cascading effect if it's not noticed immediately.
    – Benzo
    Commented Sep 29, 2015 at 15:34

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