Changing a spoke on a rear wheel

Question

is it easy enough to change a spoke on a rear wheel? It is not on the side of the chain ring. Thanks

Ian

Answer 1

Depends - you will probably need to remove the cassette/freewheel anyway, to get enough room to get the spoke in even though its the non-drive side. I've replaced one by bending the spoke horribly to get it through the hub, and while it worked was not a good technique.

You will need a spoke key for tensioning - an adjustable spanner may work but its asking for rounded-off nipples. Or you can remove the tube and tyre and maybe tension it with a flat screwdriver.

If you don't feel confident, its safest to get a bike shop to do it. They will only need the wheel, not the whole bike. You'll need to buy a new spoke of the right length too, the LBS can measure your old one.

Answer 2

If the broken spoke is not on the sprocket side then you can usually replace it without needing to remove the sprockets. However, you would generally need to bend the replacement spoke (and then straighten it once it is threaded through), and purists will revolt at this.

So the "general purpose" fix is to remove the sprockets. How you do this depends on the type of hub -- there are two basic types with a number of variations in the details, and you will need some specialized tools.