How to Respoke a Bicycle Wheel

Got broken spokes on a bike rim? Well they can be replaced by either you or your local bike shop.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Spoke replacement kit
• basic hand tools

1. 
   Pocket bike tool might assist in repairs.

   Ok when I began to look into the how to I was amazed at how difficult this could be. You would figure a spoke is not a big deal but 1 spoke can throw the balance and the round of the rim way off. Replacing 1 spoke is not that bad but replacing multiple spokes is very tricky and I recommend letting a bike shop lace the wheel. I have spoke to a few bike shop's and there is some special equipment that is involved making it hard for the do it your selfer. 1 Spoke may be cost effective but many might be cheaper to replace the rim with the spokes already laced. Time and the cost of the spokes and tools along with the down time might leave replacing the wheel your better option.

2. To replace the spoke you need to remove the wheel if it's the rear then you will need to remove the cog sprocket to lace the spoke (providing the spoke is on the cog side). A freewheel tool may also be needed to remove the assembly. If your rim has a brake rotor on it that also may need to be removed, note the way it came off so as it can be reassembled the same way. Once the wheel is removed the air needs to be let out so the tire and tube can be removed. Now you have the bare rim assembly, take it to the local bike shop and have the shop worker help you determine if the wheel is reusable (making sure that there is no cracks or bends) and the correct replacement spoke and nipple.

3. Once you have the replacement spoke and accessories you can spray the spoke nipple with WD40 to make for easier removal. Remove the nipple on the bad spoke and remove the spoke observe the way the damaged spoke comes out so the new one can be replaced in the same fashion. Check the manufacture instructions to verify that there is no lock tite or other speciality instructions that must be followed. insert the twisted end into the hub and line it up with the hole in the rim. Replace the nipple and tighten the spoke up to the same tightness of the nearby spokes. Now seat the spoke by squeezing the spoke towards nearby spokes from each side by gripping two, three, then four spokes at once. Recheck the tightness of the spoke.

4. 
   Truing Stand, this one runs near $200.00

   Now the rim should be trued. This is like checking the balance on a car tire. It helps to make sure the rim does not wobble causing it to hit the brake pads or "shimmy at high speeds" which can be dangerous to the rider. A good truing stand lets you detect:
   
   side-to-side wobble (laterally untrue)
   flaring of the rim (time to buy a new one)
   height variation (concentrically untrue/ hub is off-center)
   flattened areas on the rim
   incorrect dishing
   tilt (one side of the rim higher than another).
   
   Truing stands can be costly and I do not recommend purchasing one, take the rim back to you local bike shop and let them do it for you. If the rim is determined serviceable it can be replaced on the bike. If not the rim should be replaced.

Tips & Warnings

• Always get an opinion from the pros on your rim condition, it can mean your safety while riding.
• When removing the bad spoke, you may have to remove another as they can be overlapped.