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Unless you get something caught in the wheel, spokes usually snap because of (metal) fatigue rather than overload. Fatigue is something that can set in when a part sees a load that comes and goes over and over again. And that's what happen to every spoke in a bicycle wheel every time it passes between the hub and the ground.

The way to avoid this is to have the spokes decently tight. With tighter spokes, the (proportional) change in tension that happens when the spokes pass between hub and ground gets smaller, which keeps fatigue from setting in. For front wheels and single-speed and internally geared hubs it's usually not a problem. But bikes with external gears can't use the same spoke tension left and righ on the rear wheels, which make them particularly prone to fatigue.

Trouble is, if your spokes were under tensioned from the start, then they've all collected fatigue, so once they start popping, they'll keep popping. No fix for it apart from replacing them all, or getting a new wheel, making sure it's properly tensioned before you start riding it.

Sometimes, if your bike gets exposed to certain chemicals, it can cause embrittlement. And sometimes you do get a bad batch of spokes, but poor tension is the far most usual culprit.

If they're snapping at the spoke hole at the hub, maybe the problem is there.

J-bend spokes needs to have as much as possible of the bent section supported by the hub flange. If the bent section of the spoke is longer than usual, or if the hub flange is thinner than usual, the bent section won't be properly supported. It'll flex and fail.

Hubs are typically drilled with counter-sunk holes to accomodate the spoke head. If the wheel was built with the spokes all one hole off, the heads would pop off from the sharp edge of the spoke hole in the hub flange.

This is true with many rims too. Spoke holes are often staggered to be closer to the hub flange the spoke is coming from. If the spokes are one hole off, the odd angle of the spoke nipple can introduce stress and break the spoke.

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11y ago

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What should I do if my bicycle has busted spokes?

If your bicycle has busted spokes, you should take it to a bike repair shop to have the spokes replaced. Riding a bike with busted spokes can be dangerous and may cause further damage to the wheel.


How many spokes are typically found on a standard bike wheel?

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Is it bad if you have rusty spokes on your bike?

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