Mechanics and Fixing Any Questions Answered

Quick question - I broke a spoke on my rear wheel today whilst out on a ride. What’s the general consensus- is it easy enough to obtain a spoke and replace/repair or is it too much faff and just buy a rear wheel?

(FYI it’s a bladed spoke and these are just my cheap winter wheels if that makes any difference)

If you want to replace the spoke with an identical one it's probably a faff, but otherwise it shouldn't be a drama.

I think the Rotor BSA30 BB - for a Rotor 3D crank with 30mm spindle in a BSA frame - might work for this.

Certainly not $108!

It places the bearings outboard, so that’s a consideration with spindle length etc

EDIT: just realised I replied to the wrong person - @HarmanMogul

Ok, thanks. So it's ok to replace with any type of spoke as long as it is the right length?

Can't think why not, although if it's straight pull you want a bladed spoke just to make life easier. Round straight-pull spokes are a stupid abomination.

Oh, if it's some sort of proprietary spoke system involving weird nipples you probably need the proper spoke of course... Although with many of them you may be able to get away with some sort of bodge.

Anyone want anything from Merlin cycles as I'm doing an order for one thing so anyone want anything?

Recommend me a single speed remover as I have lost another one.

Whatever is on sale. Lifeline, Cyclo, BBB are all good.

Current trend is buy one, use once and then can't find again.

Cheapest one then

Or get a larger one, like the pedal wrench sized ones with a handle. Get a £1.50 yellow duct tape to wrap it and maybe it’ll get lost less?

At a guess, what gauge steel wire should I be ordering to try and make my own one of these?

Can I do a quick bottom bracket sanity check? I could have sworn the left-hand threaded fixed cup went on the drive side and right-hand threaded cup with the lock ring went on the non-drive side. That’s right, isn’t it? On my 1950 Hobbs it’s the other way round.

I thought at first the LBS had forced my UN-55 in back to front, but I’ve taken it out to check and they have just chased the threads like I asked and fitted the bb. No evidence of cross-threading, mangling or thread re-cutting. Am I going mad?

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At a guess, what gauge steel wire

16swg/14awg/1.6mm

I rarely come into this thread but I was also going to say 1.6mm

Ah thank you for the thought anyway! I have binned the idea now. The bike works great on 3x8 — though front changing on the old Campag levers can be testing with a cold, stiff left thumb!

All the English frames i came across when i worked at the bike shop (and the ones in my shed) have a left hand thread drive side fixed cup and a right hand thread/lock ring non drive side

Precession and all that

Ok, mine must have been tapped the wrong way round bitd. What’s just really confusing is I swear last night I had the shouldered left-threaded body of the UN-55 on the drive side and the alloy right-threaded cup on the non-drive side. Something would have got mangled in the process.

LBS had the frame for literally 3.5 hours earlier to chase the threads. That’s not long enough to fuck the bb threads by bodge-threading them the wrong way on both sides and then make an invisible correction.

Been a long time but I’m sure cast bottom brackets came pre threaded.

The reps had demo boxes of lugs and bottom brackets including tiny frames about a foot high to show off, I’m sure they had threaded bb shells to despite never going to have a bb.

I wonder what happened to their miniature frame demos in the end ?

Spring steel’s different though, isn’t it? (Or treated differently??)
Designed to spring. Not bend, like wire is.

I’m sure cast bottom brackets came pre threaded

That rings a bell with me, but I don't think that's a cast BB shell🙂

Spring steel’s different though, isn’t it?

It still comes in wire gauges. There are two options with spring steel wire, form it in the annealed state which is easier (lower forces, less spring back so it's easier to hit the shape you want without a lot of trial an error), but you then have to temper it, or get it already tempered and cold form it in that condition.

Much appreciated 👍

Seems to be condor, as at least I can cycle and go and get it. Nothing on banana industries or merlin that I'm currently ordering from.

@Muc-ed-off The issue is the user/purchaser being an utter fuckwits and can't find the tools in my bike tools boxes. But then lots of things have gone missing as ex paid people to move my stuff from her flat to my garage.

@Jonny69 as midlife says, drive side is reverse threaded on iso, bsa etc bottom brackets. As the other way, such as Italian BB have X habit of coming undone.

You arent going mad, sure the bike shop haven't fucked up?