Elm Street's patchy asphalt made me rethink my spoke maintenance

I mean, I figured checking spokes was a waste of time unless the wheel was wobbling. But after the city fixed the potholes on Elm Street and the surface is still uneven, my bike started making noises. A quick check showed several loose spokes. Now I give them a tighten every couple weeks, idk, it just makes sense.

4 comments

4 Comments

max_johnson1mo ago

Forget just checking after rough roads. Start watching how temperature changes mess with spoke tension. My wheels would ping and settle differently riding on cold mornings versus hot afternoons, especially during spring. Now I check way more often when the seasons are shifting, not just when I hit a bad patch. That constant expand and contract from temperature will slowly loosen stuff you just tightened.

ivan_murphy8028d agoMost Upvoted

Temperature changes are real, but @the_tyler's monthly cable check is a solid habit for safety.

brookel711mo ago

You ever put off fixing something until it completely fails on you? My old bike had a brake cable that felt just a little soft for weeks. I kept telling myself I'd adjust it next weekend, but of course I forgot. Coming down a hill, I squeezed the lever and basically nothing happened, just a slow creep toward the stop sign. Had to bail into some bushes to avoid rolling into traffic. Now I check both brakes before every ride, no matter what. Guess we all learn the hard way about small maintenance, huh?

the_tyler1mo ago

Oh man, we've all been there with putting off the small fixes. I make a point to check my bike cables every month now, just a quick tug test.