Arghh, Tillson, what have I done.
I've just been out and counted the spokes and there are only 24
I had assummed that they would never go back to those horrible wheels that I had so much trouble with on the previous PC.
I have already had a couple of 'pings' on the new bike but just thought I would check the spoke tension.
I'm mega depressed now with the thought of going through all that stress again with loose spokes.
I still have the box it came in. Do you think I could send it back and get my money returned?
I had 24 spoke wheels fitted to my 2008 Pro Connect and I experienced many problems sourcing replacement parts, and with lose spokes. This was a wheel which was in use 3 years ago and things may have changed. As flecc indicates, this may be a different wheel.
Following my experience with 24 spoke wheels, I would not buy another bike with less than 32 spokes. This is especially so for a bike which is to be used for commuting or touring, where the bike can be expected to carry a luggage load in addition to the rider. I’ve had a look at the link to the BH bike and this is marketed as a Carbon Ultralight high performance machine, so perhaps a lower spoked wheel is appropriate for this bike. The Pro Connect is marketed as a different beast altogether, a touring / commuting bike, so I am sceptical about such a wheel being used for these purposes. The BH bikes which appear to be aimed at similar usage to the Pro Connect, Cross Delux, Urban 700 etc, appear to have the more sensible 32 /36 spoke wheel option. Because the Pro Connect now has disk brakes, the braking forces will be transmitted through the spokes, adding further stress to the 24 spokes.
We were told that 24 spokes were the future of wheels when the original Pro Connect was launched and they turned out to be blizzard of misery for certain owners. Several well known members of this forum commented that 24 spoke wheels were unsuitable for a bike such as the Pro Connect and this was eventually proven correct when the design was changed 12 months later following several reported problems.
All I can say is that my Pro Connect was a bit of a disaster on 24 spoke wheels and since changing to 32 spokes, the bike has been absolutely superb. Getting the manufacturer / supplier to agree to rectify the problem was a painful experience though. In fact, it would have been less painful to have been stripped naked, doused in Tabasco Sauce and then dragged over a 50 metre stretch of broken glass.
WALKERMAN, I don’t know if you can return you bike. You would need to talk to 50 Cycles about that. Would a rear wheel swap be a solution? Because you were one of the people affected by the original 24 spoke wheel, I can understand your concern and I don’t know why they have returned to such a design.
edit
re banbury frank's suggestion: It isn't as easy as just fitting different wheels. The shell of the Alfine gear is likely to have been drilled for 24 spokes. To upgrade it to 32 or 36 will necessitate a new Alfine gear hub which will cost a few hundred pounds. I dion't think you can buy the outer shells and transplant the innards.
