Smaller Wheel = Fewer Broken Spokes?

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
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Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
Am I correct in thinking that a switch from a 28" to 26" wheel bike will result in fewer broken spokes?
No, the risk is about the same. Better quality control / wheel build = less risk of broken spokes.
Spokes work in traction. If one of them gets loose, you have one chance out of 36 that the loose spoke is at the wrong place at the wrong time when you ride over a lump, it'll get compressed and snap at the elbow.
So don't let them get loose. If you hear any squeak or rattle from the wheel, check your spokes and tighten up any loose one.
 
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cwah

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Jun 3, 2011
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To get less broken spokes just buy a casted wheel
 

DynatechFan

Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2017
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Why are the spokes breaking? Changing wheel size seems an extreme measure to fix the problem

Well built wheels are incredibly strong but things like the chain going behind the cassette (and poor tension already mentioned) are not good

To get less broken spokes buy a hand made wheel from a good builder
 

stever1957

Pedelecer
Jun 9, 2018
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Why are the spokes breaking? Changing wheel size seems an extreme measure to fix the problem........
I'm not changing wheel size to fix the problem; I just happen to be switching from a 28" wheel ordinary bike to a 26" wheel electric bike.

The spokes are breaking on my present bike because I weigh half a ton and have strong legs :)
 
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Jonah

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 23, 2010
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Theoretically the smaller the wheel the stronger it can be but it mostly depends on quality of components and build.
 

DynatechFan

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Oct 20, 2017
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The spokes are breaking on my present bike because I weigh half a ton and have strong legs :)
Touche :)

I run an off road tandem with "normal" 26 inch 36 spoke wheels - not 48 spoke tandem specific or anything fancy. These are 3 cross construction (about the strongest) and straight spokes (Butted would be more resilient, Sapim strong would be stronger) and a stiff pinned rim (again welded would be stronger). I built them myself to the top of the recommended spoke tension for the rims and they are (touch wood!) fearsomely strong

Are the spokes breaking at the elbow or the nipple? You can sometimes alleviate spoke breakage at the nipples with longer nipples, theoretically spreading the load transfer over more spoke
 

stever1957

Pedelecer
Jun 9, 2018
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I'm afraid I don't know my nipple from my elbow, but the spokes are breaking at the hub rather than the rim.

We'll see what happens with the electric bike and the smaller wheel.

Thank you very much.
 

DynatechFan

Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2017
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Usually a spoke has an elbow at the hub end (unless its a whizzy racing wheel with straight pull spokes) and its the commonest place for them to break because it usually the weakest part of the system. The nipple is the little brass thingy out by the rim that is used to tension the spoke and true the wheel
 

egroover

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Aug 12, 2016
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Crossfire-e spokes I have found break at the nipple (rim) end, about 1mm or 2mm into the nipple in my experience, always on the cassette side for some reason
 

mike killay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 17, 2011
3,012
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Do loose spokes break?
If so how.
If you go over a bump, the spoke cannot push upwards because the nipple is in a hole, not fixed.