robrob
Member
Replacing a Broken Spoke
I found a second broken spoke on the rear non-drive side (brake disc side) of my Pace 500. The first broken spoke came about 6 months and 400 miles ago. I was able to replace this one without removing the wheel, tire tube or the brake disc which I did last time. Here's how I did it:
Caution: If part of the spoke is still in the spoke nipple (silver part at the rim) do not unscrew the spoke from the nipple until you're doing the repair because the nipple will fall into the rim and then you'll have to remove the wheel, tube and tire to get it back out.
If the nipple has fallen into the rim you’ll have to pull the tube Schrader valve out of its hole and turn the wheel until the nipple falls out of the hole.
Start by deflating the tire and removing the Schrader valve core to completely deflate the tube. Rotate the tire so the broken spoke is high and to the rear for easy access. Keeping the broken spoke high will prevent the nipple from falling down into the rim.
Remove the old spoke at the hub and thread the new spoke into the hub. Pay attention to the spoke pattern—at the hub the spokes alternate, being threaded from the inside and outside.
I was able to thread the new spoke in by running it through a large hole in the brake disc between the braking surface and the hub.
At the broken spoke pull the tire and tube off to the side of the rim. I had to use a plastic tire iron to get the tire off the rim enough to get access to the spoke nipple (see picture).
Slide the rim tape off to the side so you can see into the rim nipplehole. Use the broken spoke to hold the nipple in place. Thread into the nipple from the outside of the rim (see picture). This will allow you to control the nipple so you can lift it enough to thread the nippleonto the new spoke. Once you get the new spoke threaded into the nipple, hold the nipple and unscrew the old spoke you used to control the nipple. Screw the new spoke into the nipple as far as you can by hand.
Put the rim tape back in place and push the tire and tube back into place.
Install the Schrader valve core and inflate the tire.
Tighten the new spoke to match its surrounding spokes.
The Pace 350 & 500 use 13 gauge steel, black, j-bend spokes. I have heard that newer Pace 500s have 12 gauge spokes in the rear. 13 gauge round steel spokes are 2.3mm id diameter, 12 are thicker at 2.6mm. The Aventon Level rear wheel uses the thicker 12 gauge steel spokes. It’s best to get replacement spokes from Aventon but a bike shop can custom make correct size and length spokes. The shop may have to order the blank spokes and then cut them to size and thread them.
The picture shows the old spoke outside the wheel threaded into the outside of the nipple, the new spoke installed and threaded into the inside of the nipple, a plastic tire iron holding the tire and tube off to the side of the wheel and the yellow rim tape moved to the side:
I found a second broken spoke on the rear non-drive side (brake disc side) of my Pace 500. The first broken spoke came about 6 months and 400 miles ago. I was able to replace this one without removing the wheel, tire tube or the brake disc which I did last time. Here's how I did it:
Caution: If part of the spoke is still in the spoke nipple (silver part at the rim) do not unscrew the spoke from the nipple until you're doing the repair because the nipple will fall into the rim and then you'll have to remove the wheel, tube and tire to get it back out.
If the nipple has fallen into the rim you’ll have to pull the tube Schrader valve out of its hole and turn the wheel until the nipple falls out of the hole.
Start by deflating the tire and removing the Schrader valve core to completely deflate the tube. Rotate the tire so the broken spoke is high and to the rear for easy access. Keeping the broken spoke high will prevent the nipple from falling down into the rim.
Remove the old spoke at the hub and thread the new spoke into the hub. Pay attention to the spoke pattern—at the hub the spokes alternate, being threaded from the inside and outside.
I was able to thread the new spoke in by running it through a large hole in the brake disc between the braking surface and the hub.
At the broken spoke pull the tire and tube off to the side of the rim. I had to use a plastic tire iron to get the tire off the rim enough to get access to the spoke nipple (see picture).
Slide the rim tape off to the side so you can see into the rim nipplehole. Use the broken spoke to hold the nipple in place. Thread into the nipple from the outside of the rim (see picture). This will allow you to control the nipple so you can lift it enough to thread the nippleonto the new spoke. Once you get the new spoke threaded into the nipple, hold the nipple and unscrew the old spoke you used to control the nipple. Screw the new spoke into the nipple as far as you can by hand.
Put the rim tape back in place and push the tire and tube back into place.
Install the Schrader valve core and inflate the tire.
Tighten the new spoke to match its surrounding spokes.
The Pace 350 & 500 use 13 gauge steel, black, j-bend spokes. I have heard that newer Pace 500s have 12 gauge spokes in the rear. 13 gauge round steel spokes are 2.3mm id diameter, 12 are thicker at 2.6mm. The Aventon Level rear wheel uses the thicker 12 gauge steel spokes. It’s best to get replacement spokes from Aventon but a bike shop can custom make correct size and length spokes. The shop may have to order the blank spokes and then cut them to size and thread them.
The picture shows the old spoke outside the wheel threaded into the outside of the nipple, the new spoke installed and threaded into the inside of the nipple, a plastic tire iron holding the tire and tube off to the side of the wheel and the yellow rim tape moved to the side:
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