Loose Spokes on Pedego Element

[Dmac]

Hi everyone,

I've had my Element since September. I had to get the spokes tightened and aligned mostly on the back wheel in October. I figured this was just a manufacturing issue. Then again a bunch of spokes were loose on the back and front of my Element recently so here it is January and I had to get this work done again. I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced the same? I ride on snowy and muddy trails (because it's winter) and I once rode 10 km on a really bumpy trail because of freeze and thaw that people walked over so I didn't even ride the whole thing because it was unpleasant, but I don't go off road and my trails are fairly tame because other bikes that aren't fat tires ride them. The tech kept saying "this happens with e-bikes" and I told him my other bike doesn't have any of those issues and the spokes have never been loose. I'm worried this will keep happening.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Hi everyone,

I've had my Element since September. I had to get the spokes tightened and aligned mostly on the back wheel in October. I figured this was just a manufacturing issue. Then again a bunch of spokes were loose on the back and front of my Element recently so here it is January and I had to get this work done again. I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced the same? I ride on snowy and muddy trails (because it's winter) and I once rode 10 km on a really bumpy trail because of freeze and thaw that people walked over so I didn't even ride the whole thing because it was unpleasant, but I don't go off road and my trails are fairly tame because other bikes that aren't fat tires ride them. The tech kept saying "this happens with e-bikes" and I told him my other bike doesn't have any of those issues and the spokes have never been loose. I'm worried this will keep happening.

if they keep coming loose the wheel needs to be fully re tensioned. the shop should have the skill to do it but sometimes I find going to someone that really knows what they are doing.

 

[m@Robertson]

"this happens with ebikes" is not true. He may just be giving you a short, sanitized version of "this happens with wheels that are not made particularly well, with good spokes, nipples and hubs and require some babysitting as a result". Its a lot easier just to blame the ebike when talking to someone who isn't up for the tech answer. Another way for him to answer that might be accurate is "we don't do wheels very well so you can expect to have to come back".

It may be the shop isn't the best at wheel building, which is very possible as proper wheel building versus tightening a couple of spokes are two very different things.

 

[Dmac]

"this happens with ebikes" is not true. He may just be giving you a short, sanitized version of "this happens with wheels that are not made particularly well, with good spokes, nipples and hubs and require some babysitting as a result". Its a lot easier just to blame the ebike when talking to someone who isn't up for the tech answer. Another way for him to answer that might be accurate is "we don't do wheels very well so you can expect to have to come back".

It may be the shop isn't the best at wheel building, which is very possible as proper wheel building versus tightening a couple of spokes are two very different things.

The did do a full re-tensioning and alignment both times.

 

[Dmac]

if they keep coming loose the wheel needs to be fully re tensioned. the shop should have the skill to do it but sometimes I find going to someone that really knows what they are doing.

Yes they did do a full re-tensioning and they also aligned the wheels.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Yes they did do a full re-tensioning and they also aligned the wheels.

they came loose after the first Time then? or did they come loose twice?

 

[Dmac]

they came loose after the first Time then? or did they come loose twice?

The came loose after I got the bike a month after having it and then again in December. Both times I've had them all tightened, re-aligned, trued.

 

[fooferdoggie]

The came loose after I got the bike a month after having it and then again in December. Both times I've had them all tightened, re-aligned, trued.

ok so either they did not do a good job or there is some problem with the wheel. well you said both wheels though thats really unusual. it sounds like bad wheel building and they are not great wheel smiths.

 

[6zfshdb]

This shouldn't be an issue for a 36 hole rim. Unless you carry a lot of cargo and exceed the bike's 250# weight limit, there is something else going on here. I would call Pedego tech support at 800 646-8604 or send them an email at: https://pedegoelectricbikes.com/contact-us/ They are very responsive and will usually respond within one or two business days.

You don't have to get your dealer involved, this may be a manufacturing defect that Pedego is aware of.

 

[Dmac]

This shouldn't be an issue for a 36 hole rim. Unless you carry a lot of cargo and exceed the bike's 250# weight limit, there is something else going on here. I would call Pedego tech support at 800 646-8604 or send them an email at: https://pedegoelectricbikes.com/contact-us/ They are very responsive and will usually respond within one or two business days.

You don't have to get your dealer involved, this may be a manufacturing defect that Pedego is aware of.

Thanks. I can try but I'm in Canada and often they tell me to Call Pedego Canada and they never pick up their phone.

 

[john peck]

Just goes with the territory. I check spokes & true b4 every ride, along with tires & brakes. get a spoke wrench & keep ´em snug

 

[m@Robertson]

... it sounds like bad wheel building and they are not great wheel smiths.

that is *exactly* what it sounds like.

 

[Dmac]

ok so either they did not do a good job or there is some problem with the wheel. well you said both wheels though thats really unusual. it sounds like bad wheel building and they are not great wheel smiths.

"this happens with ebikes" is not true. He may just be giving you a short, sanitized version of "this happens with wheels that are not made particularly well, with good spokes, nipples and hubs and require some babysitting as a result". Its a lot easier just to blame the ebike when talking to someone who isn't up for the tech answer. Another way for him to answer that might be accurate is "we don't do wheels very well so you can expect to have to come back".

It may be the shop isn't the best at wheel building, which is very possible as proper wheel building versus tightening a couple of spokes are two very different things.

I'm not sure what you mean by "wheel building". I got the bike from a dealer who I assume put the wheels on. Then I've had velofix tighten, true, align. If it means this Pedego Element is poorly made then I'd rather sell it and buy a bike that is made well.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I'm not sure what you mean by "wheel building". I got the bike from a dealer who I assume put the wheels on. Then I've had velofix tighten, true, align. If it means this Pedego Element is poorly made then I'd rather sell it and buy a bike that is made well.

no the wheels are assembled on machines they do a ok job but never a great job. it takes a human to do really good wheel building. its a art really. usually though its only the rear wheel. once it was re tensioned it should have been fine. so either the manic that did the work was not very good or the wheels have some issues. so it sounds like you need to speak with someone father up the food chain. or they need to cover you taking it to a shop that can really deal with the wheels. my first ebike I took it in around 400 miles for the first tuneup and they tensioned the wheel. well a few hundred more miles I had three broken spokes so the wheel had issues and I did not trust them as they were only going to replace the b broken spokes. I took it to a shop that specializes in e bikes and they replaced all the spokes and I needed a new rim as the spokes were not ones any shop had on hand. then the wheel had a lifetime warranty on the build. I ride so much that I wanted my bike up and running so I paid the money to get it done right.

 

[m@Robertson]

I'm not sure what you mean by "wheel building". I got the bike from a dealer who I assume put the wheels on. Then I've had velofix tighten, true, align. If it means this Pedego Element is poorly made then I'd rather sell it and buy a bike that is made well.

There is a certain skill level necessary when it comes to 'building a wheel'. It transcends merely tightening a spoke or three, and just because someone can use a spoke wrench to tighten all of them doesn't mean they know how to build a wheel. For bicycle mechanics, wheelbuilding is often considered a right of passage - up from being an ordinary hack to being considered a 'proper' seasoned mechanic by your shop and co-workers.

Myself personally, I have been building bikes for decades. I can do pretty much everything. But I won't build wheels. I learned in my teens that all I could do was make them worse. Now late in life, I probably do have the patience and attention to detail to do a proper job of it, but I've got plenty of projects to keep me occupied so I'll stick to being a hack

 

[Dmac]

There is a certain skill level necessary when it comes to 'building a wheel'. It transcends merely tightening a spoke or three, and just because someone can use a spoke wrench to tighten all of them doesn't mean they know how to build a wheel. For bicycle mechanics, wheelbuilding is often considered a right of passage - up from being an ordinary hack to being considered a 'proper' seasoned mechanic by your shop and co-workers.

Myself personally, I have been building bikes for decades. I can do pretty much everything. But I won't build wheels. I learned in my teens that all I could do was make them worse. Decades after this, I probably do have the patience and attention to detail to do a proper job of it, but I've got plenty of projects to keep me occupied so I'll stick to being a hack

From what he told me he wasn't just tightening the spoke. I can just tighten a spoke. He tuned it a trued it.

 

[m@Robertson]

From what he told me he wasn't just tightening the spoke. I can just tighten a spoke. He tuned it a trued it.

Right. We're back where we started.

This sounds like someone who doesn't know how to do that job properly. For this to re-occur on two wheels after both have been serviced is unlikely. Especially when you were given the baloney answer of "this happens on ebikes".

 

[Dmac]

Right. We're back where we started.

This sounds like someone who doesn't know how to do that job properly. For this to re-occur on two wheels after both have been serviced is unlikely. Especially when you were given the baloney answer of "this just happens on ebikes".

Yeah and he seems to have some bias against e-bikes. He said "I tightened your brakes so they aren't so squishy as these bikes are heavy and harder to stop" First of all my brakes weren't "squishy" and I know how to tighten them myself anyway. Before he even saw my bike, he launched into the "e-bikes have a hub on the back that push pressure on the spokes" speech and I interrupted to say "it's on the front". Ok well, what if my bike was a mid drive? If it happens again, I'll take it to a shop further away where I really liked the mechanic. This is velofix so they come to your house and it's convenient but although the shop doesn't sell this particular bike, I bought my other bike from there and he knows what he's doing; I sat with him for a while and he didn't give me these dumb stories and talked to me like I was an intelligent normal person.

 

[fooferdoggie]

There is a certain skill level necessary when it comes to 'building a wheel'. It transcends merely tightening a spoke or three, and just because someone can use a spoke wrench to tighten all of them doesn't mean they know how to build a wheel. For bicycle mechanics, wheelbuilding is often considered a right of passage - up from being an ordinary hack to being considered a 'proper' seasoned mechanic by your shop and co-workers.

Myself personally, I have been building bikes for decades. I can do pretty much everything. But I won't build wheels. I learned in my teens that all I could do was make them worse. Now late in life, I probably do have the patience and attention to detail to do a proper job of it, but I've got plenty of projects to keep me occupied so I'll stick to being a hack

yep I am not great at mechanics but I can manage but I am not going to even touch spokes. when my rear wheel rim cracked went to a local guy just builds wheels gave me a great price and I asked him when to bring them in to get pretensioned he said usually then never need it. the wheel should last for my next bike.

 

[m@Robertson]

It kind of sounds like you are getting a hit parade of stock answers from that mechanic. 'regular' shop mechanics were once infamous for prejudice against ebikes, although in 2022 it is much (MUCH!) less of a problem than it was in 2015. It also sounds like you have a better go-to guy lined up already, and you know more about this than the typical consumer. Thats a good combination.