UK supplier for better spokes?

[Lukejolyon]

Well I did indeed by some spoke tightening tools. Haven’t use them or checked the spokes much tho TBH!

 

[Yako]

I was happily blaming myself until I started researching, though it is of course possible that the spokes becoming loose are the cause of the all of the breakages. If that is the case though, loosening spokes still doesn’t happen regularly with other bikes to the same extent as the Gain, so maybe poorly made or non brass spoke nipples?

 

[Lukejolyon]

That's a very good point - I've had my non-electric Specialised for well over 10 years and it has never, ever needed any attention paid to its spokes. In fact I wasn't even aware they were a 'thing' until I got my electric bike.

 

[steve mercier]

Thanks,all that makes sense. Which leads to another question. Almost all bikes use standard spoke wheels. Is that just a cost issue? Here's a bike that does not (chosen only because it's the first one I found). Is there any other reason other than cost not to use wheels like this on bikes?

Amazon.com

I had a hub motor bike that kept breaking spokes and have subsequently changed to mid drives which do not manifest that problem but if I ever was to buy another hub drive it would have those mag wheels. The downside is that they are heavier but I don't care about weight on an Ebike. My view regarding ebike gear is shape up or ship out.

 

[Lukejolyon]

Yes I can see why you'd go for either those spokeless type wheels or a pedal drive. However one very strong reason I bought the Orbea was because it basically looks like a normal bike - in fact, unless you catch sight of the hub at a certain angle, you can't really tell it's electric at all. This is not just an aesthetic/cheating thing (!) - it also means the bike is very light. When I looked for my first eBike, I basically made a choice between all the lightest ones. The Orbea weighs 14kg in my size in a smallish frame. That Zpao weighs I think over 20kg.

 

[AHicks]

I was happily blaming myself until I started researching, though it is of course possible that the spokes becoming loose are the cause of the all of the breakages. If that is the case though, loosening spokes still doesn’t happen regularly with other bikes to the same extent as the Gain, so maybe poorly made or non brass spoke nipples?

I think maybe the loose spoke issue is more common than you think. Espin bikes for instance, was having an issue with bigger riders recently. They were REALLY good about taking care of it though. RAD bikes, in years past, have had quite a few issues as well. Not necessarily breaking spokes, but loose spokes making strange noises.

I didn't mean to come across as saying loose spokes were the root of all spoke evil. What I meant is it's not that unusual a problem. It's not just about a rider's size or hitting the rim on something hard (eg curb, pot hole in pavement).

 

[Lukejolyon]

Yes. it makes absolute sense that if you put a heavy weight in the middle of a spoked wheel, and one which is then delivering force to that wheel, you're gonna put more strain on those spokes. That's just physics. I'm sure that manifests itself in all sorts of ways, from loosening to breaking and everything in between.

For what it's worth, mine tended to physically go 'pop' when two things came together - weight, due to carrying panniers with latpops etc between offices, and bumpy London roads - either speed bumps or potholes. The pop was invariably the spoke breaking.

 

[AHicks]

Yes. it makes absolute sense that if you put a heavy weight in the middle of a spoked wheel, and one which is then delivering force to that wheel, you're gonna put more strain on those spokes. That's just physics. I'm sure that manifests itself in all sorts of ways, from loosening to breaking and everything in between.

For what it's worth, mine tended to physically go 'pop' when two things came together - weight, due to carrying panniers with latpops etc between offices, and bumpy London roads - either speed bumps or potholes. The pop was invariably the spoke breaking.

I've heard that "pop"....

Loose spokes can often be heard making a pinging sound, like a twig or something hitting a spoke. That's a noise screaming for attention soon....

 

[Lukejolyon]

Yes! I heard exactly that! Of course I had no idea what it was until I got help from electricity....