No, the spokes do not stretch over time
. They can lose tension over time though. They will lose tension when the nipples compress the rim more, when they shift in the rim to straighten out and when the spokes bed into the hub more.
Are bike spokes supposed to be tight?
The spokes should feel tight and firm
. They should have just a little give when you squeeze them fairly hard. Repeat this process with the next pair of spokes and so on until you have worked all the way around the wheel and felt every spoke. Squeeze a few spokes on other bikes to get an idea of how they should feel.
Can spokes stretch?
Spoke stretch is a very theoretical effect that mainly happens when tensioning loose spokes or over seriously long term usage
. What you have experienced here is most likely due to the spokes finding their final place and form, possibly combined with twisted spokes working their ways straight.
What causes bicycle spokes to loosen?
Spokes can loosen from
hitting bumps hard or from landings following jumps
. If you hear tapping or clicking sounds coming from a wheel, you should reach for your spoke wrench and start jiggling to find the loose spoke.
Does spoke length have to be exact?
In essence,
you will want to be pretty precise
. 2mm too long might just be ok, 2mm short might be too short. Be sure to measure the ERD yourself (!) and as precise as you are able to.
How many spokes should a bike wheel have?
Number of spokes
Conventional metallic bicycle wheels for single rider bikes commonly have
24, 28, 32 or 36 spokes
, while wheels on tandems have as many as 40 or 48 spokes to support the weight of an additional rider. BMX bikes commonly have 36 or 48 spoke wheels.
What happens if spokes are too tight?
Spokes that have too much tension can result in
deforming and/or cracks near the nipple holes of the rim
, as seen in the image below. Notice crack at red arrow. Too much tension can also lead to failure of the hub flange.
What happens if you over tighten spokes?
Spoke tension is important to ensure your wheels are strong, reliable and long lasting. Spokes that are too loose will continue to loosen and require constant wheel truing. Spokes that are too tight will cause
damage to the rim, spoke nipples and hub flanges
.
Can MTB spokes be too tight?
It is rare for spokes to be too tight
, but this can happen if you are not taking care when adjusting loose spokes. That being said, it is more common for the spokes on the freewheel side of the rear wheel to be tighter than the others.
Can you ride with a loose spoke?
Never ride with a loose spoke
. The friction created will cause the rider to burst into flames and may even cause the Earth to slip off it’s axis.
What do you do with loose spokes?
How do you loosen bike spokes?
Are spokes universal?
Spoke lengths are unique to each wheel, rim, and spoke angle (cross 2, cross 3, etc) combination
. Non OEM combinations require special spokes, Buchanan Spokes is a reliable resource.
How do I work out spoke size?
Pull both spoke heads inward towards the center to seat the nipples. Using the narrow tips of the caliper jaws, measure from inside to inside of each J-bend. Record this measurement to the nearest tenth of a millimeter. In our example, each spoke measured 266 mm, with the J-bend-to-J-bend at 35.7 mm.
Can you cut bike spokes?
Condensed answer:
Bike spokes can be shortened
. The first step is to cut them to length. The second is to file the ends and re-thread them.
Do spokes matter?
Is there a significant difference made when it comes to the number of spokes a car wheel has? In truth,
the number of spokes a wheel has barely makes any difference really
. The impact on the wheel’s weight, strength and aerodynamic performance will be minimal at best.
Can you mix spokes on a bicycle wheel?
Yes and no
. With wheels tension is critical. A properly tension balanced wheel will be MUCH stronger then a wheel which isn’t properly tension balanced. Spokes with different guages will tension differently when used in the same wheel resulting in a less strong wheel overall.
What is the purpose of spokes on a bike?
Spokes are the connecting rods between the bicycle hub and the rim. Their main purpose is
to transfer the loads between the hub and the rim
, which are caused by the weight of the rider and the bike. Ever wondered if the bike spokes are laced to the rims in a pattern?
How do you check bike spokes?
How do you check the spoke tension on a mountain bike?
How do you true a wheel without a spoke wrench?
How do you adjust bicycle spokes?
The key to truing is
adjusting the spoke(s) on the correct side of the wheel
. Note that the spokes have nut-like devices at the rim called nipples. When viewed from above, nipples are turned clockwise with the spoke wrench to tighten spoke tension and counterclockwise to loosen it.
