How Do I Know What Spokes I Need?

To find the length of spoke you require you can

check your wheel manufacturer’s manual, or alternatively use an online spoke calculator

. This will let you enter details of your hub and rim to calculate the length spoke you need.

What are the different types of spokes?

Spokes can be categorized into three categories:

straight gauge, butted, and bladed

.

Are bike 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.

What size spoke nipples do I need?

Length: Spoke nipples are usually

12, 14 or 16mm in length

. If using aluminum nipples, the spokes should be long enough to engage the full length of spoke nipple threads so that the load is carried from spoke to the top of the nipple.

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 do I know what size spoke wrench to get?

Square-Shaped Nipples

The best method to determine the correct spoke wrench size is to

use a caliper and measure the nipple across the wrench flats

. It is important to know that the diameter, or so called “gauge”, of the spoke does not determine the spoke wrench size.

Are all spokes the same length?

You may need as many as three different spoke lengths

. One length for the front wheel, one for the rear drive side, and one for the rear non-drive side.

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.

How much do spokes cost?

Spokes are usually

$1.00 – $2.00 each

. Any shop will sell individual spokes. Labor to replace a spoke is $10 – $20 depending on your location.

What is a 14g spoke?

Spoke Gauge Diameter and millimetre size. 15g = 1.8mm. 14g =

2.0mm

.

How are bladed spokes measured?

Determine the diameter (for round spokes) or dimensions (for bladed spokes) of the spoke. Measure in the middle of the spoke using a caliper or the spoke diameter gauge included with the TM-1. Squeeze the TM-1 at the handle grips. Place the spoke between the two fixed posts and the moveable post of the TM-1.

How do you replace a spoke?

How are spokes measured on rims?

How do you lace 32 spokes?

Are there different size spoke nipples?

The most common spoke nipple sizes are 3.23mm, 3.30mm, and 3.45mm. However,

you might encounter other spoke nipple sizes ranging anywhere from 3.2mm to 9mm

. Many spoke nipples are also square-shaped, including the most common sizes listed above. Some manufacturers use star-shaped or hex-shaped spoke nipples instead.

What size are MTB spokes?

A majority of mountain bike wheels use either

24, 28, or 32

spokes per wheel depending on their intended use.

Can I ride with Broken spoke?

“

Yes! Riding a bike with a broken spoke will not cause much harm to the wheels

. However, we suggest you remove the spoke from the nipple to avoid further damage to the tires.” That said, riding the bike with only one or two broken spokes is not dangerous.

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.

How do you measure hub spoke length?

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.

How do I measure a bike wheel?

Using a tape measure, place the bottom of the tape at the lowest point of the tire (on the ground) and measure in a straight line to the centre of the bike wheel to find your wheel radius (as shown in the image above). Multiply your wheel’s radius by two to find the wheel’s diameter.

How do you measure motorcycle spokes?

What size spoke for 29er?