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Questions and answers about sports

Can I ride home with a broken spoke?

5 min read

Asked by: Terry Rickman

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.

How long can I ride with a broken spoke?

It’s perfectly safe to continue riding a bike with one or two broken spokes. Some cyclists have even completed weeks of commuting or miles-long rides with a broken spoke. However, you should fix the problem as soon as you can with some rim tape, and get loose spokes looked at as soon as possible.

What to do if spoke breaks on ride?


Quote from video: Solution is to just leave this in place and just literally bend it around the most adjacent spoke. So literally just take it around the nearest spoke.

How much does it cost to fix a broken spoke?

between $25 and $35

Since these are obvious safety concerns we encourage you to bring your bike for an inspection at no charge. Broken spoke replacement typically costs between $25 and $35.

Is it safe to ride with a loose spoke?

Yes you can ride home with a broken spoke. I’d probably unscrew the spoke from the nipple before doing so, so that it doesn’t wobble around and get caught in other bits of the bike. Bike wheels are wonderful things that can easily put up with having a few spokes missing. No problems.

Can you bike without a spoke?

Generally, it is not dangerous to ride with a broken or missing spoke. It is pretty safe if only one spoke is broken. But if three or four spokes have broken, it’s best to stop cycling. This could lead to more spokes breaking, the wheel bucking and more expensive repairs.

Can I ride my mountain bike with a missing spoke?

You can technically ride with a broken/missing spoke, but it is not ideal. The missing spoke is going to put pressure on the others, and it will cause bigger problems if you don’t replace it.

Why do spokes keep breaking?

Spoke breakage can be caused by a number different things – everything from rocks/sticks to incorrect tension, corroded nipples, or faulty spokes. It’s not uncommon for a single spoke failing to lead to failures of additional spokes, due to the increased tension put on the remaining spokes when a single one breaks.

How hard is it to replace a bike spoke?

Quote from video: But you have to be quite accurate to then plus or minus a couple of millimeters. So it might actually be easier take the whole wheel to your local bike shop. And get them to use their expertise.

Can you ride with a broken spoke Reddit?

Short answer- no. It definitely stresses out the other spokes, leading them to break sooner.

Can you ride a bike with a buckled wheel?

A buckled wheel can ruin your ride. At best, the bike will handle oddly. At worst, the rim will rub against the brakes so it won’t spin round. The good news is that a spoke key, the tool you need to fix this, will cost less than £10.

How often do bicycle spokes break?

A rule of thumb is that if you’ve had more than 5 spokes break, it’s possibly time to consider a new wheel or new bike altogether.

How do you change a spoke without removing a tire?

Quote from video: Just going to thread it the full length of the threads. On the spoke like that. And now I'm going to pull the spoke back into the hub. And get the hub nut seated.

How do you prevent broken spokes?

How To Fix (and ride back home with) A Broken Spoke!

Is it OK to ride with one spoke missing?

Generally, it is not dangerous to ride with a broken or missing spoke. It is pretty safe if only one spoke is broken. But if three or four spokes have broken, it’s best to stop cycling. This could lead to more spokes breaking, the wheel bucking and more expensive repairs.

Can you ride a mountain bike with a missing spoke?

You can technically ride with a broken/missing spoke, but it is not ideal. The missing spoke is going to put pressure on the others, and it will cause bigger problems if you don’t replace it.

How often do bicycle spokes break?

A rule of thumb is that if you’ve had more than 5 spokes break, it’s possibly time to consider a new wheel or new bike altogether.

Can you ride a dirtbike with a broken spoke?

The answer is yes, you can ride a dirt bike with missing spokes as long as the other spokes are still intact. However, you must take certain precautions. That’s because the spokes on every dirt bike are mainly used to attach the tire to the rim of the wheel.

Can I ride my motorcycle with a missing spoke?

I’ve ridden with a missing spoke for a few rides. The only concern is that if you lose one then you throw the tension of the reamining spokes off, but if you check them and make sure the rest are tight it shouldn’t be an issue. And learn to true a wheel, it can save your ride one day.

How do you prevent broken spokes?

The best way to avoid spoke fatigue is to go to a skilled builder, who will advise on spoke count and rim weight (heavier rims are stronger…) and use correct spoke tension and proven stress-relieving techniques to minimise the cyclic loading responsible for fatigue failure.