Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

Took my Ksyrium SL's to Karsten Cycles yesterday to get expert opinion about the one loose spoke I have on the rear wheel, non drive side.

Very friendly chappie there said, "no problem" grabbed the wheel and placed it it the truing stand. He had a look, said that it can still be adjusted to remove the slight looseness in the spoke. As he started to turn the nipple, we all heard a faint "tinkle" sound coming from the nipple. Upon closer it inspection it transpired that some GENIUS Angry glued the nipple to stay put, and the turning on it has broken some of the little ridges on it. As the spoke is not too loose, and the wheel runs true, we decided to leave it at that, ride the damn thing until something more dire happens, and take it from there.

My questions are:

1) Is it busted, or can it be saved. Will it cost me a new rim, at least?

2) By lovingly and carefully injecting acetone around the nipple and into the area where the spoke enters the nipple, should it not loosen the glue? (think it is superglue or something similar)

3) Will this not cause more problems with the aluminium rusting/seizing (or whatever you call it)

4) What else can be done to try and save the rim (I'm on a tight budgetCry)
Posted

Eish, is it just my imagination or are we discussing Ksyrium failures and excessive repair costs on a weekly basis?


(Sorry wannabe, can't help with the actual problem.  Wait for the experts)
Posted
Took my Ksyrium SL's to Karsten Cycles yesterday to get expert opinion about the one loose spoke I have on the rear wheel' date=' non drive side.

Very friendly chappie there said, "no problem" grabbed the wheel and placed it it the truing stand. He had a look, said that it can still be adjusted to remove the slight looseness in the spoke. As he started to turn the nipple, we all heard a faint "tinkle" sound coming from the nipple. Upon closer it inspection it transpired that some GENIUS Angry glued the nipple to stay put, and the turning on it has broken some of the little ridges on it. As the spoke is not too loose, and the wheel runs true, we decided to leave it at that, ride the damn thing until something more dire happens, and take it from there.

My questions are:

1) Is it busted, or can it be saved. Will it cost me a new rim, at least?

2) By lovingly and carefully injecting acetone around the nipple and into the area where the spoke enters the nipple, should it not loosen the glue? (think it is superglue or something similar)

3) Will this not cause more problems with the aluminium rusting/seizing (or whatever you call it)

4) What else can be done to try and save the rim (I'm on a tight budgetCry)
[/quote']

 

Ksyriums, the story of my life. I'm battling with a set as we speak.

 

If you know the history of the wheel, you should be able to pinpoint the genius. However, I don't think it is superglue (obviously, if you're sure, you're sure). I think it is aluminium corrosion. They do suddenly break loose and then crack crack crack until the spoke is hopefully loose. That interface - the nipple rim interface is not the problem. The real problem is the spoke freezing onto the nipple and then you cannot get the spoke off without destroying it.

 

We had a thread about that with photos a few weeks ago.

 

Are the ridges you're talking about the nipple flutes designed to mesh with the spanner or are you talking threads. If the former, you'll need a new spoke. Better get 20, sonce they're all frozen if one is frozen.

 

If it is the threads that came off, determine whether it is the spoke's threads or the rim's threads. If the latter, toss the rim, buy a full compliment of new spokes and have the wheel rebuilt.

 

Liberal doses of acetone will dissolve the glue. But don't apply careful amounts. Buy a 750ml bottle at your hardware store and convince yourself you like the smell of fruity esters.

 

You will have to manipulate the spoke whilst it is submerged in the acetone. It's beginning more and more to sound like you need a bucket full of the stuff.

 

The acetone will do nothing to the aluminium. It might take off some of your stickers though. That's good, Ksyrium people like weight reduction.

 

We don't know if it is your rim yet. The rim is the most robust of the lot, with spokes being the most fragile and problem prone. At R70 a piece (IIRC)it is gonna blow your budget in anyway.

 

Why not get a wheelbuilder to look at it. The Yellow Saddle guy is gooing an Open Day at the end of the month. Bring the wheel to him for a look see.

 

 

 

 

 
Johan Bornman2008-10-03 04:49:53
Posted

My advice - Get rid of those wheels. They are great in terms of stiffness and weight, but will cost you fortune to maintain in the long run.

 

Are you sure the nipple was glued? What happens to these wheels is that the spoke and the nipple fuses together. Which means you cand adjust the tention. If one is fused the chances are that all of theme are fused and you will probably have to replace all the spokes, which will cost you a fortune.

 

 
Posted

JB, it is what you call the 'nipple flutes' (the section which interface with the spoke/nipple spanner.) As for the glue, yes, we had a close look and you can see where the excess glue has dried on the rim face.

 

But not too worry, a very helpfull hubber already gave me a possible remedy to this problem. I am not gonna try it before the 94.7 (not doubting your advice, just not taking any chancesWink)

 

Should it work, I will post it here, and give the credit where it is due.Clap
Posted

JB, don't know the history of these wheels. Got them on my bike (2nd hand) when I purchased it at end of last year.  I had it taken to Cycle Lab (Jhb) to look at that one spoke that was looser (read with a fair bit of play lateraly) than the others. My friend took it in for me, and he told me the techie there told him the spoke is "stretched" and needs to be replaced. It was better than before, but still with too much play for my liking. I left it at that, but thought I might get a second opinion, that's why I took it to Karsten's Wannabe2008-10-03 05:43:07

Posted

I've rebuild my ksyriums with new rim and spokes.The dude who built it also used some kind of greyish loctite/glue/whatever. When I took it for retension, some of the nipples broke off.AngryNow they're useless.

Posted
I've rebuild my ksyriums with new rim and spokes.The dude who built it also used some kind of greyish loctite/glue/whatever. When I took it for retension' date=' some of the nipples broke off.AngryNow they're useless.[/quote']

 

HAHA, I remember that.LOL
Guest colonel
Posted

Ya I took my wheels to the same asshole and it cost me R7500 for new wheels. Ive never been back there since not even to buy a chube.

Posted
cut cut cut cut

 

 My friend took it in for me' date=' and he told me the techie there told him the spoke is "stretched" and needs to be replaced. It was better than before, but still with too much play for my liking. I left it at that, but thought I might get a second opinion, that's why I took it to Karsten's [/quote']

 

Spokes can't stretch in a wheel since there is no force there that can take the metal beyond yield.

 

You were sold a spoke that was exactly as long as the previous one and didn't end up with any tighter spoke at all, as you say.

 

That spoke should simply have been tensioned a little bit. The nipples can scew in quite deep and if you look at each individual nipple on your wheel you'll see they're not all engaged to the same depth.

 

Don't buy stuff from people who tell you that spokes stretch.

 

As for the other comment here about Loctite on spokes.

 

Never buy a wheel that has Loctite on spokes and never buy from anyone who Loctites spokes.

 

Nipples stay in position from spoke tension and only an under tensioned wheel will have spokes coming loose.

 

Thanks to the boutique wheel revolution, wheelbuilders are scarce. Unfortunately, boutique wheels require more specialist knowledge than the average mechanic has and things are getting worse and worse.

 

A very prominent bike shop sent some of its mechanics on one of my wheelbuilding courses. They didn't like this since it was over a Saturday and Sunday. They didn't open their text books and sat at the back, hostile, with folded arms. As soon as we started building our wheels, they admitted they were not goint to build wheels. They raided the cupcakes and donuts and ducked. They knew it all and couldn't be taught anything new.

 

I often get repair work from customers who had wheels at that shop - complete with Loctite, slack spokes, too long spokes, odd spokes, wobbles and the rest.

 

I've also on occasion had the opportunity to scratch through workshop storage rooms in search for a specific spoke. The owners just let me loose with my spoke rule since they don't keep things together and a heap of spokes is more difficult to sort than the pile of lead type dumped through a crack in the wooden floor in Herman Charles Bosman's Cold Stone Jug story.

 

That is an eye openener. Most shops only/mostly stock straight gauge spokes and I have to assume that they're repairing customer bikes with that rubbish.

 

Caveat emptor.....

 

The only bigger crookery I can think of is when a women takes her car to the garage with a funny noise somewhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Posted
cut cut cut cut

 

1) I often get repair work from customers who had wheels at that shop - complete with Loctite' date=' slack spokes, too long spokes, odd spokes, wobbles and the rest.

 

2) The only bigger crookery I can think of is when a women takes her car to the garage with a funny noise somewhere.

 
[/quote']

 

Clap - I can vouch for both 1 (Too long spokes) & 2 (Cause I have been the tjop that ended up paying). 

 

"But never again will the above happen to me"
Posted
I've rebuild my ksyriums with new rim and spokes.The dude who built it also used some kind of greyish loctite/glue/whatever. When I took it for retension' date=' some of the nipples broke off.AngryNow they're useless.[/quote']

Kriek, PM me or Onetime for a possible fix/solution to your/our problem.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Settings My Forum Content My Followed Content Forum Settings Ad Messages My Ads My Favourites My Saved Alerts My Pay Deals Help Logout