Getting your bicycle wheel running smoothly again.

Continuous breaking spoke problems is what happens when owners replacing spokes and general tweaking with their wheels without any real bicycle wheel engineering knowledge.

Inspecting the spoke arrangement of new bike ( or at lest a good wheel) is and ideal way to pick up the skills needed keep your own bike running smoothly. It will reveal why spokes don't break.

You will observe standard bike wheels spokes are entangled in a zigzag under and over every other spoke pressing on every each one in turn pattern.

Replacing a spoke ignoring this pattern there will be an open gap when crossing allowing twisting forces transferred to the head in the hub flange leading to a few kilometers of fatigue finally breaking off at the head. Following a new or known good wheel pattern as a guide when replacing spokes to rebuilding wheels entirely will go a long way to reduce breaking spoke problems.

Studying wheels designed for entangled zigzag spoke arrangement show how perfectly mathematically symmetrical they are in motion. The entangled paten is a self aniti-twisting movement round the entire circumference of the wheel. As the wheel rotates each spoke crossing each other holds fast each other in a precise symmetry in the rotating motion. The flow of the entangled spokes support each other in a mathematical rolling symmetry.

Each spoke can't flex because of each overlapping neighboring spoke holding each other fast. The twisting forces in our peddling on every spoke is evenly supported by every neighboring spoke in turn. The zigzagging crisscross is what makes bike wheels so sturdy.

Radial spoke patterns are only suitable for front wheel professional pursuit racing bikes, not strong enough for rear wheel rider support.

Using salvaged donor parts as spares will save money yes. But changing components and adding accessories to enhance personal customization, comfort, performance and appearance requires some bicycle engineering knowledge specially when it comes to rebuilding wheels.

Tires size is wheel size. It is written on the side of the tire wall. ( The x is the width across them ). Tape measures have imperial inches one side and metric on the flop side. The two different measuring systems on the same tape makes it easy to measure check both systems.

Measuring the tire will measurer the whole wheel in imperial inches and the flipside metric millimeters. Mountain and commuter city bikes are commonalty 26 imperil inches or the metric 700mm, expressed as 700C. Comparing a metric tire against an imperial inch tire will be little smaller.