Mountain Bike Building
Mountain bike wheel build (reusing previous wheel’s spokes)?
For my rear wheel, the rear rim has some mild flat spots on it and I will replace it shortly. I used this wheel for about 1 year now and they are 14 gauge size.
Is it not adviseable to use old spokes? They are not really scraped up or bent out of whack. Would using old spokes affect the life of the new wheel I plan on building?
Thanks
You can do it, but there are several things to consider. If there are any spokes or nipples that look worn or used up…..just replace everything. I’d recommend using new nipples if nothing else.
The first consideration is whether or not the new spokes will even work. If you’re using the same rim, then you’re ok. If you have a different brand or model of rim, chances are that you’ll need different spoke lengths as well. You can punch in your info to the spoke length calculator at www.dtswiss.com or have a shop look it up for you.
Next, look at the spokes you removed from the old wheel. You said you had flat spots, so if the wheel got much abuse, chances are good that the spokes have fatigued and might not be worth reusing (from a hassle standpoint, not a safety one). Used spokes will always look bent a little bit in 2 or 3 places, but if they are noticeably curved they’ve really been strained and should probably be retired. Any sharp kinks or deep gouges……same thing.
If you can do it, disassemble the old wheel keeping track of the inbound and outbound spokes from each side of the hub and reuse them exactly in the same way. Be sure to stress relieve the wheel several times and check it after riding each time, just to be sure the wheel is going to hold true. You might find that it’s better than the process you go through with new spokes, but you might find the exact opposite if the spokes were stressed to begin with. In this case it’s a really good idea to use some loctite or spokeprep when you rebuild.
You’ll save $20 to $35 using your old spokes if they’re in good shape, but whether or not that’s a savings depends on how much you value your time if they end up being a problem later. You can always re-spoke the wheel if need be, though. Do get fresh nipples, though.
Good luck!
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