Broken spoke!

[sati8d]

Came home a couple of days ago to find a broken spoke laying on the driveway. Took me a second to figure out what I was holding in my hand...and then it clicked and sure enough I have a broken spoke off my back rim. The GS Adv has a pretty beefy rim so I'm really surprised. Not looking forward to taking all that apart to replace it, but it should be pretty straight-forward - right?
Anybody else do this job?

[Genen8kua]

Tony, here's some wisdom from Woody. If your wheel is still true and round it shouldn't be that big a deal & if it's not, it will need professional help. Spoke tightening is part of the routine maintenance for those wheels. Did it actually break or come loose and fall out? Though I know you're very gentle on your bike, I wonder about the broken spoke's being a symptom of some other damage. Bottom line, though, is that it can be replaced readily if the wheel's still round and true.

[ERC Scott]

[quote="Genen8kua" Spoke tightening is part of the routine maintenance for those wheels. [/quote]

Hey Gene, it's been a long time since any of my bikes have had wire spokes. But, I do remember the days of my youth guessing (literally ) spoke tension. I do wonder how many people with wire wheels are regularly checking/tightening their spokes? Alloy wheels for me -- not a big adventure ride guy on my bikes Scott

[Unity]

[I do remember the days of my youth guessing (literally ) spoke tension.

tink tink tink tink thud

--John

[ERC Scott]

[I do remember the days of my youth guessing (literally ) spoke tension.

tink tink tink tink thud

--John

Yep -- that's the drill!

[Genen8kua]

This thread from ADVrider is a pretty good one concerning the BMW cross spoke wheels. A bit different from the old ones or the madness into which those of us with pedal cycles occasionally descend.

[sati8d]

Great info Gene - thanks.
I can't quite figure out where it happened. Must have been on a stump when I dropped the bike in WV. I don't remember any hard hits or rocks bouncing up in there.... oh I know, it was a shark when I was crossing one of the 4 water crossings!

[Unity]

Every time this "Broken Spoke!" thread comes up I do a little mental recital of the chorus from "Carolyn at the Broken Wheel Inn":

Well, Rose, if you hear me try to forgive me
Cause I feel it coming on me again
Come Saturday night I'll be in El Paso
With Carolyn at the broken wheel Inn

--John
(Others have probably covered it -- I first heard it on a John Starling album, "Long Time Gone".)