Spoked wheels . . . .

[Dougunn]

Simple question . . .

I've never owned a bike with spoked wheels (except push bikes) and am currently looking at a used one which has them.

Are there any drawbacks to them (other than cleaning being a pain)? Do they need maintenance? I recall push bike wheels needing truing, spoke tension checking etc . . .

Thanks in advance

Doug

 

[tw99]

They are maintenance free in theory, although there have been some issues with spokes loosening on wheels made during a particular period of production, which obviously isn't supposed to happen.

I've got spoked wheels with black rims on my bike, and I'd prefer solid wheels next time, as they're an utter arse-ache to clean, and the black rims are prone to staining.

 

[Scrawf41]

I suppose the obvious thing is: They are a bastard to clean!

 

[Dougunn]

Also, do the feel any different to alloy ones?

I'm never going off-road btw!

 

[Rich1150]

No don't feel any different. I think the spokes look much better ( they cost an extra £400). I have had spokes on my last 2 GS's They are not hard to wash, jet wash, brush they spray with bike protector when dry and they look great

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

 

[Engineer]

I think they are heavier than the cast wheels?

 

[stick]

I think they are heavier than the cast wheels?

I will check as changing over my sets later , I prefere the spokes to be honest as they look great and with the condition of the roads at the moment they are stronger for pot holes , the cast are weak .

 

[Dougunn]

I will check as changing over my sets later , I prefere the spokes to be honest as they look great and with the condition of the roads at the moment they are stronger for pot holes , the cast are weak .

Ah! I did not know that.

 

[Speedy1959]

When I have some spare dosh I dont need I shall be changing to alloy wheels..
These bloody things are awful to keep clean.
What makes it worse it they have a matt finish which has the texture of say a 400 grade wet or dry sand paper.
The muck clings to them with a vengeance !

 

[Engineer]

Ah! I did not know that.

The theory is that the spokes will allow a bit of flex, where the cast will crack under a hard knock - but not sure if its been tested.

 

[Dougunn]

The theory is that the spokes will allow a bit of flex, where the cast will crack under a hard knock - but not sure if its been tested.

I'll be on roads only so less likely . . . but, then again, there are some savage potholes these days!

Good to know though, thanks

 

[malcopopolo]

I suppose the obvious thing is: They are a bastard to clean!

They take 10 mins a wheel, not a bastard, just longer.

 

[Istanbulian]

If you are going off-road then spokes are what is required.

Purely on-road alloy wheels every day:
- Easier to clean
- Lighter
- Cheaper
- Maintenance free

Just for the avoidance of doubt I have spokes to cope with off-road excursions on Salisbury Plain & Turkey but I am aware of there drawbacks elsewhere!

 

[Wainfleetworld]

The only thing to check every so often is the spoke tension. With the wheels lifted off the floor, use a solid screwdriver and spin the wheel whilst holding the screwdriver against the spokes. You will hear any spoke in need of attention by the ‘dull’ sound it has. You can mimic this by holding a spoke and tapping it with the same screwdriver. Adjustment is best left to someone who knows what they are doing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Popell]

Had both, spokes enjoy all the disadvantages listed above, difficult to clean, heavier, probably more run out, more expensive, some less well made than others, not necessary for road use.....

However I had silver Behr spiked wheels on last GS and it was just a better looking bike and I didn’t begrudge the cleaning of them

 

[Mr Bean]

The theory is that the spokes will allow a bit of flex, where the cast will crack under a hard knock - but not sure if its been tested.

No doubt they are better able to take a knock, but the chances of crack on road (I would have thought) is negliable - they would not be used if the risk was higher.

 

[knutk]

Since this debate boils down to whether to buy a bike or turning it down due to the bike having spoked wheels, my point of view is that for hard surface riding both type of wheels work.

The advantages and disadvantages have been listed above, but in real life it's not a big deal.

Personally, I have all my bikes with spoked wheels. Most of the time I wash them with a foam washer, so cleaning the wheels makes no difference.
The need for re-tensioning the spokes is mostly none-existent. BMW had a batch of spoked wheels that did create issues, but the problem have been rectified. (They changed the material making the spokes in order to make them more resistant for corrosion. However, this created galvanic corrosion between the spoke and the grubscrew located innside the nut in the hub, and some of the spokes loste their tension). And there is no need to lift the wheel off the ground to verify spoke tension.

If OP was to buy a new bike where there was the option to choose spoked wheels or not is one thing, but if the used bike he's looking at is otherwise ok, I wouldn't regard the spoked wheels as a deal breaker.

 

[malcopopolo]

Spoked wheels are stronger than alloy.
The amount of potholes we have on our roads is only going to get worse.
Spoke wheels look better than alloys.
My neighbour several months ago hit a pot hole and buckled his front alloy.
Check around good fronts are hard to find...

 

[Victor c]

The only time I’ve had a problem cleaning spoked GS/GSA wheels, is when I used Muc Off. This left a white coating on the black rim, which was a bugger to get off. Ended up scrubbing them with WD40. Since then, I only use a PH neutral shampoo on the bike, such as Auto Glym. Use this with a proper spoke wheel brush and they take no longer than an alloy wheel to clean. And spoked wheels just look so much better!

 

[Engineer]

There are pros and cons to both, so the answer to which is best is: 'it depends', and it depends upon you usage and sense of fashion