How To Replace A Broken Bicycle Spoke

At some point in time, it's likely you'll break a wheel spoke or two, but what do you do when out on the trail, say on a biking holiday or even at a long-distance race!? Knowing how to replace a spoke without messing up your wheel is a useful skill to know, so join Doddy as he runs you through how to easily replace a bicycle spoke from start to finish!

⏱ Timestamps ⏱
0:00 - Intro
0:27 - Bicycle Spoke Types
3:24 - Wheel maintenance tools
6:19 - Preparing the wheel
9:28 - Fitting the spoke
12:23 - Tensioning Bicycle spokes

Useful Links:

Have you ever replaced a broken spoke whilst out riding? Let us know how it went down below! 👇

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[arifazhari]

This video comes out as soon as my spoke broke.

What a time to broken. 😅😅

[jklmnop]

These videos from Doddy are great. He is a wealth of knowledge.

[Aslowfade]

I came here because I need to replace one broken spoke, I am now going away to a bike shop . Who knew it was so involved and needed so much stuff, none of which I have .

[tomvonderharr]

Before I mount the wheel in the frame/stand, I like tighten the spoke up until it makes a similar note to neighboring spokes when plucked like a guitar. Then when I do finally put it in the jig, usually only need minor adjustments to finish it off.

[kisilvan]

Excellent vid. Something that's not often talked about.

[jasonmartin]

One of the best videos you've done, really useful

[jamess.]

I wrap a bit of gorilla tape around my pump (or co2) for rim tape repairs - it's come in handy a few times on the trail.

[lamefart]

In my case the nipple was gone inside the wheel. Had to do the messy tire and tape removal. Of course the shty stuff you have to clean with the sealant and the gungked up dried material it left everywhere on your wheel.

[snorttroll]

the proper fixing is releasing all the spokes tension and retensioning?

[DanuelNuel]

I always break spokes on my rear wheel... and every time I must take of cassette - that is serious pain in the arse :P

[MasterKeith]

Damn this was video was a week late. Just had the bike store replace my spoke

#askGMBNtech Hi Doddy! How often should we change aluminium handlebars? Or is it just a myth that they need to be replaced even if you don't crash?

[jeromewestwood]

I watched a wheel building video and it said do the outside cross 1st and then twist the way of rotating. Is this right ? Or is it better to cross outside backwards for braking forces

[grisz]

I've bought ZTTO tensiometer and the added table with kgf data was a bit off comparing to tension on my other's bikes wheels (Rodi, DT Swiss, Mavic). I thought it will be that easy: buy tensiometer, check spokes tension and voila. Actually no... I read on the forums that I need to calibrate tensiometer and I need to make DIY tensiometer calibration tool... The ready one can cost arround 500-600$. I truing wheel by myself because it give me more satisfaction and I can learn something new unlike giving it to the bike shop. I know buying truing stand and the other tools for truing wheel is a cost but for me this is the cost of knowledge and satisfaction of being independent from bike shops. Of course it's ain't cheaper rather than going to bike shop.

[humanint]

It would be nice to know how to measure the spoke length exactly so the correct spoke can be ordered.

[kimoarmstrong]

Disc brakes let you get out of the trail with a broken spoke or two. V-brakes were so dependent on a true wheel that trailside repairs were necessary.

[teddysnaps]

How would I know what size spoke it was if it broke in half?

[tim__sadler]

Awesome overview once again but surely the fact that swapping a broken spoke needs instruction and potentially special tools should highlight that once again we are using out of date technology? Don't get me wrong, I love MTB wheels and the witchcraft which goes into making them up, but what is the future? #askgmbntech

[nemethlajos]

#aksGMBNtech Hi. I have a question regarding spokes. My spoke in my front wheel makes an annoying "kling-kling" sound when I ride with relatively high tyre pressure during cornering. ( i checked, it's not the brakepads rubbing) Also the wheel is only a few months old. Is there a way to fix it? Thank you.
Greetings from Hungary. 🙂🚵‍♀️

[barrycorney]

So in your trail repair kit you need a cassette lock ring tool, a chain whip and a ruddy big spanner, and maybe a tool for HTII if the discs need removed?...maybe time to avoid "J" spoked wheels altogether?? Straight pull seems so much more logical than introducing a weak elbow anyway...