Broken spoke, after transitioning from indoor to outdoor

[itsteevee]

Has this ever happened to any of you guys?

I've been doing a lot out of the saddle indoor training—for about a month—using my kinetic fluid trainer with riser ring.

Then I decided to go out for a weekend ride. Four miles in at very easy, high cadence, speed at 15–17 mph @ 90-95 rpm on flat road and pop there goes a spoke from my front wheel. It broke at the nipple.

Thanks to GCN's How to videos, I wrapped the broken spoke to another, open my front brake, and road to three different bike shops before finding a shop that had the correct spoke.

So, I don't know if this was caused by the stress of riding out of the saddle with a stationary front wheel or something else.

What are your guys thoughts and any recommendation if it's the former.

Thanks!

 

[avanti]

During riding on a trainer your weight on the front wheel is reacted by the one or two spokes at the bottom of the wheel for as long as you ride. So I believe it is quite possible that, given your out-of-the-saddle riding, you overstressed a spoke.

Incidentally I do not know of anyone who rides a trainer out-of-the-saddle (anybody else do this?). You might consider investing in some heavyweight wheels (I do this to avoid wearing out good tires).

 

[42x16ss]

Never use your good wheels on the trainer, the resistance unit places a lot of stress on the rear wheel and spokes. It's usually a good idea to get a cheap, high spoke training wheel with a dedicated trainer tyre to avoid spending a lot of money on your good wheels and tyres.

Another option is to get a trainer that doesn't use the rear wheel but has a resistance unit with a freehub body and cassette instead.

 

[WillemS]

Never use your good wheels on the trainer, the resistance unit places a lot of stress on the rear wheel and spokes. It's usually a good idea to get a cheap, high spoke training wheel with a dedicated trainer tyre to avoid spending a lot of money on your good wheels and tyres.

Another option is to get a trainer that doesn't use the rear wheel but has a resistance unit with a freehub body and cassette instead.

+1.

Plus, I always stay seated on my trainer (Tacx). I know there are a few models from different brands that are designed specifically to allow you to get out of the saddle, but otherwise I would not try that.

Even with such a specific model, I would use cheap wheels as the exercise will stress the wheels differently from what they're designed to handle. This holds true especially if you're using high-tech wheels utilizing the latest innovations to decrease weight and increase stiffness that are designed to handle road race stress, not the forced twisting of a stationary trainer.

 

[winkybiker]

Has this ever happened to any of you guys?

I've been doing a lot out of the saddle indoor training—for about a month—using my kinetic fluid trainer with riser ring.

Then I decided to go out for a weekend ride. Four miles in at very easy, high cadence, speed at 15–17 mph @ 90-95 rpm on flat road and pop there goes a spoke from my front wheel. It broke at the nipple.

Thanks to GCN's How to videos, I wrapped the broken spoke to another, open my front brake, and road to three different bike shops before finding a shop that had the correct spoke.

So, I don't know if this was caused by the stress of riding out of the saddle with a stationary front wheel or something else.

What are your guys thoughts and any recommendation if it's the former.

Thanks!

My main thought is that life is way too short to spend it on an indoor trainer.

 

[Night Rider]

Has this ever happened to any of you guys?

I've been doing a lot out of the saddle indoor training—for about a month—using my kinetic fluid trainer with riser ring.

Yes, as others have said the wheel staying in one place can over stress the bottom spoke. I bought a $30 36 spoke front wheel second hand that I now use just on the trainer.

Another thing to check is that you have the front wheel level or marginally higher than the rear. If it's lower there will be more weight on it.

 

[itsteevee]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I've read them all. I'll invest in some cheap wheels and tires to use for indoor training.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Never use your good wheels on the trainer, the resistance unit places a lot of stress on the rear wheel and spokes. It's usually a good idea to get a cheap, high spoke training wheel with a dedicated trainer tyre to avoid spending a lot of money on your good wheels and tyres.

Another option is to get a trainer that doesn't use the rear wheel but has a resistance unit with a freehub body and cassette instead.

This. +1.

I have a cheap Mavic Aksium rear wheel with a dedicated trainer tire on it. Never worry about it and it never goes outside.