UKC

Mrs T has a Trek hybrid bike, and the rear wheel is a Bontrager AT-750.

Spokes keep breaking, 3 so far in a year, then last week, when bumping over a kerb, the rim cracked open.

So I looked online for a replacement, only to find these particular wheels are notorious for breaking spokes.

So, I have no idea about all the technical bits, but can anyone recommend a stronger replacement?
It has a disc thingy, will any 750 wheel be a straight replacement?

Thanks in advance for help.

In reply to Fredt:

What are you using it for and how much do you want to spend?

In reply to Fredt:
Or a thinner wife

In reply to Dave the Rave:

i ain't gettin on no plane fool!

In reply to Fredt:



Hard to think of anything better than American Classic wheels for the errr ...... heavier riders. Hurricane wheels are compatible with disc brakes and can be had for £400 on RRP of £550

"The Hurricane wheelset is a high performance clincher wheel for the large and powerful road rider."

In reply to Fredt:

You will need to check the hub width. Road bikes will generally be 130 but mountain bike 135 (as a massive simplification) so depends on what the hybrid is closer to. Then there is the axle type eg 9mm quick release etc. There is some ability to get adaptors but not sure of the exact details for that.
Best to try and find the spec for that model and go from there.
As for wheels depending on which variant it is. A cx style wheel will be tougher or if it is 135 then a 29 mountain bike wheel should do the job.

In reply to Fredt:

Get one built by a wheel builder - I'd recommend Paul Hewitt in Leyland. http://www.hewittcycles.co.uk

Ring Paul and explain your issue.

In reply to Fredt:
I don't know that she needs a stronger wheel, rather a different wheel.

Go back to where you got it, and whinge a bit, ask what will replace it? It should be a bog standard wheel size, and given the history might do you a deal on the cost or fitting

In reply to Fredt:

Thanks for suggestions, Mrs T is very light, about 3 stone lighter than me, and I have never had a broken spoke on my road bike or MTB in 20 years. Mrs T uses only it for commuting on roads.

I can't really take it back to the shop after one dubious kerb incident, and I don't want the same wheel again anyway.

In reply to Fredt:

Spa Cycles at Harrogate are a good bet. They specialise in touring, so supply wheels which can carry a load.

I got a couple about 10 years ago before the E2E and still going strong.

Never broken a spoke and done loads of tours since.

In reply to Fredt:

Is it the rear wheel and always the spokes on the side the cassette is on? Often people keep breaking these spokes and replacing them not realising that it is the chain coming off the top of the cassette doing the damage

In reply to smollett:


Now you come to mention it, you may be right. I'll check the derailleur.

In reply to Fredt:

I can't make any personal recommendations but I have had new wheels on my hybrids over the years. If you go into a good cycle shop, you are usually offered two options. A cheap and cheerful for about £30 and something a bit more special at £40 -£50. The better wheel usually boasts better protection against grit and dirt and is what I always go for.

As for your wife - buy her a BMX if she insists on bunny hopping onto pavements. Hybrids aren't really designed to take curbs at high speed... I have learned from personal experience!

In reply to ByEek:

What shops do you go to? I'm not sure i've paid that for a wheel for 10+ years!

In reply to TomBaker:

One was Harry Hall in Manchester and the other was my local bike shop. To be fair I can't remember what the price was. The point was I was offered a choice of two which for a commuter bike seems fair to me.

In reply to Fredt:

Some wheels are just prone to snapping spokes due to poor design, this is only going to get worse as disks move on to road bikes IMO as there will be less dish to the wheel and spokes will need to be tighter to get a tight wheel.
I had an old hub called a mailard helicomatic that would break a spoke about every 100 miles.
Considering it is a disk brake wheel I'm surprised the rim went to easily, normally rims last longer with disk brakes because they aren't worn through. This would suggest that you need to run fatter tyres or higher tyre pressures.
If you don't want to spend much cash the cheap shimano hubs are usually pretty fool proof.