# Tri Spoke Concern:



## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

Just picked up this on eBay for track racing next year. Was shocked to find out on Specialized web site that they don't recommend that this wheel be used. In response to someone's question about the safety of this wheel, this was their reply: 

"The last year we made the Specialized Tri Spoke wheel was 1997 and they were manufactred by DuPont. The Specialized wheels were retired that same year. Hed purchased the technology from Specialized after that. Due to the limited life cycle of composite materials it is unsafe to continue use of the Specialized Tri-spoke composite wheel."

Has anyone had experience of this wheel failing? The wheel I have has an adapter to convert for rear track use. The screw-on track cog adapter kinda has me spooked in that back pedaling could un-screw the whole adapter. True?


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## rruff (Feb 28, 2006)

JaeP said:


> Due to the limited life cycle of composite materials it is unsafe to continue use of the Specialized Tri-spoke composite wheel."


Baloney... if the wheel is in good shape, use it.


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

rruff said:


> JaeP said:
> 
> 
> > Due to the limited life cycle of composite materials it is unsafe to continue use of the Specialized Tri-spoke composite wheel."[/QOUTE]
> ...


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

*Special Ed*

That "Special ed" modification was my own. I did the exact same thing to my Specialized Pirhanna helmet way back when (best helmet design, ever IMHO).

The wheel I have is a tubular and does not appear to be abused. The bearings are good with only a hint of roughness. 

I just wanted to know if there were any tell tale signs of failure or if anybody is still using a Tri-Spoke with regularity.


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## unit (Jun 11, 2008)

Does that sticker on the wheel say 1993?

That might be a neat piece to hang on the wall, but track racing can be demanding...I think I would not want to have any doubts in my mind if I am going to throw down everything I have in a track sprint.

Some guys would choose to run them and perhaps never have incident. For me it has far more to do with the mental game. If there is cause for you to ask for the wisdom of strangers on the web, you obviously have concern....how will this concern play out when you have to make a do-or-die decision on the track?


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

unit said:


> Does that sticker on the wheel say 1993?
> 
> That might be a neat piece to hang on the wall, but track racing can be demanding...I think I would not want to have any doubts in my mind if I am going to throw down everything I have in a track sprint.
> 
> Some guys would choose to run them and perhaps never have incident. For me it has far more to do with the mental game. If there is cause for you to ask for the wisdom of strangers on the web, you obviously have concern....how will this concern play out when you have to make a do-or-die decision on the track?


Yes, it has a 1993 4000M Pursuit/Triathlon sticker on the wheel. 

The reason I bought the wheel (I was actually looking for a rear disc wheel) was because I was breaking rear spokes regularly. During one race night I broke two rear spokes (I had spares). That night I scoured eBay and put a bid on the wheel I have now. Secretly I was hoping someone would snipe the wheel at the last minute . . . No luck. The wheel wouldn't arrive in time for my last race of the season so I rebuilt my rear wheel with new spokes.

I'll probably try her out for a couple of races. The nice thing is the wheel came with both axles (solid with nuts) and accessories to convert the wheel for front or rear wheel use.


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## rruff (Feb 28, 2006)

JaeP said:


> I just wanted to know if there were any tell tale signs of failure or if anybody is still using a Tri-Spoke with regularity.


My riding buddy has been using a set of Specialized Trispokes that are older than those... good as new and solid as a rock. Like I said, if they are in good shape then ride them. If you see cracks, then of course they aren't in good shape...


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

Funny how Specialized sells composite frames and forks.... I would not worry about it.


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

*Me Likey*

Since track racing season is over for me I decided to put the Tri-Spoke on my fixed/commuter (my track bike has no provision for a front brake). MAN!!, I love it! I may have to take my commuter bike to the races. . . .


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## android (Nov 20, 2007)

JaeP said:


> That "Special ed" modification was my own. I did the exact same thing to my Specialized Pirhanna helmet way back when (best helmet design, ever IMHO).
> 
> The wheel I have is a tubular and does not appear to be abused. The bearings are good with only a hint of roughness.
> 
> I just wanted to know if there were any tell tale signs of failure or if anybody is still using a Tri-Spoke with regularity.


Just tap test it with a nickel to check for any delamination and give it a good visual inspection for cracks, scuff and any other damage.

The carbon fiber wears out is just BS to scare you into buying more gear. If 80's vintage CF really wore out from "use" we would have been replacing flight controls and panels on FA-18's every 3 months.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Has anyone had experience of this wheel failing? The wheel I have has an adapter to convert for rear track use. The screw-on track cog adapter kinda has me spooked in that back pedaling could un-screw the whole adapter. True?

well, since you never see lock rings holding cogs on at the track, since you don't really ever back pedal very hard...you're probably ok there. the fact that you've got a used 1993 wheel, well...that's another story. it may very well be fine, but there really isn't any way to know. 
why were you breaking spokes? sounds like bad wheel building. track wheels are the strongest construction in all of cycling (basically a dish free wheel)...


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

cxwrench said:


> well, since you never see lock rings holding cogs on at the track, since you don't really ever back pedal very hard...you're probably ok there. the fact that you've got a used 1993 wheel, well...that's another story. it may very well be fine, but there really isn't any way to know.
> why were you breaking spokes? sounds like bad wheel building. track wheels are the strongest construction in all of cycling (basically a dish free wheel)...


My track wheels were fine for one season of racing. I'm using a Formula high flange flip/flop hub for the rear. 14g spokes laced 3x to Mavic GL 330 tubular rim. I take pride in the fact that I've been building my own wheels for the past 20 years. I've been racing track for the past two years. I assumed (maybe wrongly) that track wheels needed more tension in the spokes so I built my track wheels with more than usual tension. 

On the rebuild I used a Wheelsmith Tensionmeter (which suggests an optimum spoke tension of 80 to 110kgf), but these felt like my first build so I backed off and built the wheels the "old fashion way" by touch and feel. When I measured the spoke tension they were about 70kgf (pretty much the same as my road wheels). 

I'll probably bring the Tri-Spoke as a back up just in case I break spokes again.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

hmmmm, sounds like they were ok on the tension. i work w/ a guy that's an extremely experienced wheel builder and he is also very stubborn. he thinks that if the tension is even and proper, you can't have any problems. now, i have to admit...it's very rare when someone breaks a spoke in one of his wheels, but...it really turns him inside-out! he just can't admit (most of the time) that sometimes sh*t just breaks. sounds like you're having much better luck w/ the wheel this time around, so who knows why the spokes broke? another vote for old-school wheel building! :thumbsup:


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

I use the same wheel for TT's. I got it for a song, because it was a "freewheel type", and converted it to a front. I've been using it for over 10 years.

"Due to the limited life cycle of composite materials it is unsafe to continue use of the Specialized Tri-spoke composite wheel."

Seesh.....Next they'll be sayin' my Rev-X's are unsafe.


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