Replacing a Broken Spoke

• 1). Deflate the tire and remove it from the rim. Wedge a tire lever under the bead of the tire and use it to extract the tire from the rim. Once the tire is removed, pull off the rubber or plastic rim strip that lies in the bed of the rim.
  
  
• 2). Locate the broken spoke and unthread it from the rim using a spoke wrench. Once detached from the rim, pull the spoke through the hub''s eyelet and discard it.
  
  
• 3). Insert the new spoke through the hub's eyelet with the wide end resting against the hub's eyelet. Put the threaded end into the spoke's nipple; then use the spoke driver to tighten the spoke into the nipple.
  
  
• 4). Place the wheel into the truing stand and check the amount of side-to-side movement---also called the lateral true---in the wheel. The area around the replaced spoke will likely have a large amount of movement. Each spoke pulls the wheel toward the side of the hub that the spoke extends from. If the wheel moves away from the side from where the spoke extends, loosen the spoke with the spoke wrench. If it moves toward the side of the hub where the spoke is mounted, then tighten the spoke. Spin the wheel repeatedly to check for other places that the wheel is out of true, and tighten and loosen the spokes as necessary with the spoke wrench.
  
  
• 5). Install the tire back on to the rim by pushing the bead over the rim with your hands. Once the tire is installed, rock the tire back and forth on the rim to make sure that the tube is not caught under the bead of the tire. Use the bicycle pump to inflate the tire to the recommended pressure printed on the side of the tire.