How to keep spoked rims strong with a bit of easy care and attention

Anyone serious about off-road riding will already be familiar with spoke maintenance, as it’s something that is constantly checked, along with steering bearings and suspension linkages, due to the punishing
conditions.

Whether it’s recreational riding or racing, the added stresses that off-road riding puts through the wheels and chassis means the demand for attention is much higher than on a road bike.

Regardless of whether your spoke-wheeled bike goes off road regularly or not, if you’re like me you won’t need an excuse to purchase a special tool for the job, which is exactly how I ended up with this dedicated
spoke torque wrench kit.

I bought it from motorcrossdirect.co.uk who import aftermarket Haan wheels and this £59.99 kit is sold to complement their range of sexy spoked rims.

Back in the day, they just catered for motocross machines, however these days their range has expanded to include upgraded wheels for road-going adventure bikes, such as Yamaha’s 700 Ténéré, all of which are available in a wide range of sizes, colours and finishes, from £1400 pair.

Anyway, here’s a step-by-step guide to keeping your spoked wheels strong…