Bicycles spokes are like the underdog of bicycles. They don’t get much attention until they break. Fortunately for bikers, spokes don’t break easily because they are meant to last. In fact, one of the main reasons why there are bicycle spokes to begin with is to support your weight when you’re on your bike.

Many people assume that the weight of the biker is carried by the two wheels. However, the tires cannot do this on their own, they need the spokes. Other functions of the bicycle spokes are to engineer the bike forward by transferring your leg power from the hub to the bicycle wheels.

There is a science to the design of bike spokes which basically aims to hold the tire rim so it does not change shape. This is why regardless of the weight of the biker, bike tires do not change form. If you notice, it is the job of the bike spokes to redistribute the weight when a heavier person sits on the bike seat. A problem with one spoke could cause the uneven spread of weight, and eventually snap some of the spokes that are taking on more weight stress.

If the bike is used daily, it is imperative for regular maintenance not just with the air in your tires, but the spokes of your wheels. You can replace spokes on your own or bring it to your local bike store. You even have the option of shifting spokes from the back wheel to the front wheel if you want. If you do, be sure to check the length of the back spokes since they might differ from that being used in the front rim.

However, if one or more of your spokes snap, you might want to replace all the spokes mainly because they have all been under the same amount of weight stress, so the other spokes will also snap eventually. Changing all bicycle spokes is just being careful and anticipating probably problems with more damage to your spokes and not wanting to get caught in the middle of nowhere with a broken spoke.

Bicycle spokes are always manufactured in multiples of four. This means the number of spokes can be evenly divided into 4. The most common number of bike spokes being used is 36. You need to know this in case you ever decide you want to change your spokes on your own.