Is it ok to use the same spokes on a wheel when rebuilding?

[stevepeanut]

At christmas I bought my lass some Suzue hubs and Odyssey rims, we had a local bike shop supply spokes and build the wheels. The bike has been ridden once on Wini's ride, maybe 10 miles at the most. Mrsnut always wanted a pink frame with white rear hub, and white forks with pink front hub. So they are opposites. I couldn't find a pink hub then as soon as the wheels were done I found one.

What we want to do, is strip the wheel, as seen in the top pic, and rebuild it with the pink hub as seen in the bottom pic.

Is it ok to to re-use the spokes? I hoped it would be ok, they have only been ridden once.

The local shop says we need brand new spokes if we are changing the hubs. This is going to cost £30-£40 to get new spokes and a build. Is this correct advice? or can we save a load of money and re-use the spokes we have?

[Gish]

You will be able to use the spokes already in the wheel 

The bike shop is just trying to fleece you   

[GavinDavis]

Agreed, there is no problem with using the existing spokes 

[garran]

as a newly appointed wheel building expert!!! i would say use the old ones as long as they are the correct size, also you can get 100 for £6 on ebay

[nosepickben]

The bikeshop man has now proven himself to be wrong, or a liar. You will be perfectly ok to use the same spokes, as long as the spoke hole pcd of the new hubflange is no more than a millimetre or 2 different.

[nosepickben]

Durh... Just seen the pic of the pink hub. Yeah the spokes will be fine, looks like an identical suzue just changed colour, right?

[Gish]

Durh... Just seen the pic of the pink hub. Yeah the spokes will be fine, looks like an identical suzue just changed colour, right?

    

[stevepeanut]

yep Ben, they are identical hubs, just a different colour 

[CustardLips]

£30/£40 is a bit steep mate. Try building them yourself (it ain't that difficult) then get them trued/tightened at your local bike shop. Should save a few bob.  :daumenhoch

[KANG]

Strictly speaking you should always use new spokes when re building a wheel as when they're tensioned they stretch slightly, and you won't get the same tension back second time round.
Having said that, unless mrsnut is going racing they should be fine 

[stevepeanut]

Custard, thats the plan, rebuild them myself and then get someone who knows what they are doing to finish and true them.

Kang, she won't be going racing or anywhere near a track on that bike 

[Spen69]

Absolutely fine - done it loads of times and ridden the fookin things off loads of pipes and stuff, even now

Sometimes worth changing the nipples if the screw driver slot on the end is sheared, but that's all you need to worry about. Strip it and build it yourself - get the bike shop to do the final tension and if he charges you more than a fiver, give him a slap

[KANG]