What happens when your back wheel rim wears out?

salsajake
salsajake Posts: 702
edited February 2010 in Commuting chat
Mine is on the way, but I was wondering if anyone has experience of it happening?

Does the wheel pull out of true, or does the rim suddenly snap and rip the tyre off? Basically, will I get any warning that it is too late to invest, or will I be eating tarmac and ruing the delay...?

Comments

  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Bad things can happen ;)

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  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Does your rim have a wear indicator? If you think you're on the limit of wear I'd check the rim walls for cracks fairly regularly
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  • vorsprung
    vorsprung Posts: 1,953
    What happens is

    You brake, there is a horrible noise. The inner tube explodes. You look down and part of the rim is a flappy ribbon of metal

    The bike is unrideable unless you take extreme measures such as booting the entire ripped up section, disconnecting the rim brakes and putting cable ties around the affected area.
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  • salsajake
    salsajake Posts: 702
    JonGinge wrote:
    Does your rim have a wear indicator? If you think you're on the limit of wear I'd check the rim walls for cracks fairly regularly

    are these cracks running around the rim, in a parallel curve to the wheel diameter, or shorter cracks? Nothing as yet, but there are some curious dimply looking pitted areas. they are notably concave when you run your finger around them, no wear indicators though, nothing that sophisticated on an Alex 450!

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