Another wheel buckled! Anybody know why this keeps happening
danielsbrewer
Posts: 123
So yesterday my back wheel buckled. I think this is the fourth time it has happened in the last two years on two different back wheels. This seems like a lot to me and I am wondering why it keeps happening. This time it was after I got a puncture but I stopped riding as soon as I realised what was going on.
I ride a specialized globe sport hybrid with 700cc wheels. These are the reasons I think it could be happening:
1) I have been told by the bike shop that my frame is slightly bent at the back, but that this is nothing to worry about.
2) I weigh quite a bit at 15 stone.
3) I ride with a pannier on one side only, but I don't carry much weight
4) Cheap wheels, although they are double layered etc.
Could any of those reasons be it? I am trying to work out whether I need to get a new bike or pay more for my wheels, as I am getting pretty sick of paying £15-20 a time to get the wheels trued.
Many thanks
I ride a specialized globe sport hybrid with 700cc wheels. These are the reasons I think it could be happening:
1) I have been told by the bike shop that my frame is slightly bent at the back, but that this is nothing to worry about.
2) I weigh quite a bit at 15 stone.
3) I ride with a pannier on one side only, but I don't carry much weight
4) Cheap wheels, although they are double layered etc.
Could any of those reasons be it? I am trying to work out whether I need to get a new bike or pay more for my wheels, as I am getting pretty sick of paying £15-20 a time to get the wheels trued.
Many thanks
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Have you put a good quality rear wheel on. Generally the cause of wheels going out of true is impact or more usually rubbish wheels (N.B. cheap does not necessarily mean rubbish, you can get some very good quality cheap wheels that will survive)0
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Not exactly sure what the wheels are, but they are from Raleigh and have Mach 1 240 rims and rear wheel cost around £40 I think. I got it from Pearson's in Sutton who seem to know what they are doing.0
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Sounds to me like poor truing, and maybe a bad build from the outset. I would recommend that you bite the bullet and get a new rim put on, such as a Mavic A719, by a good wheelbuilder. Explain what you use it for and they should be able to select the right spokes and pattern for you. Like you I had tons of trouble with a rear commuter wheel needing truing regularly, and ended up rebuilding witha Mavic rim. Its been perfect ever since.A Flock of Birds
+ some other bikes.0 -
Wheels can buckle when you don't ride "straight" on the bike. Getting off the saddle and letting the bike rock from side-to-side, whilst mashing on the pedals in high gear, possibly going over a bump at the same time, puts large sideways forces on the wheels, which they aren't designed to take.0
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Thanks for that. I virtually never get off my saddle so I think I ride pretty straight. Something that I need to monitor though, that's for sure.0
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Insufficient tension in the rear wheel to support a guy of your weight would be my guess.
Invest in a properly built and tensioned rear wheel built 3x with decent spokes and buckled wheels should be a thing of the past.
Big H
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.0 -
So where would I find a decent wheel builder? And how much is it likely to cost? My whole bike was only £300 new! At Pearson's apparently they are "certified DT Swiss Pro wheel builders" whatever that means.0
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I would recommend a handbuilt wheel from Spa Cycles, prices for a 700c Rigida Chrina, Sputnik or Exal rim start at £70 delivered. They have 36 spokes and are what touring cyclists choose. The different rims are different widths and weights, but any will be strong enough, choose to suit tyre width preferences. The Chrina being the narrowest, suitable for 18mm to 25mm tyres, Sputnik from 28-62mm upwards (weighs 200g more); Exal LX17 is for 25mm-54mm tyres and weighs the same as the Chrina, and this would be my choice. You should find this solves the problem. Spa Cycles have an enviable reputation.0
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It's a cheap wheel and you're a big chap (I'm not being harsh - I'm 15st myself). That's how it happened. Looking them up they seem to be a machine built wheel from Raleigh, at the cheap end of the market.
A good handbuilt wheel should be stronger and probably lighter. Cost wise you should be able to get something suitable for well under £100. Spoke count and pattern is key. You want a strong basic rim, not too concerned about weight, with at least 32 spokes (maybe 36) and a 3 cross pattern (as per DeRosa's post). Put it on a basic cup and cone shimano hub to keep the costs down (or have it built on your current hub if it's decent) and you'll be golden.
I would have though Pearson's would be fine as they have a good rep generally. Don't know anything about their wheel building though.Not climber, not sprinter, not rouleur0 -
Derosa is spot on... buy yourself a decent handbuilt wheel or learn yourself (i did and it's not hard and like you I'm a big lad, 16+st) and buckled wheels will be a thing of the past. BTW the money you have spent on trueing would've bought you a decent handbuilt wheel in the first place. Buy once buy right!
Google Harry Rowland if you want to buy one.
Good luck0 -
Good wheel builder should ask you several questions before suggesting options - rider size/weight, what do you intend to use the wheel for = commuting, width of tyre you prefer etc
My last pair of commuting wheels were built for me by Martin at cyclebasket. Drop him an e-mail - his pricing is very good. http://www.cyclebasket.com/
The wheels are superb, didn't cost me an arm and a leg and should last a good few years.
Big H
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.0 -
Looks like a hand-built wheel is in order then. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. So when ordering a hand-built do I have to be careful about what hub is used or is it pretty generic? For example would a Shimano Sora hub be compatible with my 8-speed shimano compatible cassette?
Many thanks. Sorry for being so thick about all this stuff.0 -
Oh and would you be worried about having a slightly bent frame at the rear?0
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danielsbrewer wrote:Looks like a hand-built wheel is in order then. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. So when ordering a hand-built do I have to be careful about what hub is used or is it pretty generic? For example would a Shimano Sora hub be compatible with my 8-speed shimano compatible cassette?
Many thanks. Sorry for being so thick about all this stuff.
Tell the wheel builder you are running 8 speed shimano and he should be able to suggest a suitable hub for you.
Big H
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.0 -
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no need for 36 spokes, the reason tourers choose it is for increased redundancy.0
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danielsbrewer wrote:Oh and would you be worried about having a slightly bent frame at the rear?
How come the frame is bent? Maybe you should have it straightened?
Wrt wheels as all the above have said. A well built wheel, on a decent hub, will last until the rim wears out. Sorry but £40 for a factory wheel what do you expect? It will be as strong and durable as cheese as your wheel has shown. Time to invest a little more on your bike and in your riding experience. Why not a pair of hand built wheels which will transform your bike's ride and your enjoyment of your bike?
And lose some weight you fat ba$tard!
Only kidding, have a cake on me. Life is like a roll of toilet paper; long and useful, but always ends at the wrong moment. Anon.
Think how stupid the average person is.......
half of them are even more stupid than you first thought.0 -
How many spokes - just one opinion.0
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For a guy of your weight + a pannier or two I'd go for a 36 spoke rear wheel. How much weight would 4 spokes less save - next to nothing. Strength and reliability much more important.
Big H
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.0 -
dilemna wrote:How come the frame is bent? Maybe you should have it straightened?
Frame is bent from an accident going round a corner too fast in the wet! That was a few years ago though. The guys at the LBS thought it was minor enough not to be worth straightening but I had to make adjustments so that the brakes are even both sides.0 -
I weigh almost 15st (95kg) and my wheels never buckle. This is my 36 spoke rear wheel: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/m-w ... l-ec001951
One thing to check is your axle length. Is it 130mm or 135mm (as above)? If you go between the two then you'll need to adjust your rear derailier.0 -
As previously mentioned, I would have guessed at spoke tension. Had cheap wheels in the past and hammered them. Never buckled one yet without good reason.0
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You may want to look at this article from Sheldon Brown http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html and scroll down to checking alignment to try and determine whether the frame is bent or not.0
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Just to support everything that alfablue and derose have said. If you are a big chap, carry lots of gear or ride hard it makes lots of sense to make sure your your wheels are up to the job or even over-engineered.
Spa Cycles built a couple of my wheels and I can't fault them. Definately worth paying a few pounds extra for a bit of extra quality here.Nobody told me we had a communication problem0
