rims worn or useless indicator?

dav1

I was doing my routine checks of the bike this weekend to fond that the little hole in the rim of my RS10 rear wheel is now gone.

Whilst I am aware that the rims will ware out, I am stunned that it only took 10 months and 3500 miles.

It has only been through 1.5 sets of brake pads in that time!

are there any secondary checks that I can do to ensure they are OK? the rims feels a little concave and look like they are starting to wear by eye. Or is this is what I get for putting a set pf pretend racing wheels on my commuter/road/training... bike.

Nigel Bennett

You can try measuring them if you have the tackle, but the best way is to adjust your brakes so they're just free of the rim. Pump up the tyre to about 140psi, spin the wheel. If it catches on the brakes, get a new rim. If not, let the pressure down and ride it. Re-check at weekly intervals.

I've gone through rims in 2000 miles before. Depends on the amount of road grit you trap on the pads!

Down the Road

It is an advisory point to replace your rims ASAP. The dot is conservative but is about the end of the hardened part of the material. The leading cause of wearing rims early is worn brake pads. You need to replace them before the little gaps in the pads are gone.

dav1

Down the Road
I am already looking at replacements, just seeing if there is any advice that means i dont have to press the buy button. Unfortunately due to a lack of suitable replacement rims it looks like a new wheel is required, very frustrating as the rest of the wheel is in great condition!

I suppose I'm just frustrated, I bought Shimano because their kit us usually durable and easy to repair. My logic was that I could fix the hubs and keep going much longer then I would on a cheaper set. I had something like 10,000 miles in mind!

I do run my pads long, but they were replaced long before getting to the backing so should be absolutely fine.

Nigel Bennett
I run my brakes well clear of the rim, and always ensure there is no play in the hubs so there should be no rubbing whatsoever.

dav1

so can anyone reccomend a cheap wheelset with some durable(ish) rims?

Planet X model B/C are appealing, were reccomended last time and I now regret taking the shiner option

I guess I also need to use this as an excuse to buy a create single speed for the bad weather days

desweller

I am not getting great endurance out of my PX model Bs I have to say, the rims are pretty crappy now and they have done almost zero winter mileage. I do live in the countryside though, so they have to put up with plenty of wet mud even in the summer!

If you are looking for a winter wheelset I would go for something handbuilt, and also put strength over appearance. They're going to look cack after 2 miles in the winter grime anyway. The advantage of handbuilt is that you're less likely to have to can the whole wheel just for a hub or rim failure.

jermas

I'm using open pro ceramic rim on the rear at the mo. No signs of wear yet but only done 4000 miles. My last set of aksiums lasted 21000 miles. In fact the front still has a fair bit of wear left. Used the aksiums through countless horrible wet, muddy rides, so no complaints about rim wear. Had to clean and lube the freehub and grease the rear bearings once or twice.

dav1

aksiums would me ideal but are way over my £100 celing.

seeing as the bike is a second hand ?(at lesat 5) year old carrera virtuoso its hard to justify spending much on it at all!

I like the performance of the RS10s but they just didn't hold up to the conditions of the great british winter.

Currently I am looking at a set of tiagra 4400 hubs on mavic CXP22 rims from ribble (if they have any left). Unfortunatly a lot heavier but at least they are up to the task of year round use.

ride_whenever

What brake pads were your originals. Spec pads are usually really hard, to the point that shimano recommend against using their pads on their own wheels! Softer pads wear quicker but are much kinder to rims. It is also important to keep your rims pretty clean to prevent a buildup of a grinding paste.

dav1

That wheel saw koolstop dual compound in summer and salmons in the winter.

admittidly the bike is not cleans as much as it could be, but sees the hose frequently enough to prevent most issues devolping.

jermas

Kool stop salmon pads help to reduce rim wear. Also have you considered mavic open sport rims? They have a thick braking surface which stands up well against mud etc. They are cheap, well made, and not too heavy.

dav1

Thanks for the advise everyone. This time my head won out and i ordered some 105/open sport rear and tiagra open sport front from ribble for just over £100, sounds like a bargain to me!

in theory they wont be a lot heavier then the RS10s so feeling quite happy atm, just hope they live up to my expectations.