You CAN cycle without a rear tyre!

unixnerd

So yesterday I'm out for a nice long ride and I hear a clicking noise. On further investigation the rear wheel's sidewall is protruding outwards at an alarming angle and hitting the rear V brake. At this point I'm around 10 miles from home and in the middle of nowhere. So I disconnect the brake and cautiously cycle onwards.

A few miles later BANG! about 8" of the sidewall detaches from the wheel and the tube blows. I'm now about 2 miles south of Loch an Eilein and still a long way from home. So I dismount the tyre, bang the sharp bits of the rim inwards with a large stone and start walking.

Very soon I realise that this is no fun at all and that walking for miles won't do the cleats on my shoes any good either. So as the rim has had it anyway I decide just to cycle home on it with no tyre. To be honest it went much better than expected. I had much more traction than I imagined and it handled just fine. Lots of vibration, thank heavens I ride a full susser.

The worst bit was the noise, especially on tarmac. It was truly deafening. I got some very odd looks from pedestrians :-)

mak3m

lmao

oh please tell me it sparked in true "Americas Wildest Police Chases" stylee

unixnerd

The most amusing bit was that I met my wife coming home from her yoga class. I offered to cycle along side her but I think she was quite relieved when I went on ahead. Had I stayed with her perhaps a few sparks might have been flying.....

Fully-sprung

You may have single handedly solved my dustcap problem. Sadly though I already bought the anti-theft covers

El Capitano

Please post some pics of the wheel.

unixnerd

Too late, put it into the bike shop at the end of my street to have a new rim fitted. The lady in the shop told me that they'd not be able to fix the old rim - she said it with a straight face too :-)) There were crushed pine cones and stones embedded in the spoke holes. Mavic make good rims! It was 14 years old so I can't grumble.

Toyed with getting a complete new wheel but the old has an ancient White Industries hub that takes simple £1.50 cartridge bearings and I wouldn't be without it. Can't be doing with cup and cone types, too much hassle.

Kaise

Fully-sprung wrote:

You may have single handedly solved my dustcap problem. Sadly though I already bought the anti-theft covers

seriously, how did this get back to dust caps! i've got a solution for you, dont farking use dustcaps, SIMPLE

Daz555

I rode home once on the front rim on my old crusty old road bike - was fairly hairy to be honest. Rather bizarrely someone actually stole my front tyre! Not the wheel - JUST THE FRONT TYRE! They must have removed the wheel, taken the tyre and put the wheel back on, :shock: :?

Anonymous

I thought you meant the tyre sidewall had blown out. You mean the actual rim wall itself was sticking out? how the hell...?

unixnerd

I thought you meant the tyre sidewall had blown out. You mean the actual rim wall itself was sticking out? how the hell...?

Yes. The metal sidewall parted company from the main part of the rim. These were V brake wheels and 14 years old. I suspect the previous owner used the back brake more than the front. The sidewall didn't seem that thin but it must have worn enough to weaken it.

I've seen pics of this happening at high mileages on touring bikes, but never thought I'd see it on any of my bikes! Tyre was fine.

Anonymous

:shock:
I've seen a very old, very cheap rim worn through until there was a hole at one point years ago, but never anything like that!

Fully-sprung

kaiser83 wrote:

Fully-sprung wrote:

You may have single handedly solved my dustcap problem. Sadly though I already bought the anti-theft covers

seriously, how did this get back to dust caps! i've got a solution for you, dont farking use dustcaps, SIMPLE

Like I said in the dust cap thread, I go through the big puddle, and I already bought the anti-theft ones.

kaytronika

yeehaamcgee wrote:

:shock:
I've seen a very old, very cheap rim worn through until there was a hole at one point years ago, but never anything like that!

I have a set of rims in the cupboard that have quite a concave profile to the braking surface.
Won't be finding that on disc brake equipped wheels

benpinnick

Ive seen (or rather saw back in the V/canti days) quite a few old rims fail in the same way...