When to replace wheels?

anto164
anto164 Posts: 3,500
edited December 2011 in Road beginners
Well, Just fitted some new brake pads to the bike, and i was looking at the rims.. There's a lot of uneven wear on the rim surfaces. Then again, i've used the bike in all weathers, from sunny dry to mingingly wet.

There are wear markers on the rims, but when should i be replacing the rims? (Well, the quality of the wheels mean that I'll buy a new wheelset anyway)

Should it be when the wear markers are no more?

Comments

  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Sooner rather than later especially if they is crap wheels anyways... or you can do like many a club rider and have a rim split 1/2 on a club ride.... everyone rolling eyes.. ooh I knew I should have put me other wheels on....
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    I'd say replace a rim as soon as the first wear indicator disappears. That's what they are there for.

    I'm keeping a close eye on my front RS10 at the moment cos one of the dimples is dangerously close to vanishing.
  • daxplusplus
    daxplusplus Posts: 631
    Appreciate the answer depends on so many things but what kind of mileage are we talking about before a wheel will typically wear out? 10,000 miles? 20,000 miles? 5,000 miles?
    Sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail

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  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    You answered your own question there.

    Some light weight rims don't have very thick walls to start out with.
    Lots of hard braking, wet weather and abrasive crap on the rims, harder compound brake pads. All of these will accelerate wear and it is possible to wear out a rim in 5000 miles.
    Conversely if you have a touring wheelset and only ride in relatively flat terrain in the summer, your rims could last indefinitely.

    That's why they provide wear indicators
  • daxplusplus
    daxplusplus Posts: 631
    I'm completely new to road bikes so no idea of what is the norm or even a ball park figure.

    It looks like I will have to factor this in when looking to upgrade my wheels.
    Sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail

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  • ian_s
    ian_s Posts: 183
    .. I'm not sure any of mine have wear indicators.. (or maybe they have all worn off :shock: )

    Do all rims have them? (I am assuming they are small dimples which disappear as the rim is eroded)

    I have Open pro's, Aksiums, Ksyrium (SSc I think - quite old).

    Ian
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Well I returned to road cycling 4 years ago and bought my current bike 3 years ago. It's got Shimano RS10 wheels and whatever pads came as standard with the Shimano brakes. I've ridden the thing all year round including the last 2 ghastly winters, but I don't commute on it so my mileage is probably less than 1500 miles a year.

    The back rim still has plenty of life left in it according to the wear indicators, but on the front which does the majority of the braking they are becoming harder to spot. So I may have worn it out in 5000 miles or so! Annoying really since the hub's in pristine condition still.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    On the RS10's they are as you say, small dimples that eventually disappear. One each side, diametrically opposite the valve hole. Really have to get the front rim clean to spot them now.

    I think Mavics have them too, but not sure what kind.
  • nhoj
    nhoj Posts: 129
    The Ambrosio WS23s that came with my bike in 2008 must have done between 20,000 and 30,000 miles (rural roads, so not much braking) and I'm still using them. But the wear indicators have long gone. I think I've tempted fate long enough and I now have a spare set of wheels ready to go on come the spring. The thought of having a rim fail at 40+ mph - hell, 10 mph! - isn't nice, but I can't bring myself to put the new wheels on now and thrash them through the winter.
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    Not all rims have markers. I blew a rear CXP33 on the way home in July - 1/4 of the rim exploded. TBH it was due replacement. I wear out a rear rim in about 15 months, a front in 24 - daily commute in all weathers.
  • richh
    richh Posts: 187
    fossyant wrote:
    Not all rims have markers. I blew a rear CXP33 on the way home in July - 1/4 of the rim exploded. TBH it was due replacement. I wear out a rear rim in about 15 months, a front in 24 - daily commute in all weathers.
    How come you're wearing out the rears quicker? I'd have expected the reverse.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Well my front's wearing a lot faster than the rear. Can't remember the last time I used the back brake.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    The brake track takes a distinctive convex profile when they're on the way out due to the pressure of the tyre bead - you can sometimes see circumferential cracks too and the braking feels like the rim is buckled but isn't. The reason that rears often wear quicker is due to the cr@p from the front wheel.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Ahah! Perhaps my mudguards are repaying the investment then!
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    How come you're wearing out the rears quicker? I'd have expected the reverse.
    As Monty says, "the rear gets more cr@p". Also when roads are slippery it is better to use both brakes more. A front wheel washout often results on a fall.
    Ahah! Perhaps my mudguards are repaying the investment then!
    They probably are. But mostly in keeping you and others clean. They don't keep much muck off the rear wheel.
    My Fleet.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Mudguards are a great idea - the crap that is wearing out the rear rim is also grinding away in the drivetrain.

    Also, keep the pads and rims clean - when you see your rim covered in a grey deposit, you might think it looks a lot like the residue from a session with some wet and dry paper; that's because it is basically the same stuff for the same reason. You are sanding your rims away. Also, looks for shards of metal in the brake blocks and dig them out before they dig the rim out.
    John.T wrote:
    They don't keep much muck off the rear wheel.

    They do as it happens - up to a point. Once things get really cacky, the ultimately the rear wheels do get messy but in more Autumnal conditions I've found that mudguards massively reduce the cleaning required except for a few places (bottom bracket, top of forks, seatstays near the bridge).
    Faster than a tent.......

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