Water in wheels . Cause ?

Lucky Luke

After a very wet ride yesterday, my back wheel had taken on a considerable amount of water. This is not the first time this has happened. I took off the tyre and it was taken aback over the amount of water in there half a pint at least I would estimate. I've had to remove the tyre inner tube and even the rim tape to dry everything out. There's water within the rim (Mavic Aksium) so I've stood the wheel up so it drains from the valve hole.

Any ideas how this could be happening? And more importantly how to prevent it happening?

Just read another similar post from another forummite but no indication on how to prevent it.

keef66

You can't prevent it; wheels just aren't completely sealed against the elements. Mine (RS10's) have a little drain hole in the rim so if I've been out in very wet weather or ridden through deep puddles I'm careful to park it with the drain holes at the bottom.

Mike03776

This happens from riding your bike. Nothing you can really do to stop it.

trekvet

Water can only be getting in where there are holes and around the tyre'/rim interface. So clean up the moulding lines on the tyre with wet and dry paper, and then seal the valve and spoke holes around the valve and spokes. What you seal them with needs to be waterproof and a bit flexible. Around the spokes perhaps a soft varnish or furniture wax (grease down the threads) and around the valve perhaps Blue-Tack. Don't get grease near the brake track for obvious reasons. Only guessing here as I only ride when the sun is out.

andy_wrx

It won't be getting in between the tyre and the wheel, that joint is tight to a pressure of 100psi or so...

It'll be getting in through the spoke holes, plus perhaps the valve hole.

Aren't there any drain holes in the rim - just a couple of tiny holes per wheel, in the rim just above the brake track ?
- park/hang it with the holes downmost when you've been out in the wet and it'll drain out

Monty Dog

There are some wheels e.g. Comic Carbones where this is quite common - simply hang up the wheels and allow them to dry out.

majormantra

I have a wheelset that's prone to taking on water and I found that just letting the tyres down and leaving them somewhere warm was enough to dry them out - much less trouble than actually removing tyres and tubes.