Jumping off the curb: how bad for the rims?

pmorgan1
pmorgan1 Posts: 173
edited August 2016 in Commuting chat
Hi all,

My commute involves jumping off a tallish curb on a daily basis (roadworks).

How does it affect the rims/spokes/handlebar & brake fittings (as they get shocked when you land too)?

I rarely check if my wheels run true. Do curb jumps affect the shape of the rims?

Inexpensive alu Giant rims, 25mm tyres at 110 psi.

Comments

  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    How much do you weigh and how many spokes do your wheels have?
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  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Must be heavy if you have that much in them. Off the kerb isn't much of a problem. But if you were riding into the kerb....
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,286
    If you land properly* to absorb the load then it should be okay.

    *Relaxed legs and arms act as shock absorbers. Straight legs or arms will put your body mass onto the bike.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
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  • jds_1981
    jds_1981 Posts: 1,858
    If you're not denting them you are fine
    FCN 9 || FCN 5
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    Road wheels and frames are not meant for jumping so clearly it's not a good idea but as with all things it depends on a number of factors.

    I would suggest that if you are reasonably skillful and land as suggested above so that you barely hear a whisper as the tyres land and you carry on rolling then all is good.

    But if you are the usual 'its all about the power no skills required' roadie and you land with an audible thump with associated crashing and creaking of the bike then i would stop doing it.
    FCN = 4
  • Tashman
    Tashman Posts: 3,495
    I'd ask why you're riding on the pavement... :)
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,286
    Tashman wrote:
    I'd ask why you're riding on the pavement... :)
    'Cos he is avoiding the lights.
    Don't you know cyclists never stop at red? :wink:
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • Tashman
    Tashman Posts: 3,495
    PBlakeney wrote:
    Tashman wrote:
    I'd ask why you're riding on the pavement... :)
    'Cos he is avoiding the lights.
    Don't you know cyclists never stop at red? :wink:
    hehe, silly me :lol:
  • pmorgan1
    pmorgan1 Posts: 173
    Tashman wrote:
    I'd ask why you're riding on the pavement... :)

    Careful with your assumptions! Cycle superhighways have raised sections.
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    My street has high kerbs so i start and end the day by riding off/over a high kerb, for years I had road bikes, don't recall any wheel problems to be honest.

    I now commute on a old MTB which smooths the bumps though with panniers etc, the rear can thump down due to it's weight.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    As MTB-Ilde says, I don't think it's ideal for the frame either. I wouldn't be surprised if it stresses the BB area, particularly if you're a 80kg-plus rider like me and you've snapped the frame where the driveside chainstay meets the BB. The frame lasted me five years, but it did a few high-speed bunny hops during its commuting life.
    FCN 2-4.

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    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    I have two speed bumps I bunny hop daily (so 4 times a day), no issue in over 3 years on my current wheels, will be about 380 hops. As noted above, unweighting and landing smoothly and there will be less impact than hitting a small lump in the road which clearly the wheels can take that just fine, crashing off isn't that big an issue compared to crashing up kerbs of course.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    Been curb jumping forever, no problems here. Adds to the fun.
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • wolfsbane2k
    wolfsbane2k Posts: 3,056
    Had issues with Kerb jumping hurting wheels previously, but with 150kg all in on the wheels, it wasnt a surprise!
    Intent on Cycling Commuting on a budget, but keep on breaking/crashing/finding nice stuff to buy.
    Bike 1 (Broken) - Bike 2(Borked) - Bike 3(broken spokes) - Bike 4( Needs Work) - Bike 5 (in bits) - Bike 6* ...
  • Snakebite the 2nd
    Snakebite the 2nd Posts: 452
    Wolfsbane2k wrote:
    Had issues with Kerb jumping hurting wheels previously, but with 150kg all in on the wheels, it wasnt a surprise!

    At 109kg I now realise why I have a mountainbike.

    As said above "ride light", even at my weight I have never had issues offroad, I'm quite a lump, but I do ride quite lightly.
  • drlodge
    drlodge Posts: 4,826
    A lot less stress on the wheels than hitting a pot hole.
    WyndyMilla Massive Attack | Rourke 953 | Condor Italia 531 Pro | Boardman CX Pro | DT Swiss RR440 Tubeless Wheels
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  • twist83
    twist83 Posts: 761
    Do it every morning and have done so for 4 years on the same route to work. Carbon and Alu rims. No dents, cracks etc.

    They are more robust than most people think.
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    I cracked some rims doing it

    Mind you, I'm a chunkster

    PS: it's "kerbs"
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • bikegangster
    bikegangster Posts: 98
    I've been jumping on and off curbs since forever. Did it on my Pinnacle Neon I had for three years. No damage at all associated with curb jumping. And continued to jump with my Giant Defy I bought recently - I hear road bikes aren't meant for jumping! But I think I can get away with it as I only weigh 63 kgs and I don't think it'll stress out the frame that much. So no need for a cyclocross bike!

    What I do to keep damage to a minimum is approach the curb at turtle speed and unweigh the front wheel as it climbs the curb. Then, just before the rear wheel climbs the curb, I do a tiny jump off the pedals to unweigh the rear wheel for half a second and let the wheel climb up. That way the back wheel won't get squashed between the curb and your body weight. I can't do a proper bunny hop by the way so I compensate by doing two seperate small jumps, one for each wheel.

    When jumping off a curb I just ride off it at any speed and lift my ass off the saddle so my legs can absorb the shock upon landing instead of leaving it to air pressure in the tyres.
  • N0bodyOfTheGoat
    N0bodyOfTheGoat Posts: 6,051
    It's absolutely fine... With 4" Jumbo Jims approaching 30PSI on 80mm rims.;)
    ================
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