I got this bike fairly cheap and the owner said that rims may need to be changed soon. How do I know when?
by Round-Insurance-7320
I got this bike fairly cheap and the owner said that rims may need to be changed soon. How do I know when?
by Round-Insurance-7320
8 Comments
When you can see through them
Really cheap rims might not have a Wear line or dot but usually there’s a Wear line or dot that once it disappears you need new rims
That track in there is a wear indicator. When gone, you should replace your wheels. How concave the braking surface is now? Get something with a straight edge, say a credit card and lay it across the braking rim. Is it almost flat?
Try using a flat tool to see how bowed the rim is
https://preview.redd.it/f2x4mi7g0c5f1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=11e257c8a957d2aaa2bf6459c8acd4e0330db777
I’ve been riding for 50+ years, I’ve never replaced a rim based on wear. The brake pads are the wear item, they’re much softer than the rim material.
If they’re bent or damaged that’s a different story.
I have such a measuring device. They are cheap…
https://preview.redd.it/wnqq5fu22c5f1.jpeg?width=756&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=394c7320ee29c3f41fc67e82e4fd1de205846155
https://preview.redd.it/csjsswbf8c5f1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=31748f3581d7428e6e33005a20cb35e422c6a911
This is the wear indicator line. It’s still got plenty of life.
My opinion is that when dabbling in cheap bikes you never replace a major component like rims. Just buy another bike. Lowest price wheelset you can buy is like $100. That’s a-whole-nother bike for crying out loud!