A while ago my bike was stolen and then later recovered. While it was stolen, someone dingus drilled the rims to take schrader valves instead of presta. It’s not super clean but it’s not as bad as it probably could be. I know this is something people do somewhat commonly but wanted to get some opinions as to whether I should be concerned at all. Thanks in advance!
by ThePostSlayer
30 Comments
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The rim looks pretty beefy, I wouldn’t be worried about running it
Replace. It’s cracking. Not worth it imo
Check how they drilled.
If they drilled outside in, maybe there is some sharp edges or residue inside the wheel.
And you can get valve stickers to hide the damage.
I see a crack on it, so I would replace personally
That’s more insulting than the theft imo. I wouldn’t ride it.
i think you can probably mitigate the cracking by filing it away and deburring the hole properly to prevent propagation. they make adapters that turn schwader holes back into a presta.
the drilling is not a Problem, when done right.
but: are there cracks in that rim?
File the sharp edges, and if you want to convert back to Presta find some rubber Schreder to presta rim grommets and ride on.
https://preview.redd.it/cxfzr6ao5r6f1.jpeg?width=753&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30181201500f3aadefa57f7f109a701bce3c1ba1
There are cracks.
If you don’t have a truing stand, now’s a good time to get one and learn to lace wheels.
That was a hack back in the day (I’m old).
Lol ouch!!! That’s sucks
Pure evil
Ask your homeowners insurance if it’s covered.
Poorly executed upgrade
F Presta
Press charges for destruction of property.
The deformation around the valve in the last photo is the most concerning. You can’t predict when or how a crack will form. I wouldn’t ride it personally
I’m sorry for you OP, but I think [I found the culprit](https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench/comments/1l4s7iw/comment/mwbaldh/?context=3).
Faaark… talk about adding insult to injury!
Will your insurance cover replacing trashed wheels?
The scratches on Fig 1 seem to be from the drill slipping while trying to drill the hole. You can replace with a presta valve, and put black electrical tape over the valve to cover the hole. As others have said make sure there are no burrs on the inside which could puncture the tube.
Why do that when presta tubes are basically free?
Use some sandpaper to clean up the area a little and get a good look at it.
Smooth it out with file & sandpaper.
If it’s all ‘clean’, it’s all good.
If you have cracks, see if you can use a countersink or a tapered reamer and gently + SLOWLY open it up until you have removed the crack. If you can get rid of the crack and leave everything looking smooth, you’re good to go.
If opening it up enough to remove the crack would remove too much material, just keep an eye on it.
Congrats – you have way better valves now!
replace. there’s plenty of wheelsets for ~50 dollars
I am comfortable riding some dodgy crap, but I would not ride this. And I am saying this as the kind of dirtbag tourer and bike nerd that will run Schrader rims with presta tubes with or without adapters just so I have options for using both.
That is a really crappy drill job with lots of sharp edges and even if it is not cracking now, it will. And to be honest it looks like it is already cracking but I can’t tell for sure from the photos
And since this is a total crackhead “repair” you can confidently bet that they used the dullest possible wood drill bit without any lube or cooling. so the metal is probably work hardened and stressed from heat and no annealing.
Even if it was a smoother job you should assume that it has been work-hardened and prone to cracking and failure because it looks like they drilled those holes with a butter knife in the chuck of an impact wrench
Time for new rims. Hopefully there’s a deal on marketplace near you
You should probably ream that hole as it looks like they used a regular twist drill on it. You can see how the hole is not perfectly round.
After that there are Schrader to Presta adapter kits to reduce the hole diameter.
You’re better off. Presta valves suck!
Clean up and de-burr the hole, so it doesn’t cut into the valve stem and it looks better, and make it nice and round to get rid of any crack starters. I would touch it up with some nail polish. I would inspect both the inside and outside for any damage.
It’s not unheard in the industry to drill a presta rim for Schrader. I don’t like doing it, but it’s something that a lot of shops will do. This doesn’t look unsalvageable, from a safety standpoint.