Hey folks, found a small crack in one of my eyelets and figured its time to replace the whole rim. While i’m doing that, though, it seems like I am getting this weird cracking texture on the surface if my rim. If you zoom in on the second photo it is very pronounced. The rim is pretty new, 1.5 years and 3,000 miles on it (although a lot of weight). Is this expected, and it is damaged? My other wheel looks like this too. If it is damaged, is there another material (other than carbon) that they make rims with that I could get that could prevent this? Thanks!
JudenVixen on
Yo, if by cracks you mean the white stuff on the rim – those are just a manufacturing error. Nothing to be worried about.
I don’t seem to find a crack in. The eyelet as you said. Could you make a clearer picture?
Also depending on the type of bike you have and what you want from it you could get alloy rims with a welded seem which would be a lot sturdier than the sleeved ones.
FR23Dust on
Looks like the anodizing is cracking? The metal of the rim is more flexible than the anodized coating and thus over time the anodizing cracks like this. Jobst Brandt, cycling’s first and foremost persnickety internet bike nerd, refused to ride anodized rims for this reason.
It might also be more pronounced because of a manufacturing flaw.
Either way, I wouldn’t worry about the hairline cracks if this was my rim. The eyelet crack you mention is definitely a problem though.
3 Comments
Hey folks, found a small crack in one of my eyelets and figured its time to replace the whole rim. While i’m doing that, though, it seems like I am getting this weird cracking texture on the surface if my rim. If you zoom in on the second photo it is very pronounced. The rim is pretty new, 1.5 years and 3,000 miles on it (although a lot of weight). Is this expected, and it is damaged? My other wheel looks like this too. If it is damaged, is there another material (other than carbon) that they make rims with that I could get that could prevent this? Thanks!
Yo, if by cracks you mean the white stuff on the rim – those are just a manufacturing error. Nothing to be worried about.
I don’t seem to find a crack in. The eyelet as you said. Could you make a clearer picture?
Also depending on the type of bike you have and what you want from it you could get alloy rims with a welded seem which would be a lot sturdier than the sleeved ones.
Looks like the anodizing is cracking? The metal of the rim is more flexible than the anodized coating and thus over time the anodizing cracks like this. Jobst Brandt, cycling’s first and foremost persnickety internet bike nerd, refused to ride anodized rims for this reason.
It might also be more pronounced because of a manufacturing flaw.
Either way, I wouldn’t worry about the hairline cracks if this was my rim. The eyelet crack you mention is definitely a problem though.