# Riding with bent wheel?



## Stumpjump29 (Jul 13, 2012)

Bent the wheel on my Stumpjumper yesterday. Not even doing anything cool  But based on what I have read on them, not unusual.

Anyway took it into my shop and was informed that it was not repairable. I won't have time to get a new wheel by this Saturday when I was scheduled to ride with a friend, so I was wondering if it would be OK to ride with the bent wheel. Its bad enough that its not repairable,but not bad enough that i can't ride it (I rode it out about a mile yesterday after bending it)

Also, I should have asked my shop, but I should just be able to buy new rims correct? and still use the the rest of my current wheel?


----------



## Edirty6 (Jun 23, 2012)

if the spokes dont look damage then in theory yes, chances are though you put to much stress on them when bent, and they might have stretched out causing them to lose their strength. if you just doing a casual ride, see if you cant snag one off craigslist and use it till you get money to get a good set. i've rode walmart rims for a long time, when i bent the ones that came stock with a haro i had, without bending them and they lasted till i got new wheel set for it. Learn to land with you legs instead of your wheels if that makes sense, when i land a jump, my legs are absorbing 90% of the landing so the wheels take hardly any stress.


----------



## nmfly (Sep 28, 2007)

Can you show a picture?

Other questions -
Are there any broken spokes?
Front or back wheel?
What is your weight?
How far are you riding Saturday?
How fast and what are the trail conditions, ie. smooth, rocky, roots, steep down hills, etc...
Disk brakes?

In general if the rim is bent beyond repair, it is probably also weakened. The easy answer is don't ride on it.

Yes you can just replace the rim and probably some spokes. However, the hub may have been damaged also.

Ask someone who knows, check with the LBS get a couple of opinions if you don't trust the advice.

Good luck.


----------



## JeremyC (Apr 26, 2012)

I wouldn't want to ride it with bent rims and who-knows-what going on with the spokes. Friend of mine broke his collarbone on a fast/steep descent years ago and I had to hike him out. Front wheel buckled and taco'd on a perfectly smooth surface at about 25mph, and he went OTB. I've been very gun shy about any wheel weirdness since.


----------



## Stumpjump29 (Jul 13, 2012)

I can put up pictures a little later.

No broken spokes
Front wheel
I am a big guy 6'3 220lbs
Riding around 3 miles
Probably going pretty fast. Trail is decently rocky
I do have disk brakes

Thank you for the advice. I will try and post a picture, but its not really bent enough where I think I can even show it in a picture. For comparison, if I had lever brakes, it would barely be rubbing. I dont think that the hub was damaged. Honestly not even sure how the rim was bent. It was on a technical downhill where I went into some soft stuff and flipped the bars. It really wasnt something where I would have expected rims to bend.


----------



## Edirty6 (Jun 23, 2012)

i wouldnt take a chance on it man, and if you do for some reason decide to ride on it, you better take it slow, hopefully your friend will understand, if he doesnt, then make a point and ask to switch wheels, since its so "safe and all" to ride, then he'll know.

wear a helmet to bro. that could save you if you wheel did go ham on you


----------



## ehigh (Apr 19, 2011)

The answer is no.


----------



## CSC (May 23, 2011)

With the combination of your weight and the rocky trail surface, I'd suggest you don't, as ehigh said.


Also, right now, you just have a bent rim...that's cheap compared to going out, riding, the rim breaking, and you crashing and hurting yourself and other components: hub, all of your spokes, disc, caliper, fork (maybe) and others.

Take the weekend off and get it fixed.


----------



## Stumpjump29 (Jul 13, 2012)

Thank you everyone for your responses. I will definitely be taking the weekend off and getting a new rim and getting my wheel re-built. Doing some research on it now. Apparently this bike is notorious for its wheels being easy to mess up. 

I'm assuming I can just purchase a rim and take my bike into my LBS and have them rebuild the wheel? That is what I have seemed to find in my research so far. Now for figuring out what kind of rim to get..


----------



## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

It would be cheaper to buy a new wheel online than to have your lbs relace a new hoop onto your existing one.


----------



## DavyRay (Apr 13, 2012)

One Pivot said:


> It would be cheaper to buy a new wheel online than to have your lbs relace a new hoop onto your existing one.


Fact. Also would not trust most LBS to build a wheel. That is a skill that not all shops have.


----------



## ehigh (Apr 19, 2011)

Yeah unless you have some high end hubs a new wheel is your best bet. It sounds simple to just rebuild it with a new hoop, but hardly worthwhile.


----------



## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Wait; the bike shop said that the wheel is not repairable and you say that if you had rim brakes that they wouldn't rub. So what exactly is wrong with the wheel? Out of true or out of round? Give the spoke pairs a squeeze around the wheel; does the tension change around the wheel? Are some tight and some loose?

This is a strange description of a wheel issue so far.

Regarding rim replacement vs wheel; it is generally more cost effective to buy an entire wheel unless you have very high end hubs (King, DT, Hope...). If you buy a rim and take it to a shop, they will probably charge you more to build it up than if you bought it from them, keep that in mind. Just because you can buy something online for less money doesn't mean you'll be saving money in the long run. Often, LBSs will throw in free or cheap installation if you buy parts from them, so if you're not planning on doing the work yourself, keep in mind the cost of installation for any part you consider buying.


----------



## EABiker (Jun 24, 2004)

Ping the spokes with your fingernail and listen to the tones. You should hear an alternating high-low pattern within a small range. If any spokes sound "dead", they are too loose and need tightened. I would not be too leary about riding it myself; I have taco'ed my front wheel, stomped it straight, and kept going more than one time. My LBS has told me they couldn't true a wheel before because it wouldn't keep it's true. Perhaps that's what your shop means.


----------



## Stumpjump29 (Jul 13, 2012)

Trying to post pictures right now. I will definitely try the spoke method as well.

As far as buying a new wheel. Any websites that are recommended? There are a lot of sponsors here, so hard to pick one. The hubs I have are the stock ones that come on the 2011 Stumpjumper, so I dont think anything too special. I would like to get something of similar quality, but maybe a little tougher


----------



## 4nbstd (Apr 12, 2012)

If the shop said it's not repairable, I wouldn't take any chance on it, especially with stock wheels.


----------



## Stumpjump29 (Jul 13, 2012)

And sorry for this unneeded post, but I need one more post to link pictures. Been lurking and never signed up


----------



## Stumpjump29 (Jul 13, 2012)

Edit: deleted picture. Too large. Will resize and repost.


----------



## 4nbstd (Apr 12, 2012)

Stumpjump29 said:


> As far as buying a new wheel. Any websites that are recommended?


What's your budget? I found CUSTOM HAND BUILT BICYCLE WHEELS Built By Professionals - Prowheelbuider.com to be cheaper than most websites.

I just ordered a wheelset from Larry at Ghisallo Wheels - Custom Wheels, and I found his wheelsets are the cheapest for Flow 29" with Hope, Hadley, and King hubs (mostly because of one-on-one ordering via email, I was able to get cheaper shipping to Canada)


----------



## wahday (Mar 23, 2012)

Did the LBS say not to ride it? As* zebrahum* said, if its just out of round and is otherwise ok (all the advice about the spoke tension is sound), I wouldn't worry about it. One of my bikes has a rear wheel that is a bit out of round and not repairable, but its a beastly thing and hasn't given me any trouble in pretty hard riding for almost a year. It is true and that's more important.

I would take it back to the LBS and ask them if they think its ok to ride on it. That's what I did with my bike and the guy at the counter said no problem and showed me his personal bike which looked about the same. So, I haven't worried about it since.


----------



## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Stumpjump29 said:


>


Try the "img" tag.

I would have fixed the link for you, but the picture you linked to is absolutely enormous. Resize the picture and put the link into the box that pops up when you click the little picture insert button.


----------



## Stumpjump29 (Jul 13, 2012)

My apologies on the pictures. Trying to upload them from my phone as my work computer has hosting sites blocked. I will resize when I get home and repost.


----------



## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Please resize that picture to a reasonable dimension.


----------



## Stumpjump29 (Jul 13, 2012)

Third time is a charm? Thank you for your patience while trying to figure out the photos.


----------



## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Stumpjump29 said:


> Third time is a charm? Thank you for your patience while trying to figure out the photos.


Much better, thank you.

I guess since you took the picture from that angle that we can assume that the tire is out of true and less so out of round. And since I can't actually see the deflection of the rim/tire in this picture I would say you're good to go. I would suspicious of it, take it easy, but I can't honestly say why the bike shop would claim that it's irreparable.

Follow up the advice given before about testing the spoke tensions and report back on if you feel the tension is roughly the same around the wheel or if it appears to be much higher in some spots than others. I might even consider taking it to another shop for a second opinion.


----------



## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

zebrahum said:


> Wait; the bike shop said that the wheel is not repairable and you say that if you had rim brakes that they wouldn't rub.


If rim brakes wouldn't rub, I'm not sure why we are even having this conversation.



EABiker said:


> I have taco'ed my front wheel, stomped it straight, and kept going more than one time.


This. Although I use the "whack it on the ground" method, as the stomping method seems so uncivilized. 



EABiker said:


> My LBS has told me they couldn't true a wheel before because it wouldn't keep it's true. Perhaps that's what your shop means.


I think they smell the OP's newbness and sense an easy sale.

Looking at the pics, it appears that there is some kind of glove or powerbar wrapper or swiss banknote or dead rodent stuffed between the rim and the stanchion. I'd start by removing that. Then use some sort of measuring device, like a ruler, to measure how much the wheel wobbles back and forth.


----------



## Stumpjump29 (Jul 13, 2012)

Definitely out of true and not out of round. And thank you everyone for the advice. I actually did take it to two different shops and got the same opinion, so that is what worried me. But I did ride it out when it happened and rode it pretty hard and there was no problem. Which is why I was still planning on riding it. I know from my experience with other hobbies that a lot of the time shops aren't the most knowledgeable on these things so that is why I came here for a second opinion.

However, in the interests of me not breaking my teeth, I think I will be purchasing a new wheel just to be safe. I already have fake front teeth and dont need anymore  Figure in this case its probably better safe than sorry. I will hold onto this one and as I learn more I will figure out what to do with it


----------



## Dr. Who? (Jul 13, 2012)

Just signed up to the forum because I had the same question. Glad I did , because I didn't think it would be all that problematic to ride with a slight bend but it seems the general concensus is 'no'


----------



## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Dr. Who? said:


> Just signed up to the forum because I had the same question. Glad I did , because I didn't think it would be all that problematic to ride with a slight bend but it seems the general concensus is 'no'


Well there is a large difference between a bent wheel and a wheel which two bike shops said can not be fixed. A general wheel that has gone out of true shouldn't be a problem to ride and most wheels that have gone out of true can be fixed at your LBS with no issue. This is an unusual case that is being discussed, in my view.


----------



## nmfly (Sep 28, 2007)

I'm in agreement with zebrahum. This is not usual - it looks the like rim is just out of true and should be able to be retrued. A shop may not guarentee results therfore call it unrepairable. It looks repairable if you are willing to accept a degree of wobble.

Legal disclaimer: This is based on observations of the pictures and description. I am not a certified bike mechanic, 

I would question the expertiese of the LBS, ask what there experience level on wheel trueing is, talk to the guy in back, clarify if its unrepairable due to strength or trueing issues/concerns.

Given the wheel came out of true on a non-event, upgrading is probably not a bad decision, certainly the safe one.

Keep it up this is how we all learn.


----------



## ehigh (Apr 19, 2011)

Yeah sometimes a rim is toast and that's that. It might not be because of the spokes and some accident prone wheels appear to run true too. I don't know those mechanics, but I would hope that they have more rational views than a lot of the conjecture on what is MTBR. I've ridden home on broken spokes before, but I wouldn't leave home to go ride with broken spokes. Take it easy on that wheel.


----------



## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

mmm, true, the mechs might be seeing something that we are not.


----------



## Matfam (May 6, 2012)

Non-repairable is a relevant term. Relevant to the skill, knowledge and experience of the individual using the term. My LBS has said that this or that "can't be fixed". I fix stuff for a living and have repaired several things they were throwing away.

Several things play a part in "can't be fixed"
Cost effectiveness
Liability
Skill
Tools
Knowledge
Experience
Desire

My LBS charges like $8.00 to true a rim. Maybe they looked at it and decided that it could not be done in 15 min or less and said it was "non-repairable".


----------



## Glide the Clyde (Nov 12, 2009)

If the wheel is that close to center, I'd fix it myself and ride it. I've re-spoked similar wheels by untensioning the old spokes, bending the rim somewhat close to true while the spoke tension was off, then replaced the spokes and nipples one at a time by removing an old one of each and installing new ones, working my way around the wheel. Tension and true the new stuff and good to go. About $40-$50 and a couple of hours of my time.


----------



## Stumpjump29 (Jul 13, 2012)

Matfam said:


> Non-repairable is a relevant term. Relevant to the skill, knowledge and experience of the individual using the term. My LBS has said that this or that "can't be fixed". I fix stuff for a living and have repaired several things they were throwing away.
> 
> Several things play a part in "can't be fixed"
> Cost effectiveness
> ...


I agree with you completely in theory. I have another hobby that is pretty specialized and one thing I learned quickly is that the majority of shops don't know what they are talking about at all. Not sure if it is the same with bikes, but I'm sure I will figure it out eventually.
But for now since I don't have the experience in this field I'm going to play it safe. It actually worked out pretty well because I was forced to learn a lot in a short amount of time.

One question I still have though is how can I tell what the axle for the front hub size is. I know its a TA RWS, but is it 9mm 15mm 20mm? Not 100% sure how to tell and my googling has not produced any results. I have a 2011 Stumpjumper expert 29er if that helps?


----------



## Glide the Clyde (Nov 12, 2009)

Stumpjump29 said:


> One question I still have though is how can I tell what the axle for the front hub size is. I know its a TA RWS, but is it 9mm 15mm 20mm? Not 100% sure how to tell and my googling has not produced any results. I have a 2011 Stumpjumper expert 29er if that helps?


It should be a 15mm through-axle if it's a Fox fork.


----------



## Fajita Dave (Mar 22, 2012)

I can't add to what other people have said about riding on a bent wheel but I've done it myself on my Avalanche 3.0 (which I think has much cheaper wheels than your bike). I did ride 8 miles on the bent wheel without an issues but I only weigh 145lbs. The stock wheels would not stay true at all even though I didn't think I was using them all that hard. So I spent quite a bit of time adjusting the spokes.

I will comment about wheel replacement though. I wrecked and bent my front wheel beyond being fixable but I didn't go to my LBS at all. It was probably 3/4in out or so; I got it mostly straight with spoke tension but I had one side as tight as possible and the other side was loose with the "dead" sound when you struck them. So I figured that would be considered beyond the point of repair. I looked into buying a new rim and keeping the crappy stock hub and re-using the spokes since I know how to lace wheels myself from a motorcycle back round. At first the price difference seemed worth it to just buy a rim, however, after realizing that a new wheel set came with the new rim, spokes, hub, bearings, and axle it was a no brainier to buy the upgraded wheel set.

I only weigh 145lbs so I didn't get anything to strong (and expensive) but its probably best to get whatever you can afford rather than replacing it twice. I forgot the exact name but I think they are the Forte Terra Max wheels, the front was $80 and the rear was $100 with the 20% off since they were on sale. I've been on them for about 50 miles and they've stayed perfectly true even though I've been riding it harder than ever and wrecked twice. The hubs are better quality and the bearings are light years ahead of what came in the stock Avalanche 3.0 hubs!


----------



## Bald_Ben (May 2, 2005)

Did the shops give you any detail on why it was not repairable? Is it just out of true, or is the rim dented or damaged in some other way?

I've done "boot truing" while working neutral race support to get riders on near-tacoed rims across the finish line, and i've seen fairly true wheels with tension so uneven they weren't salvageable. It's pretty hard to tell from a picture (esp w/ the tire on).


----------



## Stumpjump29 (Jul 13, 2012)

solomon707 said:


> Did the shops give you any detail on why it was not repairable? Is it just out of true, or is the rim dented or damaged in some other way?
> 
> I've done "boot truing" while working neutral race support to get riders on near-tacoed rims across the finish line, and i've seen fairly true wheels with tension so uneven they weren't salvageable. It's pretty hard to tell from a picture (esp w/ the tire on).


The first two shops did not give me a solid reason. Only that it was not repairable. They did did not look closely at the wheel at all. They just had me spin it for them. The rim does not appear to be dented or damaged in any way.

I ended up taking it to a third shop by my house (first two were by my work) to just discuss wheel options and find out the size I needed and they ended up taking a look at the wheel and said that they could fix it no problem.


----------



## SimpleJon (Mar 28, 2011)

DELETED post got put in wrong thread


----------



## Bald_Ben (May 2, 2005)

Stumpjump29 said:


> The first two shops did not give me a solid reason. Only that it was not repairable. They did did not look closely at the wheel at all. They just had me spin it for them. The rim does not appear to be dented or damaged in any way.
> 
> I ended up taking it to a third shop by my house (first two were by my work) to just discuss wheel options and find out the size I needed and they ended up taking a look at the wheel and said that they could fix it no problem.


Weird about the first two shops, but glad it worked out!


----------

