Bucled wheel, bad tyre, now snapped wheel :(

mattyfez · 9 May 2015 at 21:02

Hey all,

Thought I had a buckled rear wheel today after I started getting a bit wobbly, flipped the bike over and thought the same.

On getting home for a better look after cleaning the wheel up a bit I notices two 'rips' in the outer layer of the tyre, one on each side, not in exactly the same place on each side but each rip is about 5 inch long and overlap 80%.

Any thoughts on why this would be? here's a pic, tyre is a rocket ron, with a good 500miles on it

ops:

I'm just checking now if the wheel is truish without a tyre on, and if so will fit a Ralph I have as a spare.

EDIT:

On further inspection there is a hairline crack in the rim, it goes all the way around, you can just about see it in the pic if you look close.

Bugger, new wheel time I guess. :cry:

I wonder if there is any way I could claim on warranty , bike is only 7 months old :cry:

touch · 9 May 2015 at 21:13

Have you been riding it with a puncture? That usually causes the same sort of damage to a tyre.

I think the crack is actually just the joint. Take the tyre off and check the inside to see.

mattyfez · 9 May 2015 at 21:22

Will do, the rear tube was patched recently after an unsympathetic impact with a large stone.

The rim doesn't look bent as such.. no obvious damage or scratching.

Ill pull the tyre off clean the wheel properly and have a proper look, spinning the wheel naked on the frame.

I hope you are right! - is there often a visiblejoin seam in the rim then?

mattyfez · 9 May 2015 at 21:31

Just seems strange it would fail right on the rim joint, I'll have a proper look in daylight tomorrow.

Vonhelmet · 9 May 2015 at 21:43

Some rims do have a little gap. My cheap single speed wheels have a gap big enough to let the light through. The rim is bent round and pinned in place. On some wheels they weld the gap, but it's not essential.

mattyfez · 9 May 2015 at 21:58

Thanks chaps, It's a bit dark to be messing now but I'll have a proper look in daylight tomorrow.

It never occurred to me it might be the rim join, guess I just assumed in this day and age rims would be solid/extruded but I guess that's for more expensive rims.

I'll know more tomorrow when I can clean things up properly and have a proper look.

Thanks

mattyfez · 10 May 2015 at 12:24

Panic over, the wheel itself is straight and the crack looks like what can only be a joint as it's dead opposite the valve hole which I guess is the strongest place for a seam.

Thanks

Vonhelmet · 10 May 2015 at 12:42

Yep, that looks like a standard join in the rim. As you say, it's directly opposite the valve hole for strength.