Originally Posted by
essiemyra
information about rim wear. I was thinking that it was a true thing but when I mentioned it to my mechanic brother he thought that it was not an issue I would have to worry about. I can now show him this thread and he can see for himself it is a very real concern. And not one I should take lightly.
Ask him if he ever replaced a brake rotor on a vehicle. Same thing, the rim is basically a brake rotor.
Rim wear is not a thing you can base on miles/years, much more about conditions ridden in and maintenance performed.
People urban riding in wet weather and gritty roads (think PNW) will wear through rims on a regular basis, while others in dry conditions and little reason to brake will outlive a rim. Keeping rims and pads clean, especially after riding in rain, will add to rim longevity. I've never replaced a rim due to wear, but I don't normally ride in conditions that accelerate wear and regularly clean them, nor do I live in a location that has those conditions.
Chain rings are similar to rims in that they normally have a long life given some routine maintenance of the overall drivetrain. Smaller rings will wear faster than bigger rings due to the load being spread over a shorter distance on the ring.