pburgh19

EDIT: I forgot to highlight that it's just one section of the tire that's rubbing. The wheel turns freely up until this one area where rubbing/binding occurs.

We recently picked up a 2012 Felt B16W bike and found that the rear tire was hitting the frame right near the bottom bracket. I've confirmed it's not the caliper grabbing the wheel. I figured maybe the tire was worn, so I replaced both the tire with a Gatorskins 700x23c and Specialized tube. Unfortunately the issue persists. The only resolution is to undo the quick release and push the hub back a few mm. I checked the spokes and they seem to be in good condition.

Does anyone have any idea why the OEM tire size would rub when fully loaded in to the quick release mount? Seems like the bike should be built to provide the correct spacing without a lot of fuss.

I'm a new member so I can't post photos yet. Here are the URLs to the images (non linked).

cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikeforums.net-vbulletin/1500x2000/img_1142_0ac7d3915baadea9b2f60ffe3cb2e1b91e4c905f.jpg

cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikeforums.net-vbulletin/1000x590/felt_5191f3ce22d095c0429e5f618ce5f4d8ff93cda9.jpg

shelbyfv

Does seem very tight.

pburgh19

And that's after spacing it a bit. If I don't add the mm at the quick release, there is no light between the frame and tire, but just at one point on the tire.

shelbyfv

Your edit seems to point to the rim being out of true, especially if the issue was the same with different tires.

pburgh19

That does seem to be the next thing to try replacing. Process of elimination and all.

shelbyfv

Do you have a spoke wrench? May be an easy adjustment.

pburgh19

I have a Pedro's "Apprentice" kit... I believe there's a spoke wrench in there. So just adjust the spokes near where the rubbing occurs?

shelbyfv

Quick and dirty- Tap the spokes with something, I use the hard plastic handle of a screwdriver. Higher pitch =higher tension. Your drive side spokes should be evenly tensioned/ similar pitch. The non drive side on a rear wheel will vary. You may find that the spokes near your high spot are looser. Even if they are not noticeably different, the high spot indicates they should be tighter. Tighten all (drive and non drive) spokes at the high spot and an inch or so either side. Maybe a quarter turn or less. See what happens, repeat as needed. Tips for first time spoke wrench use- There are a few sizes, make sure what you have is a snug fit. Rounding nipples is too easy. I like to work with the spoke/nipple at the top of the wheel. Until you get used to it, visualize the nipple as a screw on jar cap and the spoke as a jar. Tightening the cap/nipple will tension the spoke and pull in the rim. You can read much more and better info about wheel truing, I'm no expert. Good luck.

cringe5

The rear drops have tiny bolts in them to set the clearance. Turn the 2mm bolts counterclockwise a few turns to push rim (skewer) away from frame. It's normal for a tire to have a little hop, usually around the valve where the material is thicker. If that doesn't help and you're using a 25mm tire, a 23mm won't be as tall.

Ring

Crankycrank

Not all 700x23 tires measure the same and Gatorskins have a thicker tread, i.e. larger diameter, than what probaby came with the bike when new. Try some of the suggestions from the other posters to create more clearance and if no luck here is a site that lists actual measurements of different tires. Lots of info to weed through but worth it. Bicycle Rolling Resistance | Rolling Resistance Tests