Is it normal wheels go out of true after a fall?
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Is it normal wheels go out of true after a fall?
Ran over a really bad bump, next time I knew I was falling on the drive side, handlebars took most of the brunt, RD had some scratches, steering went out of alignment, but I still could continue 150km after the fall.
Checked my bike by turning it upside down today and realized both wheels are slightly out of true, not sure how could this be given the handlebar took most of the brunt when kissing the tarmac..
Checked my bike by turning it upside down today and realized both wheels are slightly out of true, not sure how could this be given the handlebar took most of the brunt when kissing the tarmac..
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Northern NY...Brownville
Posts: 2,592
Bikes: Specialized Aethos, Specialized Diverge Comp E5
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 249 Post(s)
Liked 473 Times
in
278 Posts
You only think the handlebars took most of the impact but you are wrong. The bike took the impact but the most outboard part...handlebars...appear to have taken the impact. The "really bad bump" may have caused the wheel to go out of true or the fall could have caused it. Overall it doesn't matter.
Turning the bike upside down for any reason is similar to putting your motor vehicle on its roof to change the oil...never turns out good.
Turning the bike upside down for any reason is similar to putting your motor vehicle on its roof to change the oil...never turns out good.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 18,146
Bikes: Stewart S&S coupled sport tourer, Stewart Sunday light, Stewart Commuting, Stewart Touring, Co Motion Tandem, Stewart 3-Spd, Stewart Track, Fuji Finest, Mongoose Tomac ATB, GT Bravado ATB, JCP Folder, Stewart 650B ATB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4233 Post(s)
Liked 3,950 Times
in
2,352 Posts
Yes. Wheels are very strong for their weight in a vertical direction (the direction that closely follows the spoke pathways) and are much less strong in a lateral direction (across the spoke angles). You can easily see this by pressing on the wheel/tire vertically (as a pot hole would do) than press sideways across the wheel/tire and see how much easier it is to deflect the rim.
If a rider went over a bump and didn't even fall, but when they hit the bump they were weighting the bike unevenly to one side (say when turning or leaning to one side a bit) the force would have more lateral aspect and could "knock" a rim out of true. If the rider hadn't lifted their butt up and off the seat while this bump was being hit the added load of their body only adds to the force the wheels see.Andy
If a rider went over a bump and didn't even fall, but when they hit the bump they were weighting the bike unevenly to one side (say when turning or leaning to one side a bit) the force would have more lateral aspect and could "knock" a rim out of true. If the rider hadn't lifted their butt up and off the seat while this bump was being hit the added load of their body only adds to the force the wheels see.Andy
__________________
AndrewRStewart
AndrewRStewart
Likes For Andrew R Stewart:
#4
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,448
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6269 Post(s)
Liked 4,290 Times
in
2,405 Posts
Yes. Wheels are very strong for their weight in a vertical direction (the direction that closely follows the spoke pathways) and are much less strong in a lateral direction (across the spoke angles). You can easily see this by pressing on the wheel/tire vertically (as a pot hole would do) than press sideways across the wheel/tire and see how much easier it is to deflect the rim.
If a rider went over a bump and didn't even fall, but when they hit the bump they were weighting the bike unevenly to one side (say when turning or leaning to one side a bit) the force would have more lateral aspect and could "knock" a rim out of true. If the rider hadn't lifted their butt up and off the seat while this bump was being hit the added load of their body only adds to the force the wheels see.Andy
If a rider went over a bump and didn't even fall, but when they hit the bump they were weighting the bike unevenly to one side (say when turning or leaning to one side a bit) the force would have more lateral aspect and could "knock" a rim out of true. If the rider hadn't lifted their butt up and off the seat while this bump was being hit the added load of their body only adds to the force the wheels see.Andy
That’s assuming proper tension on the wheels, of course.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#5
The Wheezing Geezer
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: Española, NM
Posts: 1,096
Bikes: 1976 Fredo Speciale, Rivendell Clem Smith Jr., Libertas mixte
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 423 Post(s)
Liked 989 Times
in
470 Posts
See, you're doing it all wrong! Your wheels went out of true because you turned your bike upside down! Nothing to do with the crash!
#6
Advanced Slacker
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 6,217
Bikes: Soma Fog Cutter, Surly Wednesday, Canfielld Tilt
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2764 Post(s)
Liked 2,543 Times
in
1,435 Posts
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 18,146
Bikes: Stewart S&S coupled sport tourer, Stewart Sunday light, Stewart Commuting, Stewart Touring, Co Motion Tandem, Stewart 3-Spd, Stewart Track, Fuji Finest, Mongoose Tomac ATB, GT Bravado ATB, JCP Folder, Stewart 650B ATB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4233 Post(s)
Liked 3,950 Times
in
2,352 Posts
Gotta disagree. While it is true that a wheel is less strong in the lateral direction, it is still strong enough for most uses. The bike and rider would put far more lateral force on a wheel when cornering than would happen during a crash. Most of the force in a crash is going to be centered on the most massive part of the system which is the rider.
That’s assuming proper tension on the wheels, of course.
That’s assuming proper tension on the wheels, of course.
The disagree is that for the rider's body to see the force when riding over a bump (and that is how the OP's situation started) the wheels are first in line for that force and any force the body sees has to travel through the wheels. Now if the rider does fall down and the body impacts the ground things change.
But we are closing the barn door after the horse left here. Whatever happened, and however it did, the forces were enough and directed enough to injure the wheels. So in this case the wheels were not strong enough. This is not a JRA incident.
I couldn't even begin to count the number of wheels I have trued or replaced dur to crashed and simple potholes/curbs. Nearly all the time the rider is not hurt and some of the time the rider didn't remember (or want to admit) to doing anything bad or wrong (and might try the JRA defense). Andy
__________________
AndrewRStewart
AndrewRStewart
Likes For Andrew R Stewart:
#8
I'm good to go!
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 15,224
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
Mentioned: 51 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6330 Post(s)
Liked 4,927 Times
in
3,390 Posts
Doesn't really matter why they got out of true. Just get them trued up by a decent wheel person at a shop. Might be after the crash you were just looking closer at the bike and the wheels were like that before. I've had many new wheels that are probably machine built need attention after 200 - 300 miles, however once they've had the spoke tensions checked and adjustments made, they are generally good for quite a few thousand miles after that.
If you want to find out whether crashes make your wheel go out of true, then I suppose you could crash some more. But you'd have to do quite a few so you know you aren't getting outlier data from a few.
If you want to find out whether crashes make your wheel go out of true, then I suppose you could crash some more. But you'd have to do quite a few so you know you aren't getting outlier data from a few.
Last edited by Iride01; 09-05-22 at 09:11 AM.
Likes For Iride01:
Likes For Kai Winters:
#10
Really Old Senior Member
On day 2 of riding my then new to me hybrid, I made an unplanned abrupt stop.
I did a nose stand with the rear wheel about 3' (I wasn't looking back at the time) off the ground.
I kind of stepped off to the left and the rear wheel came crashing down at about a 45 degree angle from vertical. (I was basically holding on to one end of a large hinge with the other end under the influence of gravity)
It knocked the wheel out of true enough that I had to release the rear brake to ride home.
Simply put- The factory spoke tension was extremely uneven.
So, sometimes it doesn't take "That much" to knock a wheel out of true.
I ordered my spoke tension gauge the same day.
I did a nose stand with the rear wheel about 3' (I wasn't looking back at the time) off the ground.
I kind of stepped off to the left and the rear wheel came crashing down at about a 45 degree angle from vertical. (I was basically holding on to one end of a large hinge with the other end under the influence of gravity)
It knocked the wheel out of true enough that I had to release the rear brake to ride home.
Simply put- The factory spoke tension was extremely uneven.
So, sometimes it doesn't take "That much" to knock a wheel out of true.
I ordered my spoke tension gauge the same day.
Likes For Bill Kapaun:
#11
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,448
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6269 Post(s)
Liked 4,290 Times
in
2,405 Posts
The disagree is that for the rider's body to see the force when riding over a bump (and that is how the OP's situation started) the wheels are first in line for that force and any force the body sees has to travel through the wheels. Now if the rider does fall down and the body impacts the ground things change.
But we are closing the barn door after the horse left here. Whatever happened, and however it did, the forces were enough and directed enough to injure the wheels. So in this case the wheels were not strong enough. This is not a JRA incident.
I couldn't even begin to count the number of wheels I have trued or replaced dur to crashed and simple potholes/curbs. Nearly all the time the rider is not hurt and some of the time the rider didn't remember (or want to admit) to doing anything bad or wrong (and might try the JRA defense). Andy
I couldn't even begin to count the number of wheels I have trued or replaced dur to crashed and simple potholes/curbs. Nearly all the time the rider is not hurt and some of the time the rider didn't remember (or want to admit) to doing anything bad or wrong (and might try the JRA defense). Andy
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: San Jose (Willow Glen) Ca
Posts: 9,930
Bikes: Kirk Custom JK Special, '84 Team Miyata,(dura ace old school) 80?? SR Semi-Pro 600 Arabesque
Mentioned: 107 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2375 Post(s)
Liked 2,904 Times
in
1,583 Posts
I have had a set of wheels go out of true....I crashed into the side of a bridge to avoid a person coming straight at me....was tryy not to crash but better the bridge side than head on.
the wheels were true before and got knocked out...not sure exactly how. ulegra 6800 hubs, double butted spokes and mavic reflex tubular rims
so it can happen, not sure hour routine it is
the wheels were true before and got knocked out...not sure exactly how. ulegra 6800 hubs, double butted spokes and mavic reflex tubular rims
so it can happen, not sure hour routine it is
__________________
Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
#14
Senior Member
I managed to hit some debris once (fair-sized rock or piece of concrete in the road that I didn't notice in time to avoid safely) and do exactly that. I didn't crash, but the wheel (which was true prior to the incident) was was definitely not true afterwards.
Likes For Hondo6:
#15
Senior Member
Gotta disagree. While it is true that a wheel is less strong in the lateral direction, it is still strong enough for most uses. The bike and rider would put far more lateral force on a wheel when cornering than would happen during a crash. Most of the force in a crash is going to be centered on the most massive part of the system which is the rider.
That’s assuming proper tension on the wheels, of course.
That’s assuming proper tension on the wheels, of course.
There is no lateral force on the wheels.when cornering. The bike is leaning into the corner, that converts any lateral force into perfectly straight down force as far as the bike is concerned. You would only have lateral force if the bike is unable to lean, such as in trikes.
Likes For Yan:
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,592
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5234 Post(s)
Liked 3,609 Times
in
2,357 Posts
any broken / sketchy spokes? have you checked them all individually?
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bastrop Texas
Posts: 4,557
Bikes: Univega, Peu P6, Peu PR-10, Ted Williams, Peu UO-8, Peu UO-18 Mixte, Peu Dolomites
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1000 Post(s)
Liked 1,679 Times
in
1,079 Posts
You always need to check everything on your bike after a fall. Even my old steel ones. I know you know this. Check your Pre-Flight, In-FLight, Post-Flight and Crash-Inspection lists. They should be long. Especially if your ridding a modern bike made of exotic materials with fancy Do Dads. Just a little spill could be disastrous in cost.
My last little spill was just one of those "got my front tire stuck in a crack" fall. Just a busted spoke and handle bars out of alignment but still I took a step back, went through my Post Crash-Inspection list, and found my rear wheel out of alignment and my rear quick release bent too... Go Figure...
It's good to hear you were able to finish your ride and also that you did not receive injury, other than your poor bike... Ha
__________________
No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)
No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)
#18
Advanced Slacker
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 6,217
Bikes: Soma Fog Cutter, Surly Wednesday, Canfielld Tilt
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2764 Post(s)
Liked 2,543 Times
in
1,435 Posts
If you mean that the stem got twisted on the steer tube, than the wheel most likely WAS subject to a equal but opposite twisting force. At the very least the fork was.
Likes For Kapusta:
#19
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,448
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6269 Post(s)
Liked 4,290 Times
in
2,405 Posts
There is no lateral force on the wheels.when cornering. The bike is leaning into the corner, that converts any lateral force into perfectly straight down force as far as the bike is concerned. You would only have lateral force if the bike is unable to lean, such as in trikes.
In a corner, the downward force (red arrow) is at an angle to the normal force. The forces are a combination of the normal downward force due to gravity (green arrow, which is in the wrong direction, sorry) and the horizontal force on the wheel due to the centripetal force on the wheel that pulls the wheel around the corner. For the wheel’s point of view, the rim is bent out of line with the hub.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#20
Senior Member
I just got done with you on that brake heat debate and am not really interested in debating you on yet one more of your physics misconceptions. Yes, you can dissect the force into the horizontal and vertical component forces, that's how a free body diagram works, but that doesn't mean the horizontal force exists on its own. The vertical component is there too. The summed force vector is in the plane of the bicycle wheel. This is part of the fundamental balancing mechanic of bicycles. You are always leaning the bike to the exact degree such that the force is straight down from the perspective of the bike. That's how the bicycle stays upright. The bicycle is a bizarre device that has no left-right support. You must always keep the force completely straight downward via manual corrections, or you will topple over left or right. This applies to both straight riding and corner riding. You must always keep that force straight down in order to remain in balance. There is never any lateral force as long as you are riding the bicycle properly. If you ever find yourself experiencing a lateral force, it means you've f'ed up your steering and you are now currently in the process of falling over.
If you wish to experiment: go to your rim brake bike. Release the cable tension on the brake arms. Grab your rim next to where the brake pads are and wiggle it side to side. Notice how you can move the rim side to side about 5mm with very little hand force. This is because bicycle wheels are not very stiff laterally. Now set your brakes back into place. How much gap do you keep between the pad and the rim? I build my own wheels and like to keep my brake levers responsive, so I set my pads only 1.5mm from the rim. You might have a bit more. If there was any lateral force on the rims during turns, they'd be rubbing the brake pads in every corner. I don't know about you but my pads do not rub when I turn corners.
If you wish to experiment: go to your rim brake bike. Release the cable tension on the brake arms. Grab your rim next to where the brake pads are and wiggle it side to side. Notice how you can move the rim side to side about 5mm with very little hand force. This is because bicycle wheels are not very stiff laterally. Now set your brakes back into place. How much gap do you keep between the pad and the rim? I build my own wheels and like to keep my brake levers responsive, so I set my pads only 1.5mm from the rim. You might have a bit more. If there was any lateral force on the rims during turns, they'd be rubbing the brake pads in every corner. I don't know about you but my pads do not rub when I turn corners.
You are incorrect. The lateral force is the centripetal force that pulls the bike around the corner. When riding in a straight line, the normal force is perpendicular to the wheel. Pedaling does introduce some lateral force to the wheel but we’ll ignore it for now.
In a corner, the downward force (red arrow) is at an angle to the normal force. The forces are a combination of the normal downward force due to gravity (green arrow, which is in the wrong direction, sorry) and the horizontal force on the wheel due to the centripetal force on the wheel that pulls the wheel around the corner. For the wheel’s point of view, the rim is bent out of line with the hub.
In a corner, the downward force (red arrow) is at an angle to the normal force. The forces are a combination of the normal downward force due to gravity (green arrow, which is in the wrong direction, sorry) and the horizontal force on the wheel due to the centripetal force on the wheel that pulls the wheel around the corner. For the wheel’s point of view, the rim is bent out of line with the hub.
Last edited by Yan; 09-07-22 at 03:35 PM.
#22
Advanced Slacker
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 6,217
Bikes: Soma Fog Cutter, Surly Wednesday, Canfielld Tilt
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2764 Post(s)
Liked 2,543 Times
in
1,435 Posts
Likes For Kapusta:
#24
Go Ride!
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Minnesota—55346
Posts: 274
Bikes: Klein Quantum Pro, Klein Attitude, Azuki SS, Merckx AXM, Klein Quantum Race, Klein Quantum
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 111 Post(s)
Liked 159 Times
in
90 Posts
Cyccommute—you definitely know your physics…but the reality is that most of us have been biking 30+ years…and when you take a spill or hit a particularly bad bump…well…the wheels often go out of true. They just do.
Likes For Sonofamechanic:
#25
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,448
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6269 Post(s)
Liked 4,290 Times
in
2,405 Posts
Yes, you can dissect the force into the horizontal and vertical component forces, that's how a free body diagram works, but that doesn't mean the horizontal force exists on its own. The vertical component is there too. The summed force vector is in the plane of the bicycle wheel.
That said, the balance between the tension on the spokes on each side of the wheel keeps the wheel from collapsing. It doesn’t mean that the rim won’t bend upward but only that the whole structure doesn’t collapse.
This is part of the fundamental balancing mechanic of bicycles. You are always leaning the bike to the exact degree such that the force is straight down from the perspective of the bike. That's how the bicycle stays upright. The bicycle is a bizarre device that has no left-right support. You must always keep the force completely straight downward via manual corrections, or you will topple over left or right. This applies to both straight riding and corner riding. You must always keep that force straight down in order to remain in balance. There is never any lateral force as long as you are riding the bicycle properly. If you ever find yourself experiencing a lateral force, it means you've f'ed up your steering and you are now currently in the process of falling over.
If you wish to experiment: go to your rim brake bike. Release the cable tension on the brake arms. Grab your rim next to where the brake pads are and wiggle it side to side. Notice how you can move the rim side to side about 5mm with very little hand force.
This is because bicycle wheels are not very stiff laterally.
Now set your brakes back into place. How much gap do you keep between the pad and the rim? I build my own wheels and like to keep my brake levers responsive, so I set my pads only 1.5mm from the rim. You might have a bit more. If there was any lateral force on the rims during turns, they'd be rubbing the brake pads in every corner. I don't know about you but my pads do not rub when I turn corners.
Again, this is all predicated on a wheel under proper tension.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Last edited by cyccommute; 09-08-22 at 12:26 AM.