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Cost to Fix a Bent Tire

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Cost to Fix a Bent Tire

Old 05-16-22, 06:56 PM
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Cash_M
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Cost to Fix a Bent Tire

Hey, so I just got a new Surly Disc Trucker for a tour I am going to be doing, and on my first ride a car hits me, bending the wheel. I am unknowledgeable when it comes to this so will I have to get a bike shop to replace the wheel? I know I don’t have a photo of it at the moment so it’s hard for y’all to judge but it’s a minor bend. If I don’t have to get it replaced, how much would it generally cost to get it fixed? Thanks.
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Old 05-16-22, 07:12 PM
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So here is an old vid to watch if ya get a bug to possibly fix the old wheel yourself after you get a new one. I have successfully used this method on three wheels that I was ready to scratch off to the bins...


Edit Note: Before I used this method I loosened up all the spokes. I then used another straight rim to check and mark where the old rim needed to be bent. After matching both sides of the old rim I then trued the wheel. My only difficulty was not having a spoke tension meter but ChiCom types are less than 20 USD now and a good investment.

Originally Posted by Polaris OBark
...For a tour, you want a wheel you can rely on. Don't cheap out. Get the rest of the bike inspected for damage, too.
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Last edited by zandoval; 05-17-22 at 11:53 AM.
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Old 05-16-22, 07:14 PM
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If the rim is bent, you will need to replace it and most likely all the spokes. If the hub is ok, and the cassette is ok, you can probably keep those. Around here labor to have a wheel re-built is about $80 - $100. Parts depend on what spokes and rim you want. If the wheels are low-end factory-built to begin with, you might be better off with a new hand-built rear wheel. For a tour, you want a wheel you can rely on. Don't cheap out. Get the rest of the bike inspected for damage, too.
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Old 05-16-22, 07:16 PM
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Did the driver not stop to get their insurance information? This should be covered by their liability coverage assuming you are in a country that required that coverage.
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Old 05-16-22, 07:22 PM
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Depending on how out of true the rim is, you might not need to replace the whole thing. No one can make that judgment without seeing it.
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Old 05-16-22, 07:24 PM
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Will someone page Larry Sellerz? I have a hunch he is the right guy to help the OP.
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Old 05-16-22, 08:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Chuck M
Did the driver not stop to get their insurance information? This should be covered by their liability coverage assuming you are in a country that required that coverage.
Well I am quite young and hence didn’t know that we were supposed to exchange info (though I should have) - he stopped to make sure I was okay but did not bring up anything about insurance

To everyone else, thanks for the help!
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Old 05-16-22, 10:01 PM
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Take it to the shop where you bought the bike. They have no responsibility to replace it, but they can let you know if it can be fixed or not.

They “might” be able to work something out with the mfg to make the replacement less painful.

John
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Old 05-16-22, 10:39 PM
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The good news is tires are flexible by design, so fixing a bent one is super easy.

Bummer about the wheel though.
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Old 05-17-22, 06:44 AM
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Chances are good that the wheel was just knocked a little out of true and an adjustment will fix it. Of course we can't tell without seeing the wheel. Note the tire is the rubber part and I presume it was undamaged.
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Old 05-17-22, 07:52 AM
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If the damage is from a catastrophic blow to the wheel from the bumper of a car, it is almost certain the issue is a bent rim that can not be properly fixed by truing/spoke tension. It might be possible to get it rideable (or more ridable) by bending it back as shown in the video above with the person standing on the wheel laid across two boards, but this is generally a 'last resort' repair and will require very unbalanced spoke tension to get it close to perfectly straight, which results in a singificantly less-strong wheel.

If you can get a new rim of the same model (or just one with very similar dimensions) then you can likely re-use the spokes. A less-experienced person can do the repair by taping the new rim to the old rim and moving the spokes over one at a time, but this consumes much more time than relacing, although relacing will require more time to unlace the spokes one by one - if you are using new spokes you can just cut the old ones out and it takes 1/10 the time.
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Old 05-17-22, 08:04 AM
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Originally Posted by ClydeClydeson
If the damage is from a catastrophic blow to the wheel from the bumper of a car, it is almost certain the issue is a bent rim that can not be properly fixed by truing/spoke tension.
Of course, at this point, that's a huge "if." Do cars even have bumpers anymore?

Telling this kid right off the bat he needs to buy a new rim or wheel is a bit irresponsible, considering the very brief description of what the OP terms a "minor" bend, and the fact that no one here has even seen it.

Last edited by smd4; 05-17-22 at 08:57 AM.
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Old 05-17-22, 08:54 AM
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I would also definitely suggest giving it a try yourself first. This skill will come handy in the future as well when you need to true the wheel again!
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Old 05-17-22, 09:40 AM
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At the very least get an estimate from a bike shop (the one where you bought the bike or another one). Get it in writing in case you deal with an insurance adjuster. You can figure out whether to buy a new wheel or try to repair it later.
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Old 05-17-22, 11:38 AM
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Originally Posted by smd4
Of course, at this point, that's a huge "if." Do cars even have bumpers anymore?

Telling this kid right off the bat he needs to buy a new rim or wheel is a bit irresponsible, considering the very brief description of what the OP terms a "minor" bend, and the fact that no one here has even seen it.
'Irresponsible' sure.

Lots of 'ifs'- absolutely. But the fact that the damage happened from being hit by a car is a pretty good clue to the nature of the damage. If the wheel went out of true through normal riding then it is likely that spoke tension is the cause, and can easily be the cure, for the damage. Cars don't adjust spoke tension to cause wheels to go out of true - they bend rims. Same if the damage came from a hard hit to the edge of a curb or pothole - simply 'truing' the wheel with spoke tension would not be the right way to affect a proper long-term repair, even if spoke tension can make the wheel 'straight.'

There are three sets of forces at play in a spoked bicycle wheel - spokes pulling one direction, spokes pulling the other direction, and the natural shape of the rim, which may or may not be straight and round. The first two need to be pretty well balanced and even around the rim to make a strong wheel. If the rim has been 'bent' significantly away from being straight or round, spoke tension to make it straight or round will be uneven or unbalanced and will not make for a strong wheel.

If the damage is very minor, like a couple mm out of true or round, then it's possible a truing with spoke can fix it. Any more than that and the wheel is very likely compromised and straightening it with spoke tension is just a bandaid.
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Old 05-17-22, 11:46 AM
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The fact is--you haven't seen the wheel, and for you to presume you can make the diagnosis that a new wheel/rim is required is ludicrous. So I'll see your and raise you a .
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Old 05-17-22, 12:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Cash_M
Hey, so I just got a new Surly Disc Trucker for a tour I am going to be doing, and on my first ride a car hits me, bending the wheel. I am unknowledgeable when it comes to this so will I have to get a bike shop to replace the wheel?
After you take the wheel to a shop, ask if they hold basic maintenance classes. If they do, sign up for the next available class. If they dont, look for a bike collective/co-op in your area and sign up for maintenance classes.
If you are going to tour, you need to know how perform some basic maintenance.
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Old 05-17-22, 12:21 PM
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Originally Posted by smd4
The fact is--you haven't seen the wheel, and for you to presume you can make the diagnosis that a new wheel/rim is required is ludicrous. So I'll see your and raise you a .
Thanks so much for your comments. If you'll bother to read what I wrote, I never said it needed replacement, just that it is likely from the facts as we know them. There is certainly a chance it won't. Even if I saw the wheel and I felt the rim needs replacement, it's also possible that OP might be happy with a repair that I would consider not ideal. The only person who thinks there is a problem with suggestions is one way or the other, is you. I respectfully suggest you work on your reading comprehension, and on the perspective that others might know something you don't or have experience or opinions you might not understand. It's a tough ask for someone who thinks they know as much as you do, I know, but I have faith you can do better if you try. Godspeed!
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Old 05-17-22, 12:38 PM
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Originally Posted by ClydeClydeson
just that it is likely from the facts as we know them.
HA! Talk about reading comprehension (or lack thereof)!

The OP said he was hit by a car (not saying how hard or how fast, which wheel, whether it was from the side or head on or from behind, whether the guy was backing out of a driveway at 1 MPH or going 35 MPH, etc.), had a "bent tire," and that the bend was "minor." And you think needing "replacement" is "likely from the 'facts was we know them'" (did I read that sentence correctly)? What facts do you know, exactly? If I were a lawyer-type, I'd say you we "assuming facts not in evidence."

Sorry--I don't think you know something I don't. I do agree, however, that you may indeed have opinions I don't understand.

Last edited by smd4; 05-17-22 at 12:48 PM.
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Old 05-17-22, 12:48 PM
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Originally Posted by smd4
HA! Talk about reading comprehension (or lack thereof)!

The OP said he was hit by a car (not saying how hard or how fast, which wheel, whether it was from the side or head on or from behind, whether the guy was backing out of a driveway at 1 MPH or going 35 MPH, etc.), had a "bent tire," and that the bend was "minor." And you think needing "replacement" is "likely from the 'facts was we know them'" (did I read that sentence correctly)? What facts do you know, exactly? Sorry--I don't think you know something I don't. I do agree , however, that you may indeed have opinions I don't understand.
You don't think I know something you don't? Really? I assume every person in the world knowns something I don't as everyone has lived their own life and has experienced a lifetime of things I have not. I have had a few discussions with you where we disagreed on these forums, but that doesn't mean I know more than you about any given topic, aside from the specific details we discussed. To think otherwise would make me an arrogant prick, and that's something some of us try not to be. You do you, though.

Anyhoo, Cars are big and heavy, bicycle rims are thin and light. It doesn't take much of a hit from a car to damage a rim. And OP being inexperienced may not realize what constitutes minor vs major damage, which is very common misunderstanding among inexperienced people, esp. when talking about wheel damage, in my experience.
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Old 05-17-22, 12:49 PM
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If you have a tour coming up that you are going to do with the bike and you aren't already experienced with DIY on a bike and particularly matters of wheel truing and wheel building, then for certain take it to a shop. Preferably the shop you bought it from if their sole business is being a bike shop.

Next time, for any accident between you and another, exchange contact and identity information. Take pictures too! Even if there is no determination of who is responsible for the cause of the accident.
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Old 05-17-22, 12:52 PM
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Originally Posted by ClydeClydeson
You don't think I know something you don't? Really? I assume every person in the world knowns something I don't as everyone has lived their own life and has experienced a lifetime of things I have not. I have had a few discussions with you where we disagreed on these forums, but that doesn't mean I know more than you about any given topic, aside from the specific details we discussed.
Your posts seem to belie that you think otherwise.
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Old 05-17-22, 02:51 PM
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The Surly Disc Trucker comes in two versions 26 "X 46 and 700C X 41 and has an Alex adventure 2 rim. MSRP for the bike is $2,000. If you look up the cost of a new Alex rim it is right around $40 from online sources. It doesn't make a lot of sense to mess around with trying to true a bent rim if it is anything more than a little off. Doing so puts more stress on spokes that may already been damaged by the collision and therefore might give way during a tour. Be prepared to replace at least some of the spokes. I'd go for replacing the rim.

What really stood out to me is the entry level components used on this bike. Just not used to seeing an MSRP of 2K and still using entry level components like Shimano Sora.
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Old 05-18-22, 05:01 AM
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Originally Posted by VegasTriker

What really stood out to me is the entry level components used on this bike. Just not used to seeing an MSRP of 2K and still using entry level components like Shimano Sora.
They’ve dropped over the years. I have a 2011 Deore XT, IIRC. DA bar ends. (It’s in the shop at the moment.) $1,200 back then. My 2008 was under $1,000. It was stolen from inside my house just before Christmas, 2010. Fortunately, the burglar left the two custom IFs behind.
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Old 05-18-22, 08:46 AM
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
They’ve dropped over the years. I have a 2011 Deore XT, IIRC. DA bar ends. (It’s in the shop at the moment.) $1,200 back then. My 2008 was under $1,000. It was stolen from inside my house just before Christmas, 2010. Fortunately, the burglar left the two custom IFs behind.
Isn't Surly just following 9-speed components down the Shimano product ladder?

(And how did the burglar leave the IFs alone? Do you collect charcoal ashes from a grill and dust the expensive bikes with them after every ride to make them look less attractive??)
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