Small crack in rim near one spoke—should I stop riding immediately?
04-24-22, 09:36 AM
#1
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Small crack in rim near one spoke—should I stop riding immediately?
I noticed a small crack around one of the spokes in the rear wheel of my Ksyrium Equipe wheels. I inspected both rims very closely and it is the only spot with any signs of cracking. Should I stop riding it immediately, or is there still some (safe) life left in it? See picture below. Thanks!
04-24-22, 10:19 AM
#2
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Well that certainly appears to be a crack to me from the photo. If indeed a crack, then personally, I wouldn't ride it much more than around the neighborhood myself to check adjustments, etc. if I worked on the bike. Others with more experience with Kysrium rims may chime in.
04-24-22, 01:27 PM
#4
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I’d say don’t ride it. That said, I had a crack in a wheel I didn’t notice for over a year and nothing bad happened but could have. I had a creaking/popping noise and couldn’t figure it out until the crack got stuck “open” and I snagged my wash cloth on the rough edge while cleaning it.
04-24-22, 01:30 PM
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If it were a front, I would definitely stop riding it. But as it's a rear, my curiosity would have me pack a spoke wrench and keep riding it to see what happens. 
04-24-22, 01:34 PM
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I don't think it's a big safety concern but with that few spokes in the rim it will just keep getting worse, will probably go way out of true at some point and could ruin a ride. You could drill a small hole at each end of the crack if you can't get it replaced right away which would slow the growth of the crack.
04-24-22, 02:20 PM
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The crack will stop growing when the stress is released, when the spoke no longer has tension. Many riders have gone many miles more with cracking spoke nipple holes w/out issues (other than wobbly wheels
) This is no worse than riding with a broken spoke. Of course wheels with stupid few spoke counts will see more wobble, when this happens, than a wheel with a higher spoke density will.
But I always like these "should I still ride the bike" type questions. Or the "how much more can I ride the bike" ones. The bike (or wheel) is telling you that it has given up it's life for your pleasure and ideally should have already been replaced. Andy
) This is no worse than riding with a broken spoke. Of course wheels with stupid few spoke counts will see more wobble, when this happens, than a wheel with a higher spoke density will. But I always like these "should I still ride the bike" type questions. Or the "how much more can I ride the bike" ones. The bike (or wheel) is telling you that it has given up it's life for your pleasure and ideally should have already been replaced. Andy
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04-24-22, 04:08 PM
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Rear - Ride it until you get a replacement, but start that process now.
04-24-22, 05:47 PM
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I noticed a small crack around one of the spokes in the rear wheel of my Ksyrium Equipe wheels. I inspected both rims very closely and it is the only spot with any signs of cracking. Should I stop riding it immediately, or is there still some (safe) life left in it? See picture below. Thanks!
04-24-22, 06:36 PM
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Over the years, I've replaced a number of rims with cracks like that.
I always found the crack when cleaning the rim, and never had a catastrophic failure from one.
I always found the crack when cleaning the rim, and never had a catastrophic failure from one.
04-24-22, 07:29 PM
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I had a rear rim with a couple cracks like that after a few thousand miles. I have no doubt the cracks had been there for some time before I found them. I procured a new rim and spokes, which took a while, then re-built the wheel. I doubt such cracks are likely to fail catastrophically, but I considered it a "courtesy warning".
