Best (easiest) way to fix this bent rim
07-20-20, 03:53 AM
#1
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Albany, NY
Posts: 405
Bikes: Trek FX 7.3, Specialized Roubaix, Orbea Terra, Huffy RedRock (first bike), Aostimotor S17 ebike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 189 Post(s)
Liked 264 Times
in
132 Posts
Best (easiest) way to fix this bent rim
I have a shot to buy this bike pretty cheap, other than loose brake, this rim is out of wack. Any suggestions, or i will need a new wheel?
07-20-20, 04:03 AM
#2
Industry guy
Depends on the extent of the bend, Low end bicycle wheels are likely easier to replace than fix
BTW, is this photo backward? Crank appears to be on the left side.
rusty
BTW, is this photo backward? Crank appears to be on the left side.
rusty
07-20-20, 06:26 AM
#3
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,396
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,696 Times
in
2,517 Posts
It's hard to tell from that picture how bent it is. A wheel can be fairly far out and still be trueable. But since it seems you don't know how to do that, getting it trued may make that bike less of a good deal
07-20-20, 07:13 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 18,073
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: 4201 Post(s)
Liked 3,857 Times
in
2,305 Posts
I would make sure the fork isn't also bent. These bikes often used folded and welded fork braces and they are not very stiff. Andy
__________________
AndrewRStewart
AndrewRStewart
07-20-20, 08:09 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Mountain Brook. AL
Posts: 4,002
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 303 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 136 Times
in
104 Posts
If the rim is looking like a potato chip or pringles chip, then it can frequently be straightened by taking it off the bike
and putting the low points (always at 180° points on the rim) on short lengths of 2x4 on the concrete and then
bouncing your body weight through extended arms on the high spots. Frequently a potato chipped rim will bounce
back into a flat configuration. I have done it several times back in the sewup era but rims were flimsier then and no
spoke fiddling needed. For more contemporary wheels this video suggests an approach (but I would not use a
hammer!)
and putting the low points (always at 180° points on the rim) on short lengths of 2x4 on the concrete and then
bouncing your body weight through extended arms on the high spots. Frequently a potato chipped rim will bounce
back into a flat configuration. I have done it several times back in the sewup era but rims were flimsier then and no
spoke fiddling needed. For more contemporary wheels this video suggests an approach (but I would not use a
hammer!)
Last edited by sch; 07-20-20 at 08:18 AM.
Likes For sch:
07-20-20, 09:24 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 1,606
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 581 Post(s)
Liked 921 Times
in
518 Posts
You'll never get it perfect again, but you can bend it back to get it usable.
The common term for the state of your wheel is 'potato chip'. Used some solid surface to support the axle and push down on the two points on the rim that are 'high' and you will feel the rim bend back with surprisingly little force. You have to go a bit past 'straight' to bend it back.
Once it is close to being rim-shaped again, you can use spoke tension to get is close to straight.
The common term for the state of your wheel is 'potato chip'. Used some solid surface to support the axle and push down on the two points on the rim that are 'high' and you will feel the rim bend back with surprisingly little force. You have to go a bit past 'straight' to bend it back.
Once it is close to being rim-shaped again, you can use spoke tension to get is close to straight.
Likes For ClydeClydeson:
07-21-20, 04:03 AM
#7
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Albany, NY
Posts: 405
Bikes: Trek FX 7.3, Specialized Roubaix, Orbea Terra, Huffy RedRock (first bike), Aostimotor S17 ebike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 189 Post(s)
Liked 264 Times
in
132 Posts
It was in fact shaped like a potato chip. 😁 It's a 27.5" wheel and they aren't cheap.
I removed the spokes and bent it back into shape using my deck railings as support points. I tried without removing the spokes, but it would just flip the opposite way. I'm not an expert at truing, but it came out even better than most of my other bikes that never had a hit like that. This is a before picture.
I removed the spokes and bent it back into shape using my deck railings as support points. I tried without removing the spokes, but it would just flip the opposite way. I'm not an expert at truing, but it came out even better than most of my other bikes that never had a hit like that. This is a before picture.
07-21-20, 09:15 AM
#8
Banned
07-21-20, 09:24 AM
#9
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Albany, NY
Posts: 405
Bikes: Trek FX 7.3, Specialized Roubaix, Orbea Terra, Huffy RedRock (first bike), Aostimotor S17 ebike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 189 Post(s)
Liked 264 Times
in
132 Posts
Different market now. It's almost ready to go and I'm planning to sell it for $120 at least.
07-21-20, 10:14 AM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Siberia West .. aka Central Wisconsin... USA
Posts: 308
Bikes: 2000 Litespeed Appalachian, 1998 Litespeed BlueRidge.. 1977? Schwinn LeTour 12.2 'Rain Daze'
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 64 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 17 Times
in
14 Posts
"I'm not an expert at truing, but it came out even better than most of my other bikes that never had a hit like that. This is a before picture"
Aft pic...? Your assertion is male cow dung.
Aft pic...? Your assertion is male cow dung.
07-21-20, 12:59 PM
#12
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Albany, NY
Posts: 405
Bikes: Trek FX 7.3, Specialized Roubaix, Orbea Terra, Huffy RedRock (first bike), Aostimotor S17 ebike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 189 Post(s)
Liked 264 Times
in
132 Posts
Sorry, I got so excited that it worked, I quickly put the tire on and forgot to take a pic. However, when the rim was laying flat on the glass table, there was still about 1-2 mm play.
09-07-20, 08:59 AM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Siberia West .. aka Central Wisconsin... USA
Posts: 308
Bikes: 2000 Litespeed Appalachian, 1998 Litespeed BlueRidge.. 1977? Schwinn LeTour 12.2 'Rain Daze'
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 64 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 17 Times
in
14 Posts
1-2 is all of .08 inch. Doubt.. you made that from before pic.
Kudos to your efforts.. but having done a few of those 'rangled rims... I know very well 1-2 is nonsense.
IF.. the wheel spoke tension is anything near/NOT uniform around the horn. One can at times make them look pretty round.. but seldom do they hold up. The spokes holding more/most of the tension break. OK for old lady bikes etc.. 10 mi a summer..
otherwise a waste of time.
Kudos to your efforts.. but having done a few of those 'rangled rims... I know very well 1-2 is nonsense.
IF.. the wheel spoke tension is anything near/NOT uniform around the horn. One can at times make them look pretty round.. but seldom do they hold up. The spokes holding more/most of the tension break. OK for old lady bikes etc.. 10 mi a summer..
otherwise a waste of time.
