Alloy wheels; how long do they last?

[Recycler]

I know that this is a bit of a "how long is a bit of string?" questions.........

How long should I expect alloy wheels to last before the rim is worn too much by the brakes?
Obviously distance, type of riding and how hilly the routes are will effect it, but would you expect 2 years, 5 years 10 years? All I need is some kind of rule of thumb.

Question 2. (same subject) One of my wheels has shallow grooves running round the "brake faces" (one on each "face"). Are these a "depth guage" similar to the depth markers on car tyre treads?

I'm curious that's all.........and I don't want a wheel collapsing on me!

PS. I realise that the question doesn't apply with disc brakes

 

[gbb]

Depends on their use Recycler...
Commuting, especially in the winter is hard on rims. Dirt, salt and grit can get into your brake blocks and act like a scouring pad. Wet weather also kicks up a lot of flint etc. You can potentially damage rims quite quickly.
Summer distance riding in the countryside (where you rarely use the brakes of course), your rims will probably last for years and years.
Brake blocks from different manufacturers make a difference too,
Wheels vary, my Shimano R500s have stood up very well to winter commuting., while the Ambrosios fitted to my old Bianchi tore up a bit once i started using it in poorer weather. Shame, they were fine with summer riding.

 

[HovR]

My Dawes still has the original aluminium rims on it. The bike was made in '78.

 

[compo]

The groove the OP mentions is probably the wear indicator. The rim manufacturer recommend you to replace the rim/wheel when the groove is no longer visible. Then they would. You can get many thousands of miles out of the rim once the groove has disappeared but you need to keep an eye on the rim for distortion or splitting.

 

[Frankenfish]

I posted a similar question a few days ago on the beginners page (Paranoid Newbie), but am still none the wiser! Q 2... The machined grooves are indeed wear indicators.

Just noticed you have already received plenty of advice!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

To answer your second question first; yes, the groove is a depth gauge and the rim should be replaced when any part of it is completely worn down.

I can't answer the first question as there are too many variables, including road conditions, which you haven't mentioned. If the bike is often ridden in gritty or wintery conditions it will accelerate wear.

My experience is that my main bike which is mostly ridden in dry weather is still on its original wheels (and brake blocks amazingly) after 14 years. The cheap bikes I have owned, which get used in all sorts of conditions and all year round, usually wear the rims out in about 5 years or 3 sets of brake blocks.

 

[andrew_s]

As you say, a piece of string...
It depends on mileage, weather, hilliness, the local geology (how gritty the local mud is), and likely other things too.
Riding all year on small, often hilly country lanes, and using aggressive (Shimano) brake blocks, I've worn rims out in 5-6,000 miles, which at the time was 8-9 months riding. Back when mountain bikers used rim brakes, they would sometimes get through a rim in a month.
On flatter roads, tending to avoid bad weather, and using rim-friendly brake blocks (eg Koolstop), I'd expect more like 20-25,000 miles.

Yes, the groove is a wear indicator.
Officially you should get a new wheel or rim once the groove is gone. Should you feel that the rim maker is likely to err very much on the safe side, you can get a suitable gauge to measure the remaining thickness of the rim wall. Rims generally fail at about 0.7mm, so aim to replace once the thickness goes below 1mm.

There are much better wear indicator on Rigida rims - an internal cavity that gets exposed to leave a 2-3mm wide & deep groove all round the wheel that you can't possibly fail to notice or ignore. The trouble with an indicator that vanishes is that you've got to remember to check it, and out ot sight, out of mind is a real possibilty.

 

[MattHB]

"how long is a bit of string?"

Twice the length from the middle

 

[accountantpete]

High mileage and heavy braking? - around 3 - 4 years.

It is the wear on the rim that is the main determinant.

 

[Recycler]

Thanks all. Very useful, particularly the figures that have come up; even though it is a very variable length of string.

 

[longers]

Officially you should get a new wheel or rim once the groove is gone. Should you feel that the rim maker is likely to err very much on the safe side, you can get a suitable gauge to measure the remaining thickness of the rim wall. Rims generally fail at about 0.7mm, so aim to replace once the thickness goes below 1mm.

Thanks for the recommendation, I bought one of the gauges a while back and have just sawn my rim in half to double check its accuracy.
Spot on.
0.8mm so in need of replacing before winter. Thanks again.

 

[fossyant]

Thanks for the recommendation, I bought one of the gauges a while back and have just sawn my rim in half to double check its accuracy.
Spot on.
0.8mm so in need of replacing before winter. Thanks again.

The rim's no use now ! How are you ?

 

[Rob3rt]

High mileage and heavy braking? - around 3 - 4 years.

It is the wear on the rim that is the main determinant.

I can agree with this mostly, based on my experience (for an everyday, all weather commuter - which I am not - in a big city, you might only get 1 winter out of a set of rims), I have been running my main wheels for 3 years, still got some life left in them and these do 200 miles a week in all weather. I don't commute though, so only time spent riding in heavy traffic is the trawl out to the club's meeting point. Not bad considering the wheelset cost £100, thats £33 a year! Plus they probably have another year or so left in them! The only additional expense in this time has been the replacement of 1 spoke. There is now another spoke gone so the wheels have been retired for now.

You can do certain things to prolong the life of your rims, the most effective (and practical - there are lots of less practical and also excessive things you can do too, but unless you own some Zipp's why bother) one being to clean both the braking surface and the brake blocks regularly, including scraping out the shite trapped in the brake block's slots/grooves etc. I clean my bike thoroughly at least once a week, more if the road surfaces are particularly grim. Less thorough inspections and cleans happen after every ride longer than a few mile!

 

[ianrauk]

(for an everyday, all weather commuter - which I am not - in a big city, you might only get 1 winter out of a set of rims),

Indeed.
Which I am and went through a rear Shimano RS20 rim in just over a year.

 

[asterix]

Commuted daily all weathers 25 years and have only ever worn out one pair of rims. They were rubbish anyway. Maybe it is because I always use touring rims?

Now I have my Soho deluxe, belt drive, disc front, drum rear I laugh at rim wear. All I have to do is remember not to oil the chain. And no, it is not slow.