How long do wheels last?

[Cycling Naturalist]

I had another broken spoke this morning - the third. This pulled the rear wheel completely out of true and I ended up walking back. Replacing the spoke is no big deal but I made me wonder what life there is in the wheels. I'm concerned about the sidewalls which are abraded by the brakes. I've done 11,000 mile on the wheels (Shimano 105) and a lot of it has been commuting along the A5 in grotty conditions.

 

[Chris James]

This isn't going to turn into another spoke count thread is it?

 

[fossyant]

11,000 miles commuting is a fair bit of use - all depends upon the wheel / use etc. I've retired 2 sets of hand built wheels this year, mainly due to clicking noises coming from the rim / spoke nipples, but both sets are fairly old now and one set in particular must have big miles on them - 20,000 easily.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Broken spokes can be cured by getting the wheel re-tensioned, the spokes themselves have a very long fatigue life.

As for rims, wear is something we all have to put up with until disc brakes become standard on roadbikes. It would probably be far more cost effective to replace a 105 wheel than fit a new rim. I would guess that rims for factory built wheels would not be an economicaly viable replacement.

 

[hubgearfreak]

This isn't going to turn into another spoke count thread is it?

 

[Monty Dog]

Is the rim brake track convex? When the rim wears thin, the pressure from the tyre forces the thicker bead of the rim outwards, giving a distinctive bowed surface - try and clean the rim and look for circumferential cracks - if so, new rim time before it goes 'bang'. I doubt you'll be able to find replacement rims easily - so probably a new pair of wheels is in order.

 

[barq]

This isn't going to turn into another spoke count thread is it?

* Walks away whistling *

 

[domtyler]

Do you mind me asking if you are still keeping up your gym routine PS, or has the waistline seen a little relaxation since you got back from Skiing?

 

[User482]

I knew it was time to replace my wheel, when inflating the tyre to 100psi cause the braking surface to shear off. Made quite a bang...

 

[Tynan]

I knew it was time to replace my wheel, when inflating the tyre to 100psi cause the braking surface to shear off. Made quite a bang...

yikes

and you lucky luck bugger

 

[02GF74]

mavic mountain bike rims have a small indent pressed in the rim that once is flush indicates thebraking surface has worn right down.

I've had a rim let go when out cycling and another bow out - there have been cases of the rim coming away and slicing a riders leg!! not nice.

if yoiu have done that many thousands of miles, check the hub races - they may need to be replaced too.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

mavic mountain bike rims have a small indent pressed in the rim that once is flush indicates thebraking surface has worn right down.

both sets of wheels on my road bikes have those too, alex and vuelta.

 

[User482]

yikes

and you lucky luck bugger

It happened a couple of hours after repairing a puncture. I'd gone to bed and left the bike downstairs in the hall - I thought someone had broken through the front door! Like you say though, I dread to think what would have happened if I was riding it.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

Do you mind me asking if you are still keeping up your gym routine PS, or has the waistline seen a little relaxation since you got back from Skiing?

I do five evenings a week in the gym, but was hoping to get out on the bike a bit more after the recent wet weather. I've bitten the bullet and ordered new wheels.