I cracked my wheel rim. with picture

[sarahale]

On my mtb, commuting home tonight and I got an instant flat tire.

Turns out it was caused by a large crack on the inside of my wheel rim, which then rubbed and split the inner tube. The crack goes across where the inner tube valve pokes through, it's about 2.5 inches long.

Any ideas what's caused this? I'm guessing dodgy riding over drops and/rusting from the wheel getting wet but I don't really have any idea. Don't want it happening again obviously.

 

[Tim Hall]

Unless it's a really old MTB with a steel wheel, it won't be rust. Wheels these days (and for some time) are aluminium, so rust isn't an issue.

It's a little difficult to tell from your description, but I take it the crack is in the well of the rim and runs around the circumference. Pictures might help.

 

[sarahale]

These wheels are less than a year old, I'm glad its not rust related then. Yes it does and I will try and get a picture first thing tomorrow. Thanks

 

[Tim Hall]

If they're only a year old I'd take them back under warranty.

 

[sarahale]

 

[zacklaws]

Look well more than a year old to me or else not very well maintained and cleaned

 

[screenman]

Blimey, that has had a big paper round. I do not think I have ever seen a year old wheel looking that bad.

 

[sarahale]

The brown is just mud from yesterdays very wet commute, which I haven't bothered cleaning off now its cracked. When you say not well maintained what do you mean please? I mean I wash and clean my bike regularly just never really given a thought to the rims. How would I go about maintaining them? Apologies for the ignorance!

 

[screenman]

From here it looks like there is a lot of surface rust around the hub area, and i have never seen a rim that shade of what looks like rust..

 

[sarahale]

All the brown is dried mud from yesterday, it is not rust, I should of made that clearer! Unfortunately it was very muddy in there, I'm guessing the huge crack let all that in!

 

[vickster]

You can clean the rims effectively with baby wipes. In terms of mud in the rims, take the tyre and tube off say once a month or more if riding off road, and clean the rims...again babywipes (huggies or pampers from poundland work well)

 

[sarahale]

Okay many thanks for the advice. I do clean the outside of my rims almost every time I clean my bike. And I clean the inside everytime I get a puncture, not thought of babywipes and will do this more often aswell!

 

[Milkfloat]

You can clean the rims effectively with baby wipes. In terms of mud in the rims, take the tyre and tube off say once a month or more if riding off road, and clean the rims...again babywipes (huggies or pampers from poundland work well)

Are you honestly telling me you clean the inside of your rims monthly? I thought you just bought a new bike.

In all my years of riding, including many years of MTB, I have never cleaned the inside of a rim, unless i was fitting new rim tape.

 

[MichaelW2]

Does the valve hole have a notch or burr that can act as a stress raiser?
Normally rims crack around the breaking surface. Cheaper rims have plenty of material so this is quite a failure.

 

[sarahale]

Anyone got any idea what has caused this crack?