Shimano R501 Lifespan?

[DWiggy]

I recently purchased a set of Shimano R501 Early December last year, I commute 6 days a week and have clocked up about 1000 miles on these so far (In all weathers), I clean the wheels after every wet ride and clean the whole bike thoroughly every weekend removing wheels etc.
My Rear wheel's braking surface is now severely concave and needs replacing, does this sound right? I thought I'd get at least a year out of them!?

As I have to get a new wheel can anyone recommend a good budget set of wheels that will last, as I've gone through 2 sets of r501's in less than a year! I think they are really made of cheese and defo wouldn't recommend them.

Thanks in advance.

Dave.

 

[Kestevan]

Fulcrum wheels are excellent for factory wheels, and I'm sure someone will be along shortly to tell you to go to a local wheelbuilder and get hand-built (which will allow you to replace just the rim).

I would have thought however you should get much further out of the wheels you have. I've just replaced my commuter wheels and they've been in use for many more thousands of miles. I'd look at the brake blocks you have, I found the Shimano ones to be very hard and abrasive and to chew up rims very quickly. The Koolstop Salmon or SwissStop Green are much softer compounds which seem to do much less damage to the wheel (and brake performance is better too).

 

[DWiggy]

Fulcrum wheels are excellent for factory wheels, and I'm sure someone will be along shortly to tell you to go to a local wheelbuilder and get hand-built (which will allow you to replace just the rim).

I would have thought however you should get much further out of the wheels you have. I've just replaced my commuter wheels and they've been in use for many more thousands of miles. I'd look at the brake blocks you have, I found the Shimano ones to be very hard and abrasive and to chew up rims very quickly. The Koolstop Salmon or SwissStop Green are much softer compounds which seem to do much less damage to the wheel (and brake performance is better too).

I swapped out the std black Shimano blocks for Swissstop green that seem to be less harsh.

 

[Rooster1]

1000 miles on a rear wheel is rubbish, most of the braking load is at the front anyways.
You should get 5000+ miles out of the wheel.
Can you see the brake wear indicator ? A black line / groove or even dimples on the rim? If these are still visible you are good to go, if it is not there then thats about it.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Your technique is all wrong. Your front wheel should be wearing out first, Use your front brake more, It gives you more stop for friction, for want of a better expression.

Regarding other wheels. No, swapping wheels won't make a difference to the life you get out of a wheel. Most wheels are made with 6000 or 7000 series aluminium and these two alloys will give you approximately the same life. You will get more life out of your rims by opting for better brake pads though. Koolstop Salmon is probably the best in this department.

 

[DWiggy]

Your technique is all wrong. Your front wheel should be wearing out first, Use your front brake more, It gives you more stop for friction, for want of a better expression.

Regarding other wheels. No, swapping wheels won't make a difference to the life you get out of a wheel. Most wheels are made with 6000 or 7000 series aluminium and these two alloys will give you approximately the same life. You will get more life out of your rims by opting for better brake pads though. Koolstop Salmon is probably the best in this department.

Most of my miles on these wheels have been in wet and sometimes icy conditions so have been more rear braking to avoid loosing a front wheel, so my braking has been weather orientated, yes during the dry summer months front brake is king. Will give the salmon pads a shot next time, thanks.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Rear wheels tend to pick up more road crap due to spray coming back off the front tyre so they'll suffer a higher wear to mileage ratio.

 

[the snail]

... I clean the wheels after every wet ride ,,,.

The other thing to remember is to check your brake pads for embedded grit, if you leave them like that your rims will wear out in no time, however expensive they are.

 

[MrGrumpy]

apart from the usual crap on brake pads, I do think and from my own experience that decent quality pads such as swiss stop etc do not destroy your rims no matter what! Cheap pads just leave a grey grinding paste on the rims.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

apart from the usual crap on brake pads, I do think and from my own experience that decent quality pads such as swiss stop etc do not destroy your rims no matter what! Cheap pads just leave a grey grinding paste on the rims.

All pads wear down the rim down. Some just don't allow abrasive bits to embed and scrape the rim further than necessary. The grey paste you see is aluminium. You don't see it on dry days because then it is just dust that's blown away. On wet days it becomes a slurry. However, all pads abrade the rim.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Might well be a combination of decent rims and brake pads for me then, but the swiss stop pads fitted to my summer bike or superb but then it doesn`t generally go out on wet days :/

 

[potsy]

Have had a couple of pairs of the slightly better RS10/20 but have never managed to destroy a rear rim.
Usually the freehub goes before then but even then not for a good few thousand miles.

Think my last front rim went concave around the 7000 mile mark, could maybe have gotten a few more weeks out of it but didn't take the chance.

 

[doog]

Ive got about 2K on a set of R500's (think they are the same as the R501) - no obvious wearing issues. However its on a road bike and I tend to plan my rides weather wise. If youre commuting in all weathers might be a different story. They were never a keeper mind but until they destruct they will be.

 

[DWiggy]

This has happened with swissstop greens fitted and had very good reviews , I upgraded the pads when i got the new rims, again I have been over the top trying to get this set to last with cleaning and servicing , it sounds like it's a combination of all weather riding, pads, cheese rims and my commute is quite hilly about 700 odd feet each way so plenty of heavy is braking ....who said cycling was cheep?

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Have had a couple of pairs of the slightly better RS10/20 but have never managed to destroy a rear rim.
Usually the freehub goes before then but even then not for a good few thousand miles.

Think my last front rim went concave around the 7000 mile mark, could maybe have gotten a few more weeks out of it but didn't take the chance.

Never got more than about 7,000 miles out of either my RS10's or 11's not because of wear but because both rims started to fracture after that distance, I am 76-77Kg and the bike about 12kg. so hardly over weight, mind both after the winter.
@DWiggy I just got a pair of 501's I will let you know how I fair with them, I do about 6-7,000 miles a year, so I will pop back next march , as has been mentioned if the wear indicator (which is a small dimple on these wheels) is visible they will be ok.