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Help needed for Damaged Hybrid Bike

Started by LC1 · · Last activity · 9 posts · 1,342 views

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01 / Original postHelp needed for Damaged Hybrid BikeLC1 · 29 Jan 2008 02 / This pagePosts 1–9Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #9artemidorus · 31 Jan 2008

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Original section
Cycling Equipment
Published
29 January 2008
Last activity
31 January 2008
Original author
LC1
Posts
9
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Public discussion
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1,342
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0
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Wide tyres

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  1. Original post
    LC1
    Archived post
    #1

    First post on cyclingforums.com so; Hi all!

    I commute to work everyday, around 10-15 miles daily (depending if i go out during lunch). I went out and purchased a Claude Butler Urban 300 bike around 3 months ago, which has been ok.

    I was involved in a collision with a car, the driver did not see me and hit me side on. Details were not taken as bike seemed fine, however clearly isnt now. I have had the bike extensively looked over and the frame is ok (around 0.5mm out) but the front and rear wheels are slightly buckled. The bike cost me £300 and i want to replace the wheels and keep the bike.

    I recently fitted 32mm tyres to the bike (michelin slicks) and the difference was immense, so i have decided to chose a 700c x 23mm wheel now.

    Im looking for front and rear wheels, with tyres and the rear with a 9 speed hub (suitable for my schimano gears).

    I know little about bike parts, but am confident at assembly.

    What you recommend for under £100?

    Thanks in Advance

    Adam

    Report
  2. artemidorus
    Archived post
    #2

    Can you tweak the wheels true with a spoke key? I have saved more than one slightly bent rim in this fashion and then got years of service from the wheel.

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  3. garage sale GT
    Archived post
    #3

    The axles may be bent due to the side impact and the leverage imparted by the restoring force of the road being 700mm/2 away from the axle.

    If the axles are bent then the bearings will [censored] out pretty fast.

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  4. artemidorus
    Archived post
    #4
    garage sale GT said:

    I would be surprised if the axles weren't bent. The torque must have been tremendous. If they are then the bearings will [censored] out pretty fast.


    Many's the time I've bent a rim without bending the axle. In fact, bending an axle is by far the exception - I've only done it with high-speed head-ons.

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  5. garage sale GT
    Archived post
    #5
    artemidorus said:

    Many's the time I've bent a rim without bending the axle. In fact, bending an axle is by far the exception - I've only done it with high-speed head-ons.

    He said he got broadsided, though. That's an unusual set of circumstances which adds quite a bit of leverage to the scenario. If you drive off curbs or hit stuff head-on, the force is not being multiplied.

    BTW I don't think the op should trash the wheels, just look if his axles are bent. Without even removing the axle, twirl one end and see if the other just turns or if it describes a little circle in the air.

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  6. LC1
    Archived post
    #6

    The bike is driveable, however both wheels are not balanced.

    Ive taken it to a shop and they did there best, but there are still problems. Therefore i wanted to kill two birds with one stone and upgrade to thinner 23mm wheels.

    Just looking for recomendations

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  7. alfeng
    Archived post
    #7
    LC1 said:

    The bike is driveable, however both wheels are not balanced.

    Ive taken it to a shop and they did there best, but there are still problems. Therefore i wanted to kill two birds with one stone and upgrade to thinner 23mm wheels.

    I'm not quite sure what you mean by "not balanced" ...

    Regardless, if the wheels are salvageable, the correct way to "true" them is to detension ALL of the spokes, and then (presuming the rim isn't excessively damaged -- I presume it wasn't taco'd), retrue it. If the wheel is salvageable, then YOU can do this, yourself -- this weekend, do the front wheel first ... and, then you will know whether you need to buy new rims/wheels.

    You should be able to get a replacement set of wheels for under £100 ... many shops may have a set of wheels for about £50 (sometimes, much less -- perhaps, HALF of that ... £25-to-£30) that they have removed a bike when another customer upgraded their bike.

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  8. MNRon
    Archived post
    #8
    alfeng said:

    I'm not quite sure what you mean by "not balanced" ...

    Regardless, if the wheels are salvageable, the correct way to "true" them is to detension ALL of the spokes, and then (presuming the rim isn't excessively damaged -- I presume it wasn't taco'd), retrue it. If the wheel is salvageable, then YOU can do this, yourself -- this weekend, do the front wheel first ... and, then you will know whether you need to buy new rims/wheels.

    You should be able to get a replacement set of wheels for under £100 ... many shops may have a set of wheels for about £50 (sometimes, much less -- perhaps, HALF of that ... £25-to-£30) that they have removed a bike when another customer upgraded their bike.


    One can retrue some nastily damaged wheels, even taco'd ones, with a combination of brute force and delicacy. I worked in an LBS, and most would rather sell you new wheels than true old ones. If potato-chipped or taco'd, simply grab the wheel/tire and pound it on the sidewalk to get it close to true, finish up with a spoke wrench. It will take a little time, but not as much as a trip to the shop. This is not Tour de France mechanic work, this is get my commutrer bike on the road again work, right? 😉

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  9. artemidorus
    Archived post
    #9

    If you have mild loss of trueness, then I would suggest that you could simply tweak the wheel rather than doing a complete retensioning of the wheel, or bashing the wheel.

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