How rigid should the wheel be laterally

Checking out my old hybrid to see why the front v-brake touches the rim on the left side, I noticed that I can pull the rim side to side (and thus make it touch either the left or right brake pad) using my hand pulling on it supported by the fork without too much effort. Is this normal? Are wheels supposed to be rigid enough that you can't pull the rim over to the brake pad? Just curious.

 

Your hub bearings are probably too loose, or else you've got disastrously loose spokes. Read up on setting the hub bearing preload. Check that your skewer isn't really loose.

 

Thanks, I'll check that. But I did this same thing on some other bikes today (tied up outside an office building) and was able to shift every rim by at least 1/8 inch with just hand strength. I'm starting to think that I've simply discovered that NO bike wheel is completely rigid at the rim with regard to the hub.

That, or the wheels I yanked on were crappy.

 

Unfortunately true. The preload on the hub bearing should be just enough to remove all perceptible lateral play at the rim when the skewer is normally tensioned by the bike user (the latter is a variable commodity).

 

I agree! The rigity also involves the fork or chain & seat stays (they hold the hub "in-line").
Wheel stiffness varies.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/wheel/index.htm