rim strength and general questions

[shming123]

how strong are the wheels/rims on basic road bikes? (trek 2200, 5000, etc.., just generally) Do they bend or get out of round easily from sticks or cracks or potholes in the road? I am just wondering becuase the roads are not the best where i live, and also, today on my ride, i ALMOST hit an axe! I couldn't believe it; an axe lying right in the road! it was a low profile hand axe with a gray handle, but i BARELY dodged it; literally by millimeters. And also, after buying a new bike, is there any special maintenance that needs to be done to it after its ridden a few times? You know, sort of like after a break-in period on a car, you take it for a 600 mile service, etc..? And one last question: Is it bad for the bike to ride in the rain? Thanks for all of the help.

 

[nutbag]

What sort of wheels are they, and what do you weigh?

It usually takes quite a bit to knock a rim out of shape, but it does happen -- you can get flat-spots, etc. If they are those Shimano wheels that look like they've had half the spokes kicked out, or other fancy wheels with 16 spokes, then I'd be worried.

Yes, most shops recommend a one month tune-up, mainly to correct any cable stretching that may have occurred, but also for spoke tension.

I assume you've got a carbon Trek, or what? There's a huge difference between riding in the wet and riding in heavy rain with lots of road spray. During heavy rain, water will find ways to get into your frame and stay there. I once pulled a bike to bits that i hadn't ridden for a month, and there way 1/4 of water sittng in the bottom bracket!! So, yeah, this can be bad, but the seriousness depends a bit on what sort of frame it is; steel and aluminium can 'fuse' together if coorosion occurs.