What bike maintenance do you do?

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: TylerL
Don't waste your time trying to bend back a bent rim, just replace the rim part, their fairly cheap.


Except that it takes me about 15 minutes to physically bend a rim back and then true it at no cost to myself (if it needs to be perfect, allow an extra 10 minutes to hammer out the kinks), while stripping down the old one and rebuilding the wheel with a new rim (usually $30+ for a decent one) can take up to an hour. However, not too many home mechanics or even bike shops are willing to do anything beyond playing with the spokes, so in that case the bent wheel will certainly be inferior after "truing"!

 

[TylerL]

I stand corrected, if your good can bend it back to true.

Spent two hour trying to straiten a way bent rim hoop. While much straighter it's still not that good, aluminum is difficult to straiten.

I envy your rim straitening abilities. [smilie with big hammer]

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: TylerL
I envy your rim straitening abilities. [smilie with big hammer]

After working on a few hundred wheels, you get fairly good at it! It's kind of like doing bodywork; it's a metalworking art and it requires a lot of practice. You definitely need someone experienced to guide you through the process when you're learning. I just think all bike mechanics should develop the skill because, to me, it's wasteful to throw a good rim - one that is not dented or cracked - away. It certainly is more profitable for the shop to sell a new rim or wheel though.

But really, in most cases you're right; the average person is not going to be able to fix or get someone to fix a wheel that is bent beyond the state where minor spoke adjustments will bring it back. Lacing up a new rim really isn't that expensive anyway. I just like to let people know that it is possible to repair most bent wheels, even if they're taco'd.

 

[TylerL]

Originally Posted By: rpn453

After working on a few hundred wheels, you get fairly good at it!

I thought you were a natural, but you've had some practice.

 

[oilboy123]

I do all my own bike work and kinda enjoy it. Tune to complete overhaul. Too cheap to pay someone to do what I can. Plus I know it's done right.

At the point of getting an older mtn bike going that I bought a few years back. I have a road bike as well that I wrench on. I would like to get a bike stand to make work easier.