[Yak] Velocity Rim Failures- information from Bike Friday

[Larry Newman]

I am still using my front rim, purchased in 1994. The rear finally cracked in 2008. Have to be over 50000 miles.


-- 
Larry, Bozeman, MT
AF, PR, NWT, and TT (formerly)


On Sep 20, 2010, at 12:58 PM, Vik Banerjee wrote:

> Jon,
> 
> There is no way to answer your question as so many factors would affect when a rim should be replaced or what the service life should be:
> 
> - amount of braking
> - force of braking
> - rider and cargo weight
> - wetness and grit from road
> - type of brake pads
> - type of rim
> 
> I know folks with similar bikes to mine who go through rims at a rate that far exceeds mine riding on the same roads.  
> 
> You can look at your rims and determine wear which you should probably do anytime it occurs to you or at least a couple times a year as part of your routine bike maintenance. If you are unsure about this a bike shop mechanic can quickly check your rims when you are at the shop for other business.
> 
> safe riding,
> 
> Vik
> threeohm at gmail.com
> www.vikram-banerjee.com
> www.thelazyrando.com
> 
> 
> 
> On 2010-09-20, at 11:47 AM, Jon Sousa wrote:
> 
>> Jordan,
>> 
>> Thank you for being so prompt.  I can understand rimwall wear on the back tire but this failure of the rimwall was on the front which I hardly ever use.  Also, my bike only has about 1000 miles (it could easily be less - my odo has less than 700 on it.)  My tires are just coming to the place where I am thinking about replacing them.  I do not think it is normal to have to replace the rims as often as you replace the tires.  I am still on my first set of break pads and they have a lot of wear left.  How could a metal rim wear out faster than the pads?
>> 
>> How often should rims be replaced?  Obviously I am going to pay more attention to this in the future, but what is normal?
>> 
>> On my back rim - the first that went - there was a clean break at the weld point and the rim was plenty thick there.
>> 
>> I strongly believe this is a manufacturing failure.  Perhaps there were more problems with specks and welds that Velocity still cares to admit.
>> 
>> I am thinking Velocity owes me two new rims. 
>> 
>> I also think that Bike Friday, at least on YAK, should put out a general warning that people who bought 3-5 years ago (or whenever this problem seems to have appeared) should check their rims carefully.
>> 
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