Bicycle Mechanics - Damaged my rims-need advice...

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the_stew_man
08-07-02, 04:13 AM
Well today when I was out for a training ride I scratched my rims. I was passing on the inside of a bus and a HGV(which were both stopped at a red light), when I popped into on of those annoying little gaps between the tarmac and the concrete curbs, this travel along the gap scratched one side of both my front and back rims (the back rim is worse)(one or two of the scratches are quite deep). This now means that whenever I brake I sound like a train. I was wondering if I should sand the scratches out (some of them are quite deep) or I should just leave it the way it is. I can't afford to buy a new pair of rims right now so buying a new set is not a solution, but it could be in the next year or so.
Thanks guys,
Stew

p.s. a similair post was also posted in the road cycling forum as it is a road bike.

velocipedio
08-07-02, 07:01 AM
You can try sanding the braking surface, but do it lightly, with fine sandpaper and not too often. If you over-sand, you can weaken the rim... and you don't want a rim blowout. On the other hand, it probably isn't the gouge causing the noise or uneven braking, but the raised edge of scored metal around it, so light sanding might do the trick.
the_stew_man
08-07-02, 07:09 AM
It is the the bits of metal sticking that are making the noise, i had a look earlier today. I think i will sand them off (meaning the bits of metal sticking out), but just to make sure i will go down to my LBS and borrow some of thier sand paper and see what the owner thinks.
Stew