hello everyone.i have found the place that i shall call home i do believe.
this is my story.my father passed away last year.so my mom ask me to help her clean some things up. so my fathers bikes were in the attic of their home.she told me i could have them.
so i took the raleigh to a local bike shop and,had it -TUNED UP -also new tubes and,tires.
i rode approximately 10 - 15 miles in 2 days. the second day out i noticed a rubbing or groaning sound coming from the front end. i could not tell from exactly were it was coming from.
so the third evening,i get home and,figure its a lovely evening,im going riding.
i go about 200 feet and,the front wheel just folds over into an L shaped piece of alloy. I simply couldnt believe what i was seeing. now that i think of it,it was over 30 years old,as were the spokes and,hubs.
this was a 1976 raleigh grand sports.reynolds 531 tubing and,weinmann wheels.the bike HAD - felt fine.i hadnt thought of anything not holding up under my weight. the frame is as new. everything looked fantastic.
I should mention i weigh 330 or so pounds. so i qualify as a clydesdale.
This bike uses 27 X 1 1/4 TIRES, i had invested money in new kevlar belted tires,however,im not married to them.
im hoping that i can use the knowledge of you more experienced clydesdales to my benefit.
im wondering if i should go to a 700c size,because their are more choices of size in wheel width and,tire size.
also im wondering if i should try a - tandem - wheel and hub in the 27 x 1 1/4 size
also,do you think that i am asking to much of a 30 year old frame,to put up with what i see now is a lot of stress,carting me around.
anyway,i would rather not spend $1000 on a set of wheels.i supposed to support my weight i cant use a $30 wheel,so something in between is in order.any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.thanx.
Tom Stormcrowe
06-10-07, 06:05 PM
Points to consider:
What was the spoke count and did any spokes break to cause the wheel failure, or was there a road condition, such as extremely rough pavement or pothole? The wheels should have held up, I run Weinmann with 36 spoke in the front and 40 spoke reay in 27" on a loaded tourer where the bike alone can weigh around 100 pounds from the bike, bags and gear, then you add my Clydesdale butt in the saddle. This is on 20 year old wheels, by the way.
When you had it tuned, did the LBS retension the spokes or not or did they just clean up the chain and adjust the brakes?? If they did, did they do it correctly?hello everyone.i have found the place that i shall call home i do believe.
this is my story.my father passed away last year.so my mom ask me to help her clean some things up. so my fathers bikes were in the attic of their home.she told me i could have them.
so i took the raleigh to a local bike shop and,had it -TUNED UP -also new tubes and,tires.
i rode approximately 10 - 15 miles in 2 days. the second day out i noticed a rubbing or groaning sound coming from the front end. i could not tell from exactly were it was coming from.
so the third evening,i get home and,figure its a lovely evening,im going riding.
i go about 200 feet and,the front wheel just folds over into an L shaped piece of alloy. I simply couldnt believe what i was seeing. now that i think of it,it was over 30 years old,as were the spokes and,hubs.
this was a 1976 raleigh grand sports.reynolds 531 tubing and,weinmann wheels.the bike HAD - felt fine.i hadnt thought of anything not holding up under my weight. the frame is as new. everything looked fantastic.
I should mention i weigh 330 or so pounds. so i qualify as a clydesdale.
This bike uses 27 X 1 1/4 TIRES, i had invested money in new kevlar belted tires,however,im not married to them.
im hoping that i can use the knowledge of you more experienced clydesdales to my benefit.
im wondering if i should go to a 700c size,because their are more choices of size in wheel width and,tire size.
also im wondering if i should try a - tandem - wheel and hub in the 27 x 1 1/4 size
also,do you think that i am asking to much of a 30 year old frame,to put up with what i see now is a lot of stress,carting me around.
anyway,i would rather not spend $1000 on a set of wheels.i supposed to support my weight i cant use a $30 wheel,so something in between is in order.any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.thanx.
JumboRider
06-10-07, 06:08 PM
Brodie,
First, I am sorry to hear about your loss, but it is great to have his bikes to remember him.
I am bigger than you at 359 pounds. I just purchased a bike Surly Long Haul Trucker and had the wheels hand built with Tandem rated rim and 48 spokes. I also went the distance with the Phil Wood hub. It was expensive, but It feels very strong under my weight.
Good luck with your riding. It is very fun.
brodie
06-10-07, 06:17 PM
thanks for the replys. ah, the spoke count was 36 front and rear. there was a broken spoke already,but it was on the rear tire,not the front. i simply had the bike shop put on 1 new spoke on the rear wheel.i figured that since it was a quality bike,the spokes would be of a decent quality also.
considering the results,i see that i am no expert. i saw the exact same bike on a gentlemans website,by the name of sheldon brown.it was called -retro raleighs -blue and,white.is the color 76 raleigh grand sport.
yes,it was 36 spokes front and,rear.
brodie
06-10-07, 06:21 PM
jumborider,i read your signature and,i also want to reduce to 225-200 pounds.im wishing you luck.also,were did you get your wheels at.
JumboRider
06-10-07, 06:29 PM
I bought my bike at Hiawatha Cyclery and had them build it up, but check your lbs. Most shops have a guy or two that can build a good wheel. When they build them they will usually back up their work with free truing if needed.
Tom Stormcrowe
06-10-07, 09:25 PM
Best advice I can give, if you want to stay with the same wheel size is get a quality 27" rim, or just get another wheel off of Ebay, here's a New Old Stock or like new wheel, for example. When it arrives have it gone over by a good wheelman.
brodie, can you possibly post some photos of the wheel so we can maybe figure out what the heck happened?
brodie
06-10-07, 10:09 PM
im sorry guys,i forgot about the basketball game and,my brother and,my friends showed up to watch the cavs and,spurs. well we will get em,here in cleveland,maybe. i dunno those guys are good.
anyway,i will get some pics posted as soon as tomorrow morning if i can.i mean if i can get the software figured out. i can tell ya what happened. my wheel folded up into the shape of an L..
Thanx again for all of the suggestions guys.
anybody have any opinions about the safety of riding aggressively at my weight on a 30 year old frame.
im really worried about catastrophic failure of equipment now. or was this just a freakish thing.
Tom Stormcrowe
06-10-07, 10:15 PM
im sorry guys,i forgot about the basketball game and,my brother and,my friends showed up to watch the cavs and,spurs. well we will get em,here in cleveland,maybe. i dunno those guys are good.
anyway,i will get some pics posted as soon as tomorrow morning if i can.i mean if i can get the software figured out. i can tell ya what happened. my wheel folded up into the shape of an L..
Thanx again for all of the suggestions guys.
anybody have any opinions about the safety of riding aggressively at my weight on a 30 year old frame.
im really worried about catastrophic failure of equipment now. or was this just a freakish thing.
Learn to ride light, with finesse. You get there just as fast and your bike and body will thank you.;)
Platy
06-10-07, 10:30 PM
im really worried about catastrophic failure of equipment now. or was this just a freakish thing.
I just think it's important to get to the bottom of this situation.
Tom Stormcrowe
06-10-07, 10:37 PM
I just think it's important to get to the bottom of this situation.
Here, I agree absolutely, because there shouldn't have been an issue with the wheel as described.
rickyaustin
06-11-07, 12:07 AM
Where in Ohio are you located, bud?
brodie
06-11-07, 03:39 PM
hello everyone. hope you all had a great day. well,i put a new triple chainring on the bike that i got off of ebay. it is a suntour. 28 - 38- 48 - I HOPE THIS MAKES IT EASIER TO HAUL MYSELF AROUND AND,I DONT HAVE TO USE SO MUCH BRUTE STRENTH ON THE BIKE AND,HOPEFULLY THIS WONT STRESS IT AS MUCH.
Whoa,whoa, sorry about the caps i wasnt lokking. so i took the bike out in the backyard when i got home and,took some pictures and,i am using -ubuntu linux - as my operating system and,it was very easy actually.just plugged in the memory card and,linux did the rest.
i am living in cleveland. im a clydesdale and,these are my pictures.
you know i like that term - clydesdale,it suggest power,strength and,grace. me and,one of my buddies,used to call ourselves, - MEN OF SIZE. But i do like clydesdale also. its growing on me.
anyway,here is the failed rim and,my pops old bike.
brodie
06-11-07, 03:47 PM
alright guys,i seem to have a problem with loading the pictures.it says the pictures are 2.0 mb and,the file size limit for the website is 100kb. how do i get around that.i will go see if i can turn something down or reduce something on another desktop.hold on ,im coming.
Tom Stormcrowe
06-11-07, 03:54 PM
alright guys,i seem to have a problem with loading the pictures.it says the pictures are 2.0 mb and,the file size limit for the website is 100kb. how do i get around that.i will go see if i can turn something down or reduce something on another desktop.hold on ,im coming.
open a photobucket account and paste in the forum code from your photobucket hosting page and you get a large image embedded rather than a thumbnail.
Hello tom stormcrowe. i meant to tell you earlier that i felt the same way about what you said about riding with finesse. i realize im not a 200 pound 22 year old anymore and,i need to take it a smidge easier before i break something that i cant go buy at a store.hence the triple ring crank from ebay.
ALSO,what in the world is -PHOTOBUCKET- never heard of it.
brodie
06-11-07, 04:31 PM
alright,i think i have it sorted now.i did the photobucket thing and,think you tom stormcrowe-because i have some pics of my father that i want to share with some family members.
anyway,im gonna try to upload this pic now.
brodie
06-11-07, 04:33 PM
okay,i screwed something up.let me try again, hold on.
Tom Stormcrowe
06-11-07, 04:35 PM
alright,i think i have it sorted now.i did the photobucket thing and,think you tom stormcrowe-because i have some pics of my father that i want to share with some family members.
anyway,im gonna try to upload this pic now.
Yep, that's a tacoed rim, but the image is too small for detail, even after I click it to the larger image....that's the reason I suggested you use a photobucket image.OK, I need to know how you were riding before the failure, and the pavement conditions. Were the spokes rusted? It may have been an age related failure.
Tom Stormcrowe
06-11-07, 04:37 PM
okay,i screwed something up.let me try again, hold on.
If you want, just post a link to the photobucket image you uploaded to the host site, I'll go to it!
Platy
06-11-07, 04:39 PM
See if you can get some closeups of where the spokes attach to the rim. You can pull off the flexible rim strip to uncover the spoke nipples. I wonder what we can infer from looking at the wheel after it's collapsed. Once a few spokes fail the rest may soon follow.
By the way, Slackware Linux user here since '96!
Platy
06-11-07, 04:43 PM
It may have been an age related failure.
I'm thinking some possibilities are(1) the spokes may have been way undertensioned, (2) the wheel was not inserted straight into the fork (no lawyer lips on the older bikes), (3) one or more spokes may have already been broken leading to the collapse of the rest of the wheel.
We don't usually test our wheels to destruction so this is a very useful experiment even if it wasn't intentional. Glad brodie wasn't hurt.
okay,thats the link.im gonna see if i can get the file size thing licked.
Tom Stormcrowe
06-11-07, 04:47 PM
I'm thinking some possibilities are(1) the spokes may have been way undertensioned, (2) the wheel was not inserted straight into the fork (no lawyer lips on the older bikes), (3) one or more spokes may have already been broken leading to the collapse of the rest of the wheel.
We don't usually test our wheels to destruction so this is a very useful experiment even if it wasn't intentional. Glad brodie wasn't hurt.
Yeah, same here....
I'm wondering if it was spoke nipple failure from corrosion. That's one of the reasons I need a larger image. brodie, another option for you...email me the pic to tom.stormcrowe(at)gmail(dot)com (Use appropriate punctuation for the parentheses content, that's to prevent web spiders from harvesting my email address.
brodie
06-14-07, 04:07 PM
yesterday,i went to a bikeshop that was clear across town,thats been there like 75 years.
I THINK I HAVE HIT THE MOTHERLODE.
One of the guys takes a look at my wheel and,shows me about 30 different 27 x 1 1/4 wheels in,different alloys ,metals ,blah,blah,blah.
he took a long time with me,then he sells me his old wheelset off of his peugeot.tires and,all. $20.00 FOR BOTH.
ARAYA RIMS,36 spokes,shimano deore hubs,panaracer pasela tires,shimano freewheel on the rear, $20 FOR BOTH. the tires are the kevlar belted tires and,have a lot of life left on them.
this will be MY BIKESHOP,FROM NOW ON.
brodie
06-14-07, 04:17 PM
I forgot what i was trying to say which was,i have solved my wheel problem..
and tom stormcrowe- must be able to see into the future or something,because he said look for araya rims,BECAUSE THEY WERE STRONG. And he is correct. i can tell the difference.the bike just feels so much more up under me now.
i think this must have something to do with the spokes also.
these spokes are much thicker,than were in the original wheel.i see now,that the originally installed spokes were like wire compared to these.
not being a veteran yet,i dont know what gauge they are,but i know now that i want good rims with THICK SPOKES.
I am now gonna go get a spare set of wheels off of ebay and,take the other bikes over to this shop and,let them do the work for me.
Halthane
06-14-07, 08:00 PM
Yeah, Araya rims are really beautiful. Both of my two favorite bikes use arayas, smooth, and supple, but still plenty stiff.
I would see about having your local shop build wheels for you. As far as spoke thickness goes, most of the wheele-builders out there that are known particularly for building, reliable, durable, practical wheels for heavier riders will use a butted spoke. It will be thicker at each end than in the middle. This has several relevant benefits for the heavier rider/touring cyclist/tandemist. If you want the engineering/physics detailed explanation let me know and I'll get you the links.
Also ask most of the guys in this forum, or in the mechanics forum and they will tell use that the quality of hub/rim/spokes in the wheel build is in many cases second in importance to the builder of the wheel. You can buy a "high-end" machine built 36 spoke wheel with high end parts that is far inferior to a wheel uilt with "lower end" components by an experienced builder.
I'll cut my diatribe off here...
but for more info you could check out
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/Wheels.asp
http://sheldonbrown.com/wheels/index.html
Sheldon's Website is among the most valuable internet resources on cycling i have found.
Thanks for reading,
Paul
Tom Stormcrowe
06-14-07, 08:03 PM
I forgot what i was trying to say which was,i have solved my wheel problem..
and tom stormcrowe- must be able to see into the future or something,because he said look for araya rims,BECAUSE THEY WERE STRONG. And he is correct. i can tell the difference.the bike just feels so much more up under me now.
i think this must have something to do with the spokes also.
these spokes are much thicker,than were in the original wheel.i see now,that the originally installed spokes were like wire compared to these.
not being a veteran yet,i dont know what gauge they are,but i know now that i want good rims with THICK SPOKES.
I am now gonna go get a spare set of wheels off of ebay and,take the other bikes over to this shop and,let them do the work for me.
Not looking into the future, I was just an Uberuberuberuberclyde once upon a time @ 581 pounds and was still at 450 when I resumed riding!:D