Bicycle Mechanics - Bent rim - repair or replace?

My son's friend hammered a curb with this rim. It hit hard.
This is not only bent at the bead but it is out of round enough that you can see the spoke head floating above the rim.
Can this be repaired or is it time to replace it?

TIA

You'll need a new rim for this one.
Be sure to keep the tires fully inflated for every ride.

Al

I'd replace. I've pulled out small dents on rims before with no bad results but I'd bet if you tried to hammer that back in you'd crack the aluminum. That's just too much deformation imo, get a new rim.

Thanks for the quick response!
One more question - the other wheel has no bead damage but there is a flat spot were several spokes are loose - can that be bent out with a mallet or something?

Thanks for the quick response!
One more question - the other wheel has no bead damage but there is a flat spot were several spokes are loose - can that be bent out with a mallet or something?

Maybe, use some blocks of wood and a hard rubber mallet. You may have to remove some spokes. And you may have to remove the cassette or freewheel to remove the spokes. Sometimes it's easier to replace the rim.

Al

Good advice Al! The rubber mallet did the trick. It will forever have a slight flat spot but not enough to interfere with the brakes.

Thanks!

FWIW, in most cases, it's more cost effective to replace the entire wheel. Unless, of course, you have a very high end wheel with very good quality spokes and hub.

For a bike that costs under $500, just go for a replacement wheel. Most times you can get a wheel for less than the cost of a new rim and a rebuild.

My son's friend hammered a curb with this rim. It hit hard.
This is not only bent at the bead but it is out of round enough that you can see the spoke head floating above the rim.
Can this be repaired or is it time to replace it?

TIA

Yup. That rim is shot. Send a pic of the front rim for an opinion.

Sounds like your son and his friends are hard on bikes. If you go to a bike shop, they might charge you more for the wheels than for a whole Walmart bike. Consider buying a Walmart bike as a replacement - or even just for the wheels until he outgrows the age of destruction - OR make him pay for the wheels out of his own money so that he learns to take care of his bike.

You can cob some damaged rims back to life - especially for kids bikes. You take an adjustable wrench and fix it to the side of the rim damage and bend it back in place. It is not ideal and you can feel it when you brake, but for kids who are rough on bikes, it is like putting an iron-on patch on the knees of their pants - gives you some extra mileage.