Bicycle Mechanics - Rim question

So I bent my front rim over the weekend after crashing into a tree. Here's my question, does it make more sense from a budget minded standpoint to just buy a new front wheel, or attempt to have the LBS salvage the hub (assuming it's not a loss) and have them build a wheel? The hub is an OEM Forumla hub, nothing blinged out or anything and I don't plan on going all out on either a new wheel or an awesome rim if rebuild is an option.

So I bent my front rim over the weekend after crashing into a tree. Here's my question, does it make more sense from a budget minded standpoint to just buy a new front wheel, or attempt to have the LBS salvage the hub (assuming it's not a loss) and have them build a wheel? The hub is an OEM Forumla hub, nothing blinged out or anything and I don't plan on going all out on either a new wheel or an awesome rim if rebuild is an option.

At cheaper levels, it's usually easier/faster to buy a complete replacement wheel. Shop labor is pretty expensive compared to "factory" wheels. A rebuild done by hand would probably be more durable, but if you're crashing into trees, you're probably better off with disposable parts.

What kind of tree was it?

At cheaper levels, it's usually easier/faster to buy a complete replacement wheel. Shop labor is pretty expensive compared to "factory" wheels. A rebuild done by hand would probably be more durable, but if you're crashing into trees, you're probably better off with disposable parts.

Thanks. Took a bad line & that's all she wrote for my front wheel.

Not sure what that crash was like to think your front hub wouldn't still function, but at that quality level a prebuilt wheel will likely be more cost effective, possibly even if you provided your own labor.

What kind of tree was it?

Beats me, the kind that is sticking out at a 45 degree angle on some off camber singletrack w/ its root ball squeezing the tolerance for poor trail sight to a narrow few inches and awaiting the folly of an incorrect mental calculation.

Thanks for the details.
I had imagined a lone vertical tree in the middle of a nicely manicured flat and isolated field.
Your mishap no longer seems lame.

Nah, it was still lame. The endo would've impressed, I'm sure, though. One minute clipped in, the next flying through the air and doing the dirt belly landing.

Chances are a new rim + spokes will run you about 75-100 bucks. Labor varies but should be about 50.

A pre built front wheel should be about 75-100. You might also have to pay to have them trued in 200 miles ($0-$35). You may also be able to ebay the hub but mention it is a salvage.

Been there, done that - have the x-rays. A pre-built wheel will be lest costly and more disposable. In my opinion, the best value for many is a factory wheel "touched up" or tensioned by a wheel man. Factory machines rarely tension well. I folded my front wheel in a race last season and went through the same set of choices. I rebuilt but it was not the cheaper choice. I only did it because I do my own and wanted a rim/hub combination that is not commonly available(Velocity/XT-Disc/Wheelsmith) and had just built the wheels a couple of months prior. Trails bring a whole other dimension to wheel durability. You can have a great wheel built to last just come apart with a poor line choice. Mine was deep sand in a corner. Those wheels can take most anything I can throw at them but not when they end up sideways in 6" of sand.

Thanks for the answers. Yeah, I've been lucky, most of my bad lines were relatively forgiving. This one stopped me dead and fast. Don't know how I ended up clipped out, actually. I'll probably go the machine built route.

+1 on all of the suggestions concerning going with a complete wheel. Definitely the cost effective option.

Suggestion for you, though: keep the old hub and spokes, find a used or super-cheap rim (like $1 at a swap) and start teaching yourself how to build wheels. Hopefully the spoke length will work out close enough for education purposes. My strategy has been to good rims (Bontrager usually) on great, well maintained hubs (XT, XTR), and rebuild the wheel myself on those rare occasions that I crack/dent/otherwise ruin a rim. This way I have good quality wheels while on a budget.

PM me if you want spoke calculating spreadsheet that I found on-line somewhere. It works great.

+1 on all of the suggestions concerning going with a complete wheel. Definitely the cost effective option.

Suggestion for you, though: keep the old hub and spokes, find a used or super-cheap rim (like $1 at a swap) and start teaching yourself how to build wheels. Hopefully the spoke length will work out close enough for education purposes. My strategy has been to good rims (Bontrager usually) on great, well maintained hubs (XT, XTR), and rebuild the wheel myself on those rare occasions that I crack/dent/otherwise ruin a rim. This way I have good quality wheels while on a budget.

PM me if you want spoke calculating spreadsheet that I found on-line somewhere. It works great.


Hey, thanks. Yeah definitely would be interested in the spreadsheet. I suppose I could learn to choose better lines, but in the event that doesn't happen, can't hurt to start adding to the "man, that was a stupid move" parts bin & learning to lace my own.