Bicycle Mechanics - out of round rims... big guy

purchased a 2004 trek 6700 a few months ago, and have been commuting to work 3 or 4 days a week (26 miles round trip) So far I have about 600 miles on it, I have dropped about 20 pounds, and am now down to about 265 pounds. I am reallly starting to get frustrated because it seems like every time i hit a decent sized bump now my rim goes out of round. Is there a rim you would recomend for me? Does one exist that is bullet proof, and would simply ELIMINATE this problem? does it have any draw backs? is there one with 32 spokes so i can keep my origional hubs? Would i just be better off getting different hubs? HELP!!

Also what should it cost for the rim? what is a fair price for LBS to build the wheel?

More spokes. Rims are not very strong by themselves. It's the spoke tension that makes them strong. More spokes will take more load before the bottom spokes lose tension and stop supporting the rim.

You may also want to increase you tire width, if possible or decrease tire pressure. Larger tires and/or lower pressure may provide enough additional shock absorbing to prevent the wheel from going untrue.

Mavic Open Pros are considered to be very bulletproof. They are available in 32 holes. 36 spokes would be stronger though.

it has maverick rims now. with a shimono rear hub, alloy front hub. http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2004/mountain/6700.jsp

Open pros are for road bikes, this is a mountain bike :-)

Sun Rynolites are cheap and strong. The Sun Ditchwitch and Mammoth are both strong too.

does anyone think maybe i should just keep the rims i have now, and just practice straightning them? i should lose another 20 pounds or so pretty quick

Wheel truning isn't very hard. Tighten the spoke nipple the direction you need the rim to go, and loosen the one next to it and opposite. Use the brakes as a guide. Have your LBS true them first to have a good starting point. If you need to, as a get limp home measure, you can open the brake on a wheel. Buy a good spoke wrench.

does anyone think maybe i should just keep the rims i have now, and just practice straightning them? i should lose another 20 pounds or so pretty quick

Another vote for Rhynolites. A fair price would be around $150.00 on your existing hubs or $200 on new LX hubs (my recommendation). You can probably save a little money on a pre-built set. Your brakes will require a major adjustment.

Learning to true your own wheels is a good skill to have, but it's no substitute for correcting the core problem.

For fixing an dent you need to tighten the spoke at about 45 degrees either side of the dent. I used to have terrible touble with my wheels (700c), until I changed from a single walled rim to a deep section double walled rim. Double butted spokes 14/15 guage would also help, because the thinner middle section will stretch more under shock loads.

Another vote for Rhynolites. A fair price would be around $150.00 on your existing hubs or $200 on new LX hubs (my recommendation). You can probably save a little money on a pre-built

That's a bit pricey (then again my reference point is a handbuilt set of Dura-Ace/Open Pros tracks for $215). My last set, RhynoLites laced to Shimano LX hubs, were $89/pair on PricePoint. Looks like they are $99 today.

Rhyno's (http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/13297-365_SHILB4-3-Parts-75-Wheelsets/Shimano-LX-Wheelset--w_-Sun-Rhyno-Lite-Rims.htm)

Yeah, thier prebuilt. I've purchased two sets of Rhyno/Shimano in the past year (for different rides) and have only had to do some minor tweaking to one front wheel after a couple hundred miles. The only other complaint I had was the putz's somehow managed to send me a pair with one rim drilled Presta the other Schrader. And I'm a Clyde at 235+.

And the bit about learning to true is spot on.

that is an awesome price. are the wheels built correctly from this place? anybody had any troubles ordering from these people? Thanks for the link!! this is for the pair right?

that is an awesome price. are the wheels built correctly from this place? anybody had any troubles ordering from these people? Thanks for the link!! this is for the pair right?I got my Rhyno Lites on XT disc hubs from them almost two years ago and haven't had a single problem using them off road. Did I mention I'm 6'4" 250 and I'm NOT a finesse rider?

that is an awesome price. are the wheels built correctly from this place? anybody had any troubles ordering from these people? Thanks for the link!! this is for the pair right?

Sure is. Yes. No. Your Welcome. Correct.

two more questions guys and gals... then i will leave you alone. 1.) what one is my best bet? Note: i do not have disc brakes. 2.) how hard is it to set up the rear wheel as far as buting gear cluster on and stuff, and do i need any special tools?
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Shimano LX Wheelset w/ Sun Rhyno Lite Rims
Price Point $99.98

Shimano LX black/silver M570 hubs built on silver 32 hole Sun Rhyno Lite rims. Laced up with 14 guage spokes and brass nipples. Includes skewers.
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Shimano XT M760 W/ Mavic 717 Rims
Price Point $169.98 - $199.98

New black XT M760 hubs built on silver or black Mavic 717 rims. M760 hubs have cup & cone bearings with double contact seals. The 717 rims are welded and machined for superior strength and braking control. 32 hole, 14/15 guage spokes, alloy nipples. Includes skewers.

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Shimano XT Wheelset w/ Mavic x517 Rims
Price Point $159.98

32H Mavic X517 silver rims, alloy nipples. DT double butted spokes. Includes skewers.
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Shimano XT Wheelset w/ Sun Rhyno Lite Rims
Price Point $119.98

Includes front and rear wheels built with Shimano XT hubs with skewers. 14/15 Gauge spokes
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I'm a Shimano LX / Rhyno fan, as if you hadn;t figured that one out. As far as moving the cassette from one to the other, you'll need the appropriate tools. Assuming its Shimano compatible

Lock Ring Tool (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=99&subcategory=1234&brand=&sku=6744&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=)

Chain Whip (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=99&subcategory=1234&brand=&sku=10529&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=)

Note I've pointed to the less expensive tools at Nashbar. For someone whos gonna do a job once a blue moon, these work just fine. Your local LBS might have similarly priced items. Or you could just ask them to do it for you.

As for the specifics on how to do it

Tell Me How (http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQcogs.shtml)

PS: Don't forget the rim tape. Nothing sucks like getting new rims and realizing you forgot the rim tape.

I made a call to my LBS to see if their prices compared... he still hasn't called me back with a quote, but when i told him about the wheels, he needed to know if my cluster had 8 or 9 cogs. are wheels built any differently if have 8 compared to 9? I just ordered the wheelsets from pricepoint, and want to make sure i didn't order the wrong thing!

I'm 260lbs
Several points:
What info does anybody have about double butted spokes stretching more under shock loads?
Manufacturer advertizing? In lab tests? mmm? If I were to state something as general as that I would say more material in a straight/single 14ga. spoke would not only be less like to flex in the first place but more material would stretch farther.

Thicker gauge stronger wheel but more weight.

The mavic rims, double wall, steel spoke ferrels (rim holes) welded seams, and coutinuous rim width, good stuff.

hubs; one piece cast aluminum hub from shimano all good, price points are for differences in axle material, hardness of bearing surfaces, ability to seal out mother nature.

I would opt for any of the xt hubs with either mavic rim 517 or 717. But it is not my money. My only concern with the less expesive hubs is the strength of the axles (unknown to me) I don't know that they are bad either.

As you are finding out, with bicycles you can worry yourself to death trying to figure out what to buy.
which is best, what's the best value, will the less expensive wheels work "just as good"????

My biggest concern is that you are having this many problems with the stock wheelset. Are you taking your weight off of the saddle when you hit an obstacle? Placing all of your weight on the pedals and handle bars by getting your butt off the seat will do wonders for your wheels. Why???? cause when in that position you are much more able to absorb shock with your body. ie elbows, knees, ankles. We used to see small riders with all kinds of wheel problems and big riders with none.

p.s. never under any circumstances reduce air pressure in you tires to absorb shock better. If this is done, you will allow the side wall of the tire to be soft enough to let the rim hit the obstacle instead of rolling over it and transferring the blow through the rest of the bike and the rider. Tire pressure ratings are there for a reason. Also I doubt the person who recommended that weighs as much as you or I. Please apply a reasoned thought process to anything you read here including this! Good luck.

Most people would recommend a 36 spoke rear for a heavier rider, but for the most part, if you are finding that a wheel on a new bike is constantly going out of true, the wheel has was not properly tensioned and stress relieved by the factory and/or LBS. Stock bikes come with machine made wheels that are superficially true but may have both under-tensioned and unevenly tensioned spokes. A decent wheel builder can retension and stress relieve the spokes to produce a wheel that is much less likely to go out of true. There are endless threads on the topic at rec.bicycles.tech, with the resident expert being Jobst Brandt, who has expounded at length on these topics. I would try that before buying new wheels.

The LBS where you bought the bike may or may not have a competent wheelbuilder. Ask around for who is the best in your area.

Indolent58 just out of curiosity, how much do you weigh?

I made a call to my LBS to see if their prices compared... he still hasn't called me back with a quote, but when i told him about the wheels, he needed to know if my cluster had 8 or 9 cogs. are wheels built any differently if have 8 compared to 9? I just ordered the wheelsets from pricepoint, and want to make sure i didn't order the wrong thing!

These hubs are 8/9 speed compatible, you'll be fine.

Indolent58 just out of curiosity, how much do you weigh?

220 down from 250.

hey, I just read this post and I really dont have any wheel recommendations (aside from getting a wheel with more spokes that will be more bomb proof), but I wanted to say that I think its awesome that both mcavana and Indolent58 have both been riding and losing weight. Thats really impressive to be in your mid to upper 200's and losing by bike riding. It just shows you that all the carb cutting and fad bullsh1t diets mean nothing, you just need to get on your bike and ride. I just wanted to say congrats to both of you.

Keep up the good work!