Bicycle Mechanics - Bent rim

I had a pretty bad crash last saturday and getting to the point when I can hopefully get back on the bike in a couple days, nothing too bad just badly skinned in places that need articulation.

Maybe I am being overly concerned & I know people have asked similar questions, but I am really worried about the front wheel. The rim is only slightly bent but it goes through both sides. I trued it but obviously the bend is still there and spoke tension is not even.

These are cheap alex wheels and if I get a replacement I'd get the same thing. So I am not sure if it might just make more sense and be safer, considering it is a front wheel, if I spend the ~70$ and get a new wheel, sell the formula hub from the old wheel (rolls smooth) and keep the spokes for future repairs (Ive broken a couple spokes on the back wheel before). The tire didn't flat, they are marathons so that probably helped.

I also attached a picture of the stitch in the wheel, again I might be crazy but looks really pronounced now. As far as bending it back, I don't have many tools that would help that and I feel a little uncertain doing that.

252540252541

Crescent wrench, with jaws taped with eletrical tape.

Pull it out a tad, or use taps with a hammer on soft wood...

I've seen worse...

=8-)

I am really worried about the front wheel. The rim is only slightly bent but it goes through both sides. I trued it but obviously the bend is still there and spoke tension is not even.

Sounds like there are two things going on:
1) rim bent aka going out of true
2) rim flared/pinched from impact

Flared pinched brake tracks can be streightened by a number of methods. It'll help make braking smooth but won't do squat for spoke tension.
Spoke tension is kinda-sorta important. many casual/light riders can get years of use out of unbalanced wheels.

One of the differences between big city bike shops and suburban ones is that city shops fix this kind of stuff every day, while suburban shops sell new wheels.

Whether you can fix this yourself depends on your hand skill. You want to bring the dent back out as mrrabbit suggested without adding more dents, nicks or wiggles. It's one of those jobs that some do perfectly in 2 minutes, while others make a hash of it and eliminate any chance of a repair by someone else.

If you're not comfortable with your own skills, you might try bringing it is to Papillion Cycle in Arlington and asking Bailey if he's willing to give it a shot.

BTW- if you do decide to fix it, I prefer to handle this differently from mrrabbit (not necessarily better, just different). For dents like yours, I set the rim flat on the edge of my workbench with a friend or my belt holding the wheel up. I set a block of hardwood against the bent lip and hammer it down using the bench as an anvil. I find this reduces the chances of putting a concentrated local bend into the rim as can happen with the wrench.

Thanks about letting me know about that shop, haven't heard of them before for some reason. I called them, seems like a real good place. They actually recommended getting a new wheel if it is on a bike used every day, which it is, I use it as a commuter.
I'll look around some, but I think I'll just replace it for peace of mind. My current living situation is temporary so I don't have a lot of tools on hand to mess with stuff.