Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Bicycle Mechanics
Reload this Page >

Wheel stregth for heavy rider

Notices
Bicycle Mechanics Broken bottom bracket? Tacoed wheel? If you're having problems with your bicycle, or just need help fixing a flat, drop in here for the latest on bicycle mechanics & bicycle maintenance.

Wheel stregth for heavy rider

Old 05-13-12, 11:33 AM
  #26  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
You might consider skyway tough wheels, fiberglass reinforced nylon..

But they are single speed , in 26" and smaller sizes.
fietsbob is offline  
Old 05-14-12, 09:33 AM
  #27  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 5,198
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 137 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 81 Times in 64 Posts
Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
The real question is: "What should I do now?"

1. It's a private sale. Tell the buyer the bike was good when you sold it so now it's his problem.
2. True and tension the wheel for him. If you detension all of the spokes how true will the rim be? This might involve more time and money than you want to invest.
3. Give the man his money back.

Frankly, I don't like any of those options.
"vintage road bike", no warranty implied.
LeeG is offline  
Old 05-14-12, 10:03 AM
  #28  
Friendship is Magic
 
3alarmer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 22,896

Bikes: old ones

Mentioned: 304 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26211 Post(s)
Liked 10,177 Times in 7,060 Posts
Originally Posted by septacycles
Greeting all,

I recently sold a vintage trek road bike to a heavy rider. The frame is a 52 cm wheels were true and had good tension before I sold it. Bike came back a few days later with the rear wheel completely out of true. It had not occurred to me that the rider maybe too heavy for the vintage wheels. wheels are 32 hole front and rear. Rider is probably 200 lbs ... frame size was right for him.

Is there anything I can do make sure the wheels stay true. Or should I just take the bike back and tell him unfortunately his is too heavy for the wheels and I can't say the wheels will stay true. Should I advise him to get a higher spoke count wheelset?
If both of these are true, then something else has happened
and this person is not sharing with you all the information you
need to understand what happened.

Like so many others who've responded, I'm well north of 200#
and regularly ride a variety of 36 and 32 spoked wheels on a
large collection of road bikes.

i would ask you how you know the wheels had "good tension"
without a tensiometer ?

Otherwise........**** happens and wheels are one of the places
it happens quickly with people who do not understand their
limitations. I'd sure be reluctant to say anything except, "Gee,
that's too bad. Maybe you ought to think about getting yourself
some mechanical training so you can fix your stuff when it breaks?"
__________________
3alarmer is online now  
Old 05-14-12, 02:55 PM
  #29  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Fort Collins CO
Posts: 398

Bikes: Too many to count alway changing

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Well... I had the wheel trued and tensioned by a more professional mechanic friend of mine than my self. The guy took it for a ride and it came back totally worse than before... I took the bike back and gave a refund. In the end I just don't think it was the right bike for this guy. We were both disappointed... I rode the bike before returning it once the wheel was true and it rode fine no wheel issue.

It was a 52 cm trek elance frame with 700c rims laced to mailard hubs... I'll have to replace the rear wheel now and sell it to a lighter rider. Lesson learned.
septacycles is offline  
Old 05-14-12, 03:44 PM
  #30  
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 13

Bikes: Litespeed, Kestral, Schwinn

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
200 lbs isn't too much caus' I carry that myself. I use 32 spoke wheels and that's not a problem either, it just maybe a while since the wheels had been trued and the combo of additional weight. The guy can get the wheels redished and that should be fine.
JD Dixon is offline  
Old 05-14-12, 03:58 PM
  #31  
Senior Member
 
gyozadude's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Sunnyvale, California
Posts: 1,180

Bikes: Bridgestone RB-1, 600, T700, MB-6 w/ Dirt Drops, MB-Zip, Bianchi Limited, Nashbar Hounder

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
If you still have time and inclination, something to try is to de-tension all the spokes and then with tire and tube removed, examine the rim edge-wise to see if the rim is relatively flat and in the same plane.

I've purchased a few used bikes over the years, and one thing I've learned over the years is the tendencies by some sellers to try to touch up wheels that have been previously potato-chipped. Perhaps not too badly, but enough to cause the wheel to warp further under even moderately heavy riders. And you can tell initially by examining the true and just squeezing spokes for tension. You will see the rim pull to one side, but the spokes on that side aren't very tight.

I often confirm my suspicions if I still deem the price okay to buy. When the bike gets home, I loosen and remove all the spokes on the suspect wheel and inevitably, I'll lay the rim down on a flat surface and I'll usually see it's not flat. There are times when I look around lug-work and find minor paint cracks around the head tube for example, and I'll know the frame and wheel have been damaged before.

You might want to do that with your bike and at least figure out if the wheel has been damaged.
gyozadude is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
sdmc530
General Cycling Discussion
32
05-20-18 10:18 AM
robortiz59
Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)
27
06-01-12 07:02 PM
Biggziff
Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)
7
08-04-11 08:13 AM
cappuccino911
Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)
9
10-07-10 04:02 PM
EasyDoesIt
Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)
15
07-16-10 12:42 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.