Franco1990

Hi,

I've not been cycling long and I'm on my second bike. The first one was a cheap hybrid from Argos which gave me issues with the back wheel. The rear axle was bent and so I replaced it then found there was still play in the back wheel. I was getting up to 22 miles per cycle at the time. Took it to Halfords and they said it wouldn't be possible to get rid which was believable after spending half a day adjusting etc...

I bought a race style road bike next, a little more expensive but not spent over ₤500 as I'm not ready to spend that much and can't really afford it at the moment. Checked the back wheel and it was solid - no play. After a 22 mile ride I've come back and there is some minor play. Is this normal?

Is my weight causing it? I'm 19 stone (cycling to loose weight)

Is there a solution or shall I just keep going and tweeking after each ride?

Help much appreciated.

KevinF

What do you mean by "play"? Is the wheel sliding back on forth along its axle? Does the wheel wobble in relation to the brakes if you pick up the bike and spin the wheel by hand?

Franco1990

Play I'm referring to is a wobble in back wheel.

Juha

Franco1990, welcome to Bike Forums.

I'm moving this to Bike Mechanics (from General). Carry on...

Juha, a Forum Mod

Andrew R Stewart 

It's important to know which possible situation the OP is describing when he says "play". What most will read it as is a looseness in the hub bearings so when the rear rim/tire is held and shook side to side (with no rotation) there is a slop or play. The other possible meaning is what most would call an out of true wheel. Seen when the wheel is spinning and noting the rim's passing through the rear brake pads. Andy.

HillRider

As Andy noted "play" could either be looseness in the hub bearings or an out-of-true rim and the OP needs to determine which it is. If the bike is relatively new, the selling dealer should correct the problem and, no, it shouldn't be a reoccurring problem if the hub is adjusted properly and the spoke tension is adequate.

Wilfred Laurier

as a big rider
up to 125 kg* at times
and riding lots on rough roads
i can attest to the bearing surfaces in inexpensive hubs
not lasting too long
but 22 miles
should not be the expected life span
so take the bike back where you bought it and seek a solution

*conversion
stone? seriously?
ok whatever
(125 kg X 2.2 lbs/kg)/14 lbs/stone = 19.6 stone

Bill Kapaun

IF your wheels are going out of true, you need to have the spokes properly tensioned.
Most factory wheels are machine built and tension can vary wildly.
IME, it seems most factory hubs come with insufficient grease. More so on the low end hubs.
Whenever I build a wheel, I check the lubrication and only one time out of 10, I DON'T add.
How many spokes are your wheels. You should have at least 32 for your weight, although 28 would probably work IF properly tensioned and you have smoother roads.
I weigh 17 stone + a few pebbles.

alcjphil

It would be useful to know what bike you bought and what sort of wheels it has, specifically, how many spokes. Wheels with fewer than 32 spokes are not suitable for heavy riders

Andrew R Stewart 

Still waiting for clarification on which type of wobble is happening. Andy.

Franco1990

Getting both types of play on hybrid bike and just hub after one ride on new road bike. All my wheels are 36 spoke wheels. I'll have a look at grease.

Thanks guys.

alcjphil

It would have been much more useful had you supplied more information about your wheel than just the number of spokes. The type of hub you have is important in diagnosing the problem. It is very frustrating for people giving answers to not know what they are dealing with. The make and model of your bike would be a help. If your bike has a freewheel, your hubs may not be up to supporting your weight, if you have a cassette hub, the problem could be something else.

Franco1990

OK that's fine. As I mentioned before. I'm a novice at this. the second bike was a Viking eclipse road bike . He first bike was a clearance muddy fox hybrid.

Franco1990

A google search would bring the Viking eclipse up from discovery cycling website.

Wilfred Laurier

poor form

people are willing to give advice based on
hard won knowledge
and
information you provide

dont expect them to research details about your bike
thats your responsibility to provide

alcjphil

Your road bike suffers from the same problem that your hybrid did. It has a freewheel hub. Freewheel hubs are fine for lightweight riders, but heavy riders are pretty much guaranteed to have problems with the axle bending and breaking. This is what happened to your hybrid, and this is what will happen to your road bike. A higher quality rear wheel with a cassette hub would solve your problem

Franco1990

Thank you. That makes sense. Really appreciate this information. Thanks again.