I'm as happy as I can be with a split rim; not only did I get to ride home but I got another 30 miles around town before I built the replacement. I didn't complain, I asked. I noticed the first bulge in the rim 2 years, more than 10K miles, ago. A different place eventually split. I'd rather get 2 more years out of a rim than replace at the first sign of a bulge. I won't recommend that to others.