If you have a problem with a bike that is only one year old, check with the dealer. You might be able to get the wheel fixed under warranty.

With bikes under $1,000, the wheels are often the weakest link. Unless owners are careful to keep their wheels perfectly trued, and keep the tires at optimum PSI, the chance of a problem with a wheel is fairly high.

I would not buy a new bike because my old bike had a problem with a wheel. That would be like buying a new truck, because your old truck got a flat tire. Tune-ups, wheel truing, and replacement of worn and damaged parts is simply a routine part of owning a bike.

Most of my bikes are twenty or twenty-five years old. And, with reasonable care, they ought to last as long as I will...hopefully for another twenty years or so.