Rolf Vector rim - is this a crack?
 

Was inspecting my $20 ebay win and noticed this on the rear rim. Taking it to the shop for a full breakdown/tuneup in a week, but trying to figure out if I need to order new rims beforehand. Any thoughts?

It definitely isn't just dirty, and doesn't feel like a seam. Front rim doesn't have a matching line anywhere unless it's under a decal, which has me thinking it's a crack. Looking at a blown up pic though it might just be paint peel.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d2aac590c0.jpg

Take off the tire and look on the inside to confirm/deny.
It sure looks to be in a bad spot to be normal. Rim joints are opposite the valve and centered between spokes.

Thanks for the advice, don't know why I didn't think of it myself. Just popped off the tire and if it is a crack it doesn't go all the way through, everything looks clean and normal on the inside.
I'll have the LBS do a more thorough check, but I won't go jump the gun and order new rims.

Looks too straight to be a crack. I'd expect it to propagate from the spoke nipple bed/eyelet and be more prominent on the other rim surface if a crack.

Does it clean off with a bit of soapy water/cleaner?
It looks like moisture might have drained out when that spoke was on the bottom.
It appears there's some corrosion at the nipple/rim juncture.

I'm leaning toward paint peel at this point. Taking a much closer look that's what it appears to be. I'll have the LBS really go over it to be sure, but I think it's ok.

Thanks for the quick responses though, they were really helpful.

At least if the rear rim comes apart while riding, you won't be pitched over the handlebar.

Still wouldn't be pleasant, though.

It’s the weld seam. I have a set of Rolf wheels and both front and rear have that same thing. As do the oval wheels I got stock on the bike when I bought it.

I don't know that any manufacturer puts the seam at a spoke hole.

Well crap, you’ve proven that I can’t look at the whole picture. Way to rat me out! I saw the line on the rim and completely didn’t see the spoke right below it.

The comments about spokes in the other posts make more sense now….

Guilty myself of that at times.

^^^^^^, it does not look like a crack to me, perhaps a drip as suggested in the above quote. Did you clean it and look inside, it also does not extend into the braking area where the pads would clean the drip.
Best, ben

I've only seen hairline cracks. It's not always easy to spot them, a close look with a clean rim is helpful.

This is the most recent rim crack, on a HED Ardennes. The wheel still rode fine, and the spoke still has tension, until the crack gets longer. I retired it.

At first, hairline cracks a few mm long. Then the spoke nipple starts pulling through the rim as the cracks get longer. It can be a slow process.
Even with a spoke pulled through, the wheel should still get you home, with some out of true wobble.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b8a4ffb2bc.jpg

...the whole picture, revisited.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0bb4227249.jpg
I assumed you meant the "drip" by the spoke? In orange.
Is the red arrow pointing to a crack or is it a scratch or hair? (but it's quite far from the spoke...)

Ha, yeah, that red arrow is pointing to cat hair. The 'drip' is what I was referring to. The more (and closer) I look at it, the more it seems like an area the paint chipped or stripped off.

Or a little atmospheric dirt/smut and condensate acts like acid rain.
Look at the crud around the nipple. Some just washed down the rim and dried. Over time you have a chemical reaction.

Regardless of what the issue is with the rim (looks like a mark rather than crack), good luck with ordering a new one, that's a proprietary rim from a company that hasn't existed for 20ish years.

That Rolf wheel was an OEM on Treks back in the early 00's, and has no relationship to the current Rolf Prima company, and they current company doesn't support any of the Trek products