Rim longevity
 

I am going to have to replace my rear rim on my LHT, it will be the second in the course of a year. Right around 6000 miles since I bought the bike. The winter time seems to be rough on them, lots of rain and sand on the roads. Does this sound normal? They are the alex rims that came on the bike. Canti brakes.

Considering the wintertime aspect. yeah 6000 sounds about right.

Just re read my post, I am going on the 3rd rim, I have used up 2 in 6000 miles.

Oh. 3000 each isn't much at all. How often do you clean/replace your brake pads?

Winter riding is tough on rims. However, the choice of braking pad plays a huge role when it comes to rim wear. Some brake pads are simply rim eaters, especially the kind that collects alu flakes on the brake surface.

There are probably several good brake pads on the market, but I have settled for Kool Stop salmon colored (or dual compound for my v-brakes); They work very well in the wet and are very gentle on the rims (they do have a tendency to squeal though).

I learned it the hard way one winter. I ran out of Kool Stop pads, and just used a noname brake pad for my rear brake. After a couple of months the rear rim sidewalls where worn concave, while the front rim, using Kool Stop pads, was like new.

Another thing I like about Kool Stop Salmon colored pads is, that they haven't changed or "improved" them for many years. That means I can just buy them year after year knowing that they work like they have always done. Otherwise I would have to inspect rims and brake pads with regular intervals to make sure I hadn't gotten a "rim eater".

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Regards

I never clean the pads, rarely clean the rims. The brake pads I usually use are some cheapies from MEC. I think I will stop being a cheapskate and start using the cool stop pads. Thanks for the help.

The brake pads on the stock LHT are trash....that is your problem. I noticed substantial rim wear on my lht after about 500 miles. Replaced the stock pads with kool stops and 2500 miles later the rims show the same amount of wear.

Busted Knuckles, is it always the rear rim? The front rim I would expect to be the one wearing out as that rim supplies the most braking force, unless you (like my wife) rarely use it. Not an uncommon practice, as many have been told over the years "don't use the front or you'll fly over the handlebars!"

I find it just a little odd that it's the rear - and multiple of them, although I've seen that in a situation with a heavier rider that predominately uses the rear brake. In that case the Kool Stops you may hate, as I've found that while wonderful pads they do wear quicker than some others.

I went throught the pads that came on the bike a long time ago, CCrew, yes it is the rear that is wearing down faster. If I do use the back more, I am not aware of it. I will pay attention to that. I just installed some cyclocross levers, I will see if that makes any difference.

Can Kool Stop brake pads be used with all brakes like Shimano XTR cantilever brakes or do I need to stick with OEM pads? I have only ever had the stock pads on, but I hear so many good things about the Kool Stops I would like to try them.

I'm going on my third winter with the stock LHT rims.

they're fine.

There is something else going on with your rim.

Maybe I've been lucky but last I checked, my rims looks the same as when I bought the bike 4 yrs ago and after 10,000+ miles. I have Alex rims 500's.

They make them for pretty much most out there. For Canti's it'll be between post mount and cartridge pads.

I'm a big fan of Kool Stop pads. I've been using a gear tracker since I put the most recent set on my Cross Check. At about 1200 miles they're about half way to the bottom of the wear indicator. I paid $12 for them, so that puts them at a bout 1 cent per mile right now, and still going. So, yeah, they might wear out faster than other pads, but it's still a cheap part and it's much better than having your rim wear out.

I haven't had much problem with squeling. I experienced it for the first time recently when I put a V-brake on my Cross Check, but I think I've fixed it by adjusting the toe-in.

The rear rim tends to get a lot more dirt and grit on it when riding in bad weather - part of the problem is that spray from the front tire hits the rear parts of the bike. So you might try to use the rear brake less under those conditions. Obviously use both brakes when needed, but most stops can be handled by a single brake.

Use the LHT as a fair-weather commuter (or sell it), and get a disc brake equipped bike. Your rims will last forever.

My rims have zero wear after 7000 miles. Of course my bike has disc brakes :)

Sorry could not resist...

During winter clean the pads and rim well once a week or so. Pads are important. The Kool Stop Salmon use to be the best, but I've found the Swiss Stop Green compound to be much better. The use to be hard to find, but now with their popularity in cyclocross they are easier to find.

+ 1 clean the grid embedded in tha pads out, and keep rim's braking surface clean.