kbarch

Anyone else discover "mysterious" nicks, cuts or scratches on their rims and wonder what to do about them?

Well, at the end of today's ride I stopped by a shop to see if there was anything they could do about some such nicks. Aesthetically they don't bother me, but they make an annoying noise during braking. The guy at the shop assured me there was nothing hazardous or so bad about them (I had no doubts on that count), but of course he was eager to sell me new, lighter wheels with better hubs and so on, or just new rims, for which they'd charge $60 for re-lacing. No surprise there, either. But what I did learn is how those nicks got there. The guy explained that I have a bad habit of hitting curbs with the wheels. Not while riding, naturally, but when parking (you know, with wheels up against the curb, and the pedal down on top). I suppose some curbs are better than others, but in a lot of places, we have split-faced granite block curbs - ouch, come to think of it. I didn't imagine I was knocking the wheels up against them that hard, but evidently I was.

If the burrs are sanded off, they don't make so much noise, but other than that... gotta learn to be more careful!

Homebrew01

You need new rims, or a small bit of fine grit sandpaper and a popsicle stick.

TimothyH

Anyone who leans their bike with the rims against concrete or granite curbs should expect them to get scratched. With all due respect, I don't think it should be a surprise.

kbarch

No, it shouldn't, but I was surprised to realize how careless I'd been. It's probably worst when I come to a stop, am tired, and eager to get something to eat or drink. I don't let the bike fall on the lawn like a kid, but something like that, it seems. The worst nicks probably came when the bike got blown over when up against a curb once.

Aubergine 

Huh. Are your tires not fatter than your rims?

rpenmanparker 

Actually tires that are not fatter than the rims have become the preferred situation these days.

Aubergine 

For some, maybe. Most of the tourers, commuters, etc that I see are getting wider tires than were common years back. Or do you mean that people are getting wider rims for the same tires?

gsa103

Correct. Road rims have significantly increased in width, even "narrow" rims are typically 20mm wide at the brake track, with many popular choices being 23mm wide for 23-25mm tires. The wider rim reduces tire squirm at low pressure so the ride and handling are both improved, and makes it easier to clear the brakes for wheel removal. The drawback is that it doesn't leave much for rim protection.

Aubergine 

That's news to me! I clearly ride (and wrench) in different circles.

merlinextraligh

This. Fine file, if the nicks are substantial. Back in the day, with conventional aluminum rims, this was pretty much regular maintenance

kbarch

They are, but 1.5mm (22mm rims with 25mm tires) isn't enough to make a difference.

These are conventional box section, but do you mean there is an alternative, more modern material - other than carbon?

merlinextraligh

Carbon would be one difference. Seems to me, it was more common to have nicked rims years ago. I think al rims have gotten stronger over the years. It may just be I was tougher on my wheels as a kid.