Cracked rim. Help!
 

I have had a small crack in my rear wheel near a spoke for a little bit and it has gradually worsened. I was messing around with it last night and boom the spoke popped out. Is there a way to repair a cracked rim or am I just sol and have to buy a new wheel set? They are Xero Lite XSR-4's btw.

just buy a new rim.

how do you feel about explosions?

SOL.

If you can get the same rim, tape it right next to the old one and transfer the spokes 1 by 1. Then build up some tension, true, repeat. If you don't have to tools then you can have a shop do it for fairly cheap.

I like explosions

You're going to have to rebuild the wheel with a new rim and spokes. The hub is very likely perfectly fine. The bike shop will do it for you for the price of parts (rim and spokes) and around $60 for labor. Or you can learn to do it yourself. It isn't hard.

Go to Sheldon Brown's wheelbuilding site for instructions.

Well there's your problem...:thumb:

Are you asking if you can repair the rim??? If so the answer is an emphatic "NO".

Can you save the wheel? Technically. You will find the following - The rim will take a while to get from the 'manufacturer' because Xero is a Formula brand and is typically only sold to OEMs for use as cheap house brand wheels on new bikes. Formula is located in Taiwan. Have fun with that.

Also if you do get a new rim then anyone lacing it will want to put new spokes on it. $

In the end you will end up with the same crappy cheap house brand wheel that will fail on you again - maybe in a new but just as craptasticly entertaining way. yay for you! ;)

My advice is to do one of the following - buy a replacement wheel. Get a decent wheel if you have the $$. Get another cheapo disposable wheel if you don't have the $$.

I have had luck with Formula hubs and actually perfer some of their models in some of my builds. You could just go and get a nice rim and new spokes and have it built up around that hub if it's worth saving. That would kind of be a decent option to help save money but end up with a handbuilt wheel on decent spokes and rim.....just a thought...

Any ideas where I could find this rim? I have tried ebay, craigslist, and some online stores with no luck

I was beat to the punch....;) :thumb:

Ah, it's a tricky low spoke count wheel.

Dude, replace it or have a shop rebuild it (it will cost more than $60 for the low spoke count wheel). Don't try rebuilding yourself. You can do it by getting a standard 24 spoke rim (velocity makes rims drilled for 24 spokes) and lacing it in a more traditional way (as opposed to paired spoke), but 24 spokes is a bit too few for a first time wheelbuild.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/I...al/23419-5.jpg

They put the spoke holes so close together... no wonder why it failed.

Well I don't plan on being Lance, just a college student that likes to road bike. Got the bike back in the summer. With that being said, what are some recommendations for a new wheel set that isn't going to kill me in price but gets the job done?

Open Pro w/ Ultegra hubs from Performance

Cheapest, most durable, decent quality wheelset you'll find anywhere. I ride them on most of my bikes; I've been riding for 10 years and in my second year racing, and they are definitely up to the task. Performance doesn't have the best of wheelbuilds, but they are definitely the cheapest, and the build is sufficient.

If the budget is tight just get the one you need for now rather than a set but you can get a set of Forté Titan Road Wheelset at Performance for $159.98 on sale or just the Forté Titan Front Wheel @ $79.99 or the Forté Titan Rear Wheel $89.99 they are not bad wheels for the money I know someone with a set and they have held up well.

If you like you're teeth, you should get a new wheel.

The Forte' rear wheel for $90 is about what you'd pay to get your wheel rebuilt with new rim and spokes (the price can go higher or lower depending on the price of the rim and spokes, and labor charges in your area. I think the last one I had done was $120 but I live in an expensive area and it was a good rim).

I've had a set of older Forte wheels. As long as you retension them they are ok, and a good deal for the price. Ultegra/Open Pro wheels from Performance would also require retensioning for longest life... inexpensive wheels are all machine built and usually not tensioned enough.

If you have a Performance store nearby get the wheel there. Performance tends to overcharge for shipping.

Ewwwwwww....Me no likey....paired spokey....damn trendy....bontragey

+Eleventy billion. It's like we were separated at birth. BTW - mom sends her regards and told me to tell you to put a sweater on.

What if he doesn't?

I guess...tread on.

Paired + low spoke count? Uh, I retract my earlier advice.

Yea, but this is worse than Bontrager. At least they put the spoke holes far enough apart that you can fit a spoke wrench between them.

And about the Titans... My instincts are that, while cheaper, they are likely the same weight or heavier than the Ultegra/OPs, but with fewer spokes, meaning they won't be very durable.

Choose two: low cost/tricky spokes/durability. The Performance house brand wheels (Titans) choose the low cost/tricky spokes combo, which is probably not the best of combinations if you want a wheel to last a long time.

The Titans are lighter than the OP/Ultegra combo. I have had a few sets of both of them over the years. The Titans are great for use on the trainer. Everytime I rode them outside - while I liked them they tend to last just as long as any other cheap prebuilt - not long.

Even the machine built OP/U's will last much longer.

That's one of the dangers of low spoke count wheels.

You'll need a new rim, at a minimum.