Banging a snake bite out of a rim
 

I wrecked on my bike the other day and put a nice little ding in one of my Velocity Deep V's. It looks like the tire is keeping pressure, but it just bugs me out. I was just wondering if there are any proven ways for a novice to fix this, or if I should just take this to the LBS. Thanks.

Probably not the best thing to do, but I banged, or rather used a pair of pliers to fix a rim once. I still use the wheel but consider it significantly weakened. I don't use it for any high speed stuff anymore. It is a freewheel and the only reason i straightened it was because it messed with the brakes. If yours doesn't use a brake I would probably just let it be. Bending it again will only further weaken it. I'm not a mechanic, just letting you know my thoughts on it.
Edit: I'm guessing the bike shop would say the rim is garbage now.

I straightened a wheel with pliers. Bike shop had declared it scrap. Can't even tell where it was messed up anymore.

I wouldn't use pliers but instead a cresent wrench. I start on a good section and slowly reshape the wall of the rim. I've done it to several rims without issue.

Now that you mention it I think I actually used an adjustable wrench too.

def adjustable wrench- also good for semi sorting bent chainrings.

just take it easy while bending and it should be ok.

I've got a nice ding in my rear rim on the fixee which happened around Thanksgiving, I still haven't bothered to fix it and it's holding up fine. I think the only real problem would be that extended brake usage would tempt an explosive destruction of the rim side wall.

*paging gmcaptain*

thats pretty much something we would actually DO at my bike shop, based on the customer's request at least. Although we work on a lot of ghetto bikes, I don't think we've done it to a halfway decent rim like a Deep V.
But yeah man, you pretty much hit the nail on the head with that one.

i was in the same situation with a cxp33 rim recently-

best way is actually with a couple of adjustable wrenches- put one on each side, and have yer friend hold them, to prevent you from bending the rest of the rim, then put a third on the dent, and carefully bend it back out.

then start saving for a new rim. if you get a new deep v, you can probably re-use the spokes and nipples.