How much lateral movement of the rims is too much?

Binaural

Eats Squid
I've been really starting to notice the amount of sideways deflections my roadie rims get (Easton EA-50s). They are stout rims and in good shape, but when I grasp the rim with my hand and try and deflect them sideways I can foul the brake pad on either side without exerting myself. My brake levers have a fairly normal engagemetn point of perhaps halfway. Is this sort of movement typical? Should I be running my brakes even further away from the rims than I do? I weigh around 95-100kg, ride wearing a fairly heavy bag and like to toss the bike around hard.

Note: Replaced the cartridge wheel bearings in the rear last week - this removed the slop, and the wheels feel a bit stiffer, but there is still a lot of deflection.
 

jonny the boy

Likes Dirt
Have you checked the spoke tension? it shouldn't really flex that much.. check tension on them and everything else around it, maybe try another wheel if you got one and see if it does it still. might be a very flexy frame
 

Binaural

Eats Squid
Have you checked the spoke tension? it shouldn't really flex that much.. check tension on them and everything else around it, maybe try another wheel if you got one and see if it does it still. might be a very flexy frame
The frame is stout plain-gauge aluminium, I doubt it is that. I've changed the wheel bearings and had the rear wheel trued. The rims are fairly heavy and stout. I'm starting to think this has been going on all along and I just have been too stupid to notice...
 
M

markterei

Guest
check spokes

i agree with jonny, i think you should check the spoke tension, even if you had wheel trued recently bike shop might not have done a good job (i.e. trued AND tensioned).
 

Binaural

Eats Squid
are you sure it's flex and not slack hub bearing tension?
They're cartridge bearings, so I can't adjust the preload. However, I did knock out the old bearings (which were in bad shape after living through 2 European winters) and replace then with brand new ones before posting this thread.
 

dienamics

Likes Dirt
I find most of the higher end road rims have lateral movement, some more so than others (especially fronts that have radial lacing). The idea being that you cut down on the amount of spokes (more aerodynamic, less rotational weight) but still have a strong stiff wheel for radial loads.

Checking the tension is a good idea but most eastern wheels that I have worked with tend to run a higher spoke tension anyway. The down side with this the wheel or rather the spokes wont handle allot of weight. Spokes work like springs when they load up, hence why you can get away with running a lower spoke tension with a rim that has 32,36 spokes. If you load up the spokes too much you run the risk of getting high spots or popping spokes. At the end of the day (high end) road wheels are designed with roadies in mind, you know, 60/70kg jockey types.

If you want a stiffer road wheel for lateral flex, get another wheel. Mavic Aksuim's are pretty decent...
 
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