Wheel flat spot

[padams10003]

I recently bought a Giant Downhill Comp (06 i believe). The price was too good to knock back.

However, being a newbie, I didn't go over the bike very well when I picked it up. Yesterday I noticed that the rear wheel has a flat spot and 3 or 4 loose spokes.

My question is if I am to ride the bike as is, what is the likelihood of a rim failure? Or should I play it safe and get a new rim/wheel?

 

[steve24]

use a shifter or 2 to get the rim back in shape, re tension spokes.

 

[T-Rex]

The flat spot itself is not a problem.

The loose spokes are. So are any cracks.

Have a close look around the spoke eyelets for cracks. Then tighten the spokes and true the wheel. You might find out you run out of thread on the spokes. You can install shorter spokes if you run out of thread, just go 2mm shorter.

At some point you will want to replace that rim, but if you are just starting out, you might as well keep running it until its completely stuffed.

 

[stirk]

Post a photo mate.

Going as fast as we do downhill I would not risk injury using a structurally compromised rim or tolerate loose spokes and still going for a ride.

 

[T-Rex]

use a shifter or 2 to get the rim back in shape, re tension spokes.

OP, are we talking about a flat spot, where the entire rim is pushed in, or a ding, where just the edge of the rim is folded in a bit? Steve's advice for a ding is correct, straightening a flat spot is really hard, not worth the trouble IMO.

Maybe a photo wold clarify?

 

[padams10003]

It's definetly a flat spot as well as a couple of dings. I took a photo, but it doesn't really show much as the rim stickers cover the dings.

I'm going to take it into the shop tomorrow and see what they say.

 

[wesdadude]

I was in a shop today and I've got the same problem with a flat spot in the rim. Unlike dings, you can't fix flat spots. It's still rideable, the rim or wheel will just need replacing later.

Tension up the wheel and then run it until it blows. Alternatively you could get in early and replace the rim.

 

[padams10003]

I ended up taking it into the shop (where they said it wasn't fixable) and got a new rim. When they undid the spokes the old rim split in half so it was probably for the best that I replaced it.

 

[slippy]

:O

You just dodged a bullet.