Okay, so I'm on my brand new specialized Allez and riding it pretty fast. The light in front of me turns red so i hit the breaks and got a real surprize because the front break studders and acts like it's hitting something on the rim. The rim is bent a little, and the breaks jerk horribly. I didn't do ANYTHING though! I didn't even jump down from a curb or hit a bump bigger than the width of a quarter! (brand new pavement) It did feel a little funny when I went around a corner and oversteered because I'm used to riding my mountainbike. (my fisher drives like a tractor compared to the Allez.) Could bad steering action have bent the rim? I do weigh more then most guys I see on these kind of bikes, but I'm nowhere near fat. (I work in a warehouse lifting 100lb. boxes all day) i weigh in at around 198lbs and have a total body fat ratio of 14%.

thanks for any input. BTW I trued the rim using the breaks instead of a stand. (got it closer than I ever could on my mountainbike, and the break pads still seem to catch on something. could the seam of the rim have broken?

thanks,

Gabriel

hey Gabe...

well, it could be nothing, reallly... nothing that a proper truing can't straighten out (literally)... what kind of wheels are they? If they are super light, you may opt for a more bomb-proof wheelset...ask your LBS wrench...they should be able to sort it out

good luck~

big bob

Okay, so I'm on my brand new specialized Allez and riding it pretty fast. The light in front of me turns red so i hit the breaks and got a real surprize because the front break studders and acts like it's hitting something on the rim. The rim is bent a little, and the breaks jerk horribly. I didn't do ANYTHING though! I didn't even jump down from a curb or hit a bump bigger than the width of a quarter! (brand new pavement) It did feel a little funny when I went around a corner and oversteered because I'm used to riding my mountainbike. (my fisher drives like a tractor compared to the Allez.) Could bad steering action have bent the rim? I do weigh more then most guys I see on these kind of bikes, but I'm nowhere near fat. (I work in a warehouse lifting 100lb. boxes all day) i weigh in at around 198lbs and have a total body fat ratio of 14%.

thanks for any input. BTW I trued the rim using the breaks instead of a stand. (got it closer than I ever could on my mountainbike, and the break pads still seem to catch on something. could the seam of the rim have broken?

thanks,

Gabriel


It's not uncommon to find a stock, machine built wheel goes substantially and suddenly out of true the first time it's subjected to heavy forces. The machine-building process usually doesn't allow for sufficient stress-relieving (or even particularly accurate tensioning in some cases), and most bike shops don't do much with it either before selling them. So your problem is regrettable, but not uncommon. The seller may be willing to make good with a free or discounted truing if you ask politely (and act disappointed, not mad). You should have them look over the rear wheel too, since it's subject to the same problems.

My wife had a very similar experience with her Allez, by the way. It took a good deal of work to get the wheel true because the whole thing was fairly substantially under-tensioned. I also found that the seam on the front rim wasn't as perfectly smooth as it is on my (higher-end) rims. I got it very very close to true, though, and she hasn't had problems since.

I weigh a good deal more than you, and don't have particular problems with wheels getting out of true, so if you can get your wheel true and tensioned properly, you probably won't have this problem again for quite a while.

Her brake pads were also WAY out of position, but we noticed that before she rode it.

Everybody's right, I think--it's not unusual for new wheels to go out of true after a few miles. If you don't have any more problems, I wouldn't worry about it.
Depending on the wheels, though, you could be on the heavy side. I weigh 210 when I'm in shape (which is not right now, but never mind), and I've never had much luck with fewer than 36 spokes. I can use 32s if I'm careful of them, but eventually I'll hit something and a spoke will snap or the rim just gets warpy. Anything tricker than that--radial laced, 24 spokes, whatever--is strictly for lightweights. I'd rather ride than true, so I use 36 14ga. spokes.

If the bike is new like you say, just take it to the LBS and have them true it, they should do it for free if it's new. If they say you are too heavy for the wheels and the warranty won't cover it, then don't have any of it, because they sold you the bike in the first place...

Everybody's right, I think--it's not unusual for new wheels to go out of true after a few miles. If you don't have any more problems, I wouldn't worry about it.
Depending on the wheels, though, you could be on the heavy side. I weigh 210 when I'm in shape (which is not right now, but never mind), and I've never had much luck with fewer than 36 spokes. I can use 32s if I'm careful of them, but eventually I'll hit something and a spoke will snap or the rim just gets warpy. Anything tricker than that--radial laced, 24 spokes, whatever--is strictly for lightweights. I'd rather ride than true, so I use 36 14ga. spokes.

At 240lbs, I don't find I have any problems with 32 hole triple cross wheels. I always get Mavic Open Pros, and they've been totally bombproof. I think I'm fairly easy on them by nature, but I don't baby them by any stretch. I think my preference for 25c tires also helps, as the larger tire is a bit more forgiving than the 21s I rode back in the day (when I only weighed 180).

I agree that you should probably be a bit wary of low spoke-counts and such at weights over 180 or so, but even that's not a definite rule. It depends on how well-built the wheels are and how hard you are on them.

Okay, so I'm on my brand new specialized Allez and riding it pretty fast. The light in front of me turns red so i hit the breaks and got a real surprize because the front break studders and acts like it's hitting something on the rim. The rim is bent a little, and the breaks jerk horribly. I didn't do ANYTHING though! I didn't even jump down from a curb or hit a bump bigger than the width of a quarter! (brand new pavement) It did feel a little funny when I went around a corner and oversteered because I'm used to riding my mountainbike. (my fisher drives like a tractor compared to the Allez.) Could bad steering action have bent the rim? I do weigh more then most guys I see on these kind of bikes, but I'm nowhere near fat. (I work in a warehouse lifting 100lb. boxes all day) i weigh in at around 198lbs and have a total body fat ratio of 14%.

thanks for any input. BTW I trued the rim using the breaks instead of a stand. (got it closer than I ever could on my mountainbike, and the break pads still seem to catch on something. could the seam of the rim have broken?

thanks,

Gabriel


This is a very remote, outside shot in the dark. If the wheels are made perfectly true, and there's no sharp seam ticking away at the brake pads every revolution, AND you still get a studder when you apply the front brake, it could be a loose headset.
You said the bike was new. New bikes often needs adjustment to the headset and other parts after an initial break-in period. A loose headset will create a studdering feeling to the front end when you apply the front brake.

And Gabe, the truing on the bike I'm sure was just fine. But next time try using a tooth pick or wood kabob skewer taped to the fork (or rear stay) as a pointer while trueing.

Thanks for all the wonderful info. I actually took the bike back to the shop today and discovered that i have whole lifetime of free wheel truing and tuneups. (I'm a regular at my LBS) I also found out that the seam of the rim is actually faulty. (it broke all the way when testing the spoke tension on the opposite side of the wheel.) so now I have a brand new brandnew wheel for my brand new bike. he he I love having a brand new bike. Anyway, maybe I don't need to upgrade my rims because the wrench at the LBS says that the alex da-16 rims are usually pretty bomb proof if manufactured correctly. They are 36 hole rims, but the front wheel has the spokes going straight out from the hub while the rear rim's spokes cross eachother. appearently the only reason the rear spokes intersect is because that way they keep the hub from rotating inside the wheel when you pedal if that makes any sense to you guys. (I understand it but it's hard to explain.)

So, now I don't have to worry so much about knocking the wheel out of true because I can just go and ahve it professionally tuned for free. Cool huh? Also, that old rim is being sent back to the company, and they might even be able to use it again and remanufacture the seam. I guess i didn't even bend it up that bad at all. (maybe they will just throw the rim away and re use the spokes and hub?) Who knows what they do with warranty parts????

Now that I have changed out my rim for a good one, I plan to make a few short rides to get accustomed to the bike and then this weekend I plan to ride to tacoma and back. it's a 60 mile round trip with 2 gigantic hills. The first hill is a doozy it's 2.9 miles long and I will gain 600 ft. altitude. the second is 4 miles long and I will gain 560 ft. altitude. Wish me luck!!

Now that I have changed out my rim for a good one, I plan to make a few short rides to get accustomed to the bike and then this weekend I plan to ride to tacoma and back. it's a 60 mile round trip with 2 gigantic hills. The first hill is a doozy it's 2.9 miles long and I will gain 600 ft. altitude. the second is 4 miles long and I will gain 560 ft. altitude. Wish me luck!!
You'll make the hills no prob.. I get to climb a bit over 300 ft in less than a mile to get out of the neighborhood. I LOVE my warm up ride.

'They are 36 hole rims, but the front wheel has the spokes going straight out from the hub while the rear rim's "

Anyone have any clue why they would, by default, radially lace a front wheel like that on a "relatively" low end rim like that? I understand lateral stiffness, but jeepers... that just baffles me.

wouldn't it work better to have the spokes crossed in the front and straight on the back? I believe the crossed spokes absorb shock, and give strength when impacting bumps, while the back wheel just tags along. correct me if i am wrong.

wouldn't it work better to have the spokes crossed in the front and straight on the back? I believe the crossed spokes absorb shock, and give strength when impacting bumps, while the back wheel just tags along. correct me if i am wrong.

You're wrong.