Weight Weenies

I recently noticed a crack in my rear rim. Although just noticing it I can remember the situation when it (must have) happened. I though I had damaged the front rim. I was second up front and the guy ahead makes a small correction, why? BANG! right into a crater. That's why.. I almost instantly got a front puncture and that was it. I inspected the front thoroughly but couldn't find anything. So I replaced the tire and kept using the wheels (4 races). Until now that I find out that it was actually the rear wheel that got the worst blow.

One side:


Other side:


Knowing that I have used it pushing it without limitations and it's worked well, now that I have found the damage done should I keep on using it or just bin it an buy a new wheel or rim?

Any experience with "dented" carbon wheels?

Zipp 404, 2011 tubular (non firecrest).

Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com

I would forward those pictures to Shawn Small at Ruckus and see if they can be fixed. repairs@ruckuscomp.com
If he says no, they just get a replacement rim from zipp through your LBS. Zipp will rebuild the wheel for about $350. I have had to do that 3 times over the past few years with my 303s. No fault of the wheels--just took some nasty hits.

I have found that racing a bike is one of those things in which you push things to the limit. Your body and the machine. When the body fails, it decelerates and no harm is done. But when the bike fails under load, things can end very badly, and imagine how you would feel if the rim was to shatter or crack severely such that you went down in a corner at 25 mph. And heaven forbid you take out a bunch of racers. Or on a descent at 45. You would look back and ask yourself why you didn't act more wisely. How avoidable it was. So I say you call this one a casualty. As Thrillho says, get it repaired or rebuilt with a new rim.

I speak from experience, having ridden with my Speedplay cleats slightly overtightened, which caused me to not be clipped in, I launched when I jumped to close a gap, and I landed on my face. Facial reconstructive surgery, five teeth knocked out, brain injury, no memory for 9 days, sensitivity to loud noises for a year... It isn't worth it.

You raise a valid point about harming others if something were to break.

So I talked to by LBS, and he's been in contact with Zipp. Turns out they have discontinued the "old" rim (pre firecrest). They don't have any of the old rims left and they don't sell the Firecrest rim on it's own. They can of course sell me a complete new Firecrest rear wheel.

That is the situation at least for me here in Sweden.

So there doesn't seem to be much left to do than start saving up for a new wheelset. Darned pothole!

Get it repaired.
I hear the point made about safety first etc and it is very valid. I have seen a 440 rim that was cracked in a similar fashion but worse and it was ridden afterwards, including a state medal in the pointscore on the track. The one I saw looked like it was basically cracked through the braking surface - making it useless for road. It wasn't cracked through the main V section of the rim however. I think yours looks similar and could be worth repairing, at least look into it since you can't get a replacement rim.

Failing that, disassemble the wheel and rebuild with a Chinese carbon rim. Use the cracked rim for a mirror frame in your bathroom or something. Very cool.

Hi,
those damages can be repaired, here just one example before and after:


At this moment I'm just repairing this wheel:

Just to give you an idea what can be repaired..

Wow, I wouldn't have thought that coule be repaired - or was worth repairing. There would be a point where the cost and effort or disassembling, the wheel, having the rim repaired and rebuilding the wheel would be too great and you'd be better off starting from scratch with a replacement or with some Chinese carbon.
I'd love to see a finished pic of that nasty one Berk!

Kman,

I am working through the exact same scenario. I found a 60mm rim from Farsports that has the same ERD as the old Zipp 404 (525 mm) - it's their new full carbon clincher, 23 mm width. I don't know whether they have a tubi version, and what the ERD is on that.

In any case, I have a Farsports rim on order, and will lace it to the Zipp hub, and hope it works. Will post upon receipt of the rim etc.

Cool, interested to know how it goes.

Here in the states Zipp will replace the carbon hoop for 400 dollars. I cracked a 303 a few months back. They replaced the 2011 rim with a 2013 FC one.

I called a few local carbon repair places and they will not fix a carbon rim if the brake track has damage. Something about the original resin that was used on the rim.

kman wrote:/...
I'd love to see a finished pic of that nasty one Berk!

Before/after:

double post, sorry

Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com