Wheel weight limits

[dee.jay]

Do wheels themselves have weight limits?

I'm finding my rear wheel needs truing again.. I did it once myself but I was rubbish at it.

I'm taking it to LBS for them to sort it now - noticed one of the spokes you could tweak by hand - that can't be right.

I'm 18 stone odd but don't consider that to be too heavy, maybe it's just the cheap bike (Did spend £350 on it, which admittedly isn't "a lot". I'm finding lots of little niggles with it that are annoying, gears needed tuning, brake cables needed adjusting - dunno whether it's the bike, my load, or just my inexperience.

Should I really be needing to do all this at 300 miles?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Yes they do have weight limits. Tends to be around the 110kg mark but it will depend on all sorts of things like the bike type (road, mountain, hybrid, touring etc)and how careful you are when riding.

So what are you riding, and are they the stock wheels (usually not up to much). There are some good offers on wheels at th he moment £63 for some shimano R501's - road bike wheels which I think are 105kg rated but know of people going over that (you have to count the bike weight as well)

 

[dee.jay]

Well my weight is roughly 115Kg - so that probably isn't a good start.

I have a 2013 Claud Butler Explorer 100 and yes, stock wheels, hybrid bike. I commute 14 miles round trip 4 times a week generally - and it's all on road/cycle path and there is a small section through a park. The path through the path is rougher than the road but not too bad, I suppose.

I'll see how the wheel truing gets on then think about upgrading the wheels if I'm still struggling. My weight will go down as well too (it has already actually, was over 19st!)

 

[Panter]

The legendary Gaz was 10 stone up on you when he started riding on 700cc wheels

http://39stonecyclist.com/am-i-too-heavy-for-a-bike/

 

[vickster]

Get some wheels hand built

Assume you try to avoid potholes and do go up and especially down kerbs?

 

[dee.jay]

Yes avoid potholes and I don't fly off kerbs - I join/leave cycle path/pavements where the pavement is low to the ground.

 

[Spoked Wheels]

I would also get the LBS to balance the spokes tension or you'll be back in no time for more truing. They might charge you a bit more though cause it takes longer to true a wheel and having uniform tension.

If you don't have enough spokes for your weight and riding style then it's simply a question of time before you need to replace the wheel(s)

 

[PpPete]

Get some wheels hand built

Better still - learn how to build your own wheels.
The reasons behing the need to

to balance the spokes tension or you'll be back in no time for more truing.

will become clear.

I've been building wheels for about 5 years now (started using this) and although no lightweight, i've entirely failed to break any spokes at all...despite hitting a significant number of large potholes very hard.

P.S. Building wheels from scratch always seems easier to me that truing up some piece of factory built crap.

 

[vickster]

Better still - learn how to build your own wheels..

Yeah cos that's going to happen with me

 

[PpPete]

Yeah cos that's going to happen with me

 

[Spoked Wheels]

P.S. Building wheels from scratch always seems easier to me that truing up some piece of factory built crap.

You are not alone in that at least not as enjoyable.

 

[mrandmrspoves]

As for gears and brakes needing adjusting, yes that's completely normal. A new bicycle needs time to settle down, gear and brake cables often stretch a small amount from new and that's enough to give you poor shifting and braking. Any reputable bike shop offers a free early service to deal with those exact issues and to ensure nothing has worked loose.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@dee.jay as @SatNavSaysStraightOn says, @BrianEvesham runs his Triban 3A on R501's and whilst not 18st any more, he has had them some months.

 

[moo]

I'm also running R501s on a Triban for shopping duties. I may be a lightweight but the rear wheel is forced to carry an extra 30kg once a week, which has to be worse for the wheel than rider weight. I've been over some huge potholes and after 4,000 miles they are still true.

 

[Venod]

some piece of factory built crap

I fully agree with building your own wheels its satisfying and you get what you want, but I don't subscribe to the myth that factory built wheels are crap and wouldn't advise anybody against getting some, I have been out on some Planet X wheels this morning that are still going strong after 1000's of miles, people say Planet X hubs are rubbish, but they are just branded PX they are Novatec Hubs as used by loads of other wheel makes.